Are AI chatbots making us lose control of our brains?

Psychologist Gloria Mark, who has studied human-technology interaction for 30 years, warns that AI chatbots are accelerating cognitive decline. Her research shows average attention spans have shrunk from 2.5 minutes in 2003 to just 47 seconds by 2020. She argues that offloading cognitive tasks like writing, summarizing, and evaluating to AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini prevents 'depth of processing,' weakening critical thinking and memory over time. AI companion apps pose a similar risk to emotional intelligence. Mark believes course-correction is possible by deliberately choosing effortful activities — reading books, meeting friends in person, navigating without GPS — to keep cognitive and emotional 'muscles' from atrophying.