The emerging evidence around the cognitive costs of learners outsourcing thinking to AI tools

DR LUCY RYCROFT-SMITH, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK Introduction This article considers the question: What does evidence suggest are some of the cognitive costs to using generative artificial intelligence tools in education? Research is only just beginning to address the cognitive and practical impacts of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools on learning, especially the negative impacts. For example, Kosmyna et al. (2025) conducted a landmark study where they used brain imaging to visualise neural connections in students undertaking tasks with and without artificial intelligence (AI) tools, demonstrating a likely decrease in learning skills in students who used ChatGPT to write essays. Their findings support the view that external support tools such as AI serve to restructure not only task performance but also the underlying cognitive architecture of our brains. In this article, I review some of the evidence around the use of AI tools and possible effe