Will AI Make Our Brains Rust? On Neuroplasticity and Digital Hygiene

AI has raised concerns that if we outsource our thinking, our own minds will gradually lose their abilities. Is that really the case? It depends on our habits. From a neurobiological perspective, the key principle here is use it or lose it.

How the brain cuts costs

The brain accounts for just 2% of our body weight, but uses 20% of our total energy. To avoid wasting resources, it constantly optimizes how it works. One of the processes it uses is called synaptic pruning. Neural connections that we do not use regularly are weakened or eliminated. Those we use frequently become stronger.

Research on neuroplasticity leads to a simple conclusion: if we stop requiring ourselves to analyze data, remember information, or solve difficult problems for a few weeks, the neural circuits responsible for these functions will start to weaken.

This process is not irreversible. The brain remains plastic throughout our lives and can rebuild these connections. The problem is that getting back to our previous level of performance simply requires much more effort than maintaining it in the first place.

The most convenient shortcut in history

The problem with AI is not that it is bad, but that it works almost too well. In a few seconds, it can write messages, summarize lengthy reports, and structure texts. It is an incredibly effective cognitive shortcut.

The problem starts when we permanently hand over the most important stages of our work:

• drawing conclusions independently,
• finding connections between complex concepts,
• building a logical argument.

When an algorithm does this for us, we stop training these specific functions. Instead, we learn something else: how to delegate tasks quickly. That is also a skill, but it is very different from thinking independently.

Does this mean technology is harmful to us? Not more than a calculator or GPS navigation. Navigation has weakened our sense of direction, while search engines have changed the way we remember information. AI does the same thing, only at a deeper level.

4 rules of cognitive hygiene

Instead of giving up technology, it is better to change the way we use it. Here are four simple rules that can help keep our minds active:

1. Think first

Before asking ChatGPT a question, spend at least five minutes thinking about it yourself. Try to build a mental framework or write down your first conclusions. Making your brain do some initial work makes a difference.

2. Treat AI as a discussion partner, not a free employee

Instead of asking for a ready-made answer (“write a text about X”), ask for suggestions, challenges to your argument, or different points of view. This way, you do not switch off your own thinking. You engage with it.

3. Train your brain away from the screen

Read longer texts on paper, learn new things, and create without access to the internet. Even simple handwriting or solving tasks on paper actively engages neural networks.

4. Create algorithm-free zones

Choose areas where you deliberately do not use AI. It could be writing personal messages, making important decisions, or setting goals. Keep these spaces 100% for your own judgment.

Summary

Artificial intelligence will bring out whatever we give it. If we give it full control over our thinking, our cognitive abilities will indeed decline. If, on the other hand, we treat it as a fast source of knowledge and a tool for checking ideas, it can become an amplifier of our abilities.

Ultimately, it is not the algorithm that determines the condition of our minds, but our everyday habits.