Generative AI Harms Student Cognitive Development

Ellen Parent, a high school English teacher, argues in a recent commentary that widespread use of generative AI in schools will harm students’ cognitive development by replacing practice-intensive tasks like writing. She cites a Brookings Institution report warning of an "AI dependence" doom loop and an MIT study linking ChatGPT-assisted essays to lower neural engagement and weaker recall, urging cautious, scaffolded AI literacy.