SINGAPORE: Singaporeans may soon need to add a new digital detox item to their checklist — limiting their use of chatbots like ChatGPT because, according to one university professor, outsourcing all your thinking to artificial intelligence (AI) might not just be lazy, it could literally be turning your brain into “rusty grey matter.”
In a fiery Letter to the Editor published by Free Malaysia Today, Professor Mohammad Tariqur Rahman of Universiti Malaya didn’t hold back his words when he warned against our growing reliance on chatbots to do our mental heavy lifting — from writing assignments to generating research proposals and even crafting emails.
“It’s as if the brain is capable of deciding spontaneously without much active attention from us,” he explained, pointing out how our brain’s efficiency improves with repeated use — a phenomenon called neuroplasticity. But this plasticity works both ways. “Dependency on chatbots not only blocks the brain from evolving but also turns it into a rusty grey matter incapable of creative cognitive exercise,” he cautioned.
In other words, using ChatGPT to write your school essay might feel smart, but it could be the intellectual equivalent of skipping leg day… every day.
You might ace the assignment, but flunk the long-term benefits of learning…
If you think this is just an old-school rant, think again. Prof Rahman cited a recent study from MIT, which found that using ChatGPT to write essays can lead to “cognitive debt” and “a likely decrease in learning skills.” Translation: You might ace the assignment, but flunk the long-term benefits of learning.
This is especially troubling in academic settings, where AI has infiltrated everything — from students using chatbots to write theses, to lecturers generating lesson plans and even exam questions with AI tools.
“The end result is superb,” Prof Rahman admits. “But against the backdrop of this superb ‘creative’ output, our brain remains inactive without any neural communication.”
“Using AI-assisted writing tools… can also stop one from learning how to write correctly…”
Singapore’s own classrooms have been cautiously navigating the AI wave. While schools here are embracing AI literacy and digital tools, there’s growing concern about students overly relying on chatbots to do the “thinking” part.
In fact, even when it comes to tools like Grammarly — a favourite among students and working professionals alike — Prof Rahman warned that unless the user pays attention to the edits and learns from them, “using AI-assisted writing tools… can also stop one from learning how to write correctly.”
By letting AI write everything for us, we may soon find ourselves not just out of ideas — but out of jobs too
Still, the goal isn’t to shun AI entirely. Prof Rahman is clear-eyed about the reality: “Given the circumstances, using AI tools to perform academic tasks is unavoidable. At the same time, everyone must master using AI tools.”
His solution is a hybrid approach. He recommends offering certain courses or major components of academic programmes the good old-fashioned way — no AI tools allowed. This, he suggests, might help preserve what he calls “synaptic ignition” — that spark of neural activity that fuels real learning and creativity.
Because if we continue letting AI write everything for us, from job applications to love letters, we may soon find ourselves not just out of ideas — but out of jobs too.
“Behind the curtain of frequent use of chatbots,” Prof Rahman warns, “we might be missing the double-edged sword of using them.”
And that sword cuts deep — through attention spans, creativity, and possibly, our collective ability to think independently.
The original version of “Reduce dependency on chatbot use” by Professor Mohammad Tariqur Rahman was first published in Free Malaysia Today. Professor Rahman is also the deputy executive director for development, research, and innovation at the International Institute of Public Policy and Management, Universiti Malaya
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