--- title: "MIT Report Finds That AI Is Leading to “Cognitive Surrender” Among Students" description: "A new MIT report finds that students are offloading their thinking to AI -- right at the moment they need to develop it." date: "2026-09-19" modified: "2026-09-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/mit-report-ai-cognitive-surrender-students" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Education" - "Future Society" --- # MIT Report Finds That AI Is Leading to “Cognitive Surrender” Among Students ![A student holding their head while looking at a piece of paper.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* As generative AI continues to intrude on almost every aspect of our daily lives, students are increasingly starting to feel the effects of over-relying on the tech. Some are [going to absurd lengths]() to use AI to complete their assessments while avoiding being caught cheating. Meanwhile, [exam scores are dropping off a cliff]() as students struggle to get by without using the tech as a crutch. The effects extend far beyond bad grades. Some college students are [losing the ability to participate in class discussions](), a terrifying consequence of offloading their cognitive facilities to AI. In a [report on the state of education]() last month, MIT researchers warned that the alarming trend is leading to "cognitive surrender," effectively overriding their own intellectual agency with the output of AI. "As AI-enabled technologies become more capable, it will be possible — and tempting — to offload more 'thinking' tasks to them; not surprisingly, students told us the temptation was greatest when they feared they would miss a deadline," the report reads. "There are early signals, however, that overreliance on chatbots can have a range of significant negative consequences — diminishing critical thinking, weakening memory, eroding confidence, and undermining mastery." It's a thorny subject as administrators continue to push for more AI adoption, not less. That's despite countless educators, who've watched helplessly as their AI-dependent students struggle in the classroom, are bristling at the thought. "I think you have to lean in, but you have to do so in a way that’s thoughtful and ethical and asks the right questions," University of Hawaii president Wendy Hensel [told the *New York Times*](). "The right answer to AI is not just 'no.' It can’t be. It has to be approached with curiosity and understanding of the implications." We've seen study after study warning that the overreliance on AI chatbots could have devastating effects on education. Students aren't being taught to internalize what they've learned, as [one MIT study]() found last year. "You basically didn’t engage any of the memory networks that would actually help you remember," coauthor and MIT researcher Nataliya Kos’myna told the *NYT*. At the same time, university administrators argue that preparing students for an AI-dominated future remains paramount — a belief that could risk further eroding their cognitive thinking skills. Others are drawing a much harder line, like the University of Chicago's school of law, which announced it was [banning the use of phones, tablets, and even laptops]() in class for first-year courses earlier this year. **More on AI and education:** [*College Students Using AI to Cheat Are Going to Absurd Lengths to Avoid Detection*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()