How AI is affecting our cognitive function - and what can help

Artificial intelligence has made many aspects of everyday life easier. But could it be weakening our brains? 

As AI tools automate more and more tasks that once required human cognition, experts are warning us to heed the principle of ‘use it or lose it’.

Here’s what emerging research says about AI overuse and cognitive decline, and why nutrients such as methylfolate and active B12 may be more important than ever.

In the last few years, many tasks that required human cognitive abilities and memory have been replaced by artificial intelligence. 

Computers, smartphones and other digital devices are now part of everyday life and we are increasingly reliant on external tools to store information, perform calculations and even make decisions. This has been referred to as ‘cognitive offloading’.¹

AI technologies can now take over many cognitively demanding tasks, relieving our need to develop or maintain skills such as recall, decision-making and information access. 

Chatbots can write our emails and social media posts; apps can choose our travel routes and movies; search engines can retrieve memories without any effort on our part.

While distributing tasks to AI may be improving efficiency, some experts are concerned about the long-term consequences of this offloading behavior.

A growing body of research is suggesting that our dependence on AI may lead to the loss of cognitive abilities. 

Like our muscles, our brains require regular stimulation. If we don’t use our muscles, they begin to deteriorate. If we don’t use certain cognitive skills, we may lose them, too.

Using AI to do our thinking, remembering and problem-solving for us may weaken our abilities in all those areas. Our digital reliance and cognitive offloading is affecting our attention span, working memory and executive function (mental skills we use for planning, focus and self-control). Underusing these brain functions may lead to reduced neural activity.

And the more entrenched AI becomes in our lives, the less we may be able to recognize the detrimental effects on our cognition. These effects may occur gradually, which means we may not even be aware of our own deficits. 

The link between technological assistance and cognitive skill decay has already been demonstrated with automated flying systems. Several studies have found that overreliance on automated flying systems has already led to measurable skill decline. The subsequent increase in accidents led to the US Federal Aviation Administration recommending that pilots periodically use their manual skills for the majority of flights.²

Similarly, a 2025 study found that students who used different AI tutors for problem-solving exercises significantly improved their performance (48% improvement in grades for GPT Base and 127% for GPT Tutor). However, when access to the AI tutors was removed, students performed worse than those who never had access (17% reduction in grades for GPT Base). This indicated that unrestricted GPT use can hinder real learning and overall educational outcomes.³

Brain training games can help to improve memory, attention, flexibility and problem-solving. A 2018 study found that young adults using the app Lumosity showed improvements in executive functions, working memory, processing speed and attention. This was correlated with increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) - a protein that supports neuroplasticity and memory - and apolipoproteins involved in brain health.⁴

Regular engagement with these brain training games helps to keep various parts of the brain active while triggering synaptic growth and repair. Examples include traditional games (such as Scrabble, bridge, Monopoly), strategic video games (such as Age of Empires and Fortnite) and others such as Tetris, Sudoku, jigsaws, crosswords and so on.⁵

Physical activity has been linked to a number of beneficial effects on cognitive function, including increased memory and executive function, improved academic performance in children, and slower decline in people with cognitive impairments or neurodegenerative diseases. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, stimulates the release of neurotrophic factors, and reduces oxidative stress - all of which support sharper thinking and memory function.⁶

Studies show that higher levels of fitness lead to increased hippocampal volume, which is associated with better spatial memory performance and reduced risk of cortical decay and cognitive impairment.⁷

Methylfolate is the active form of folate that plays a key role in methylation processes, homocysteine metabolism and the synthesis of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine). Unlike folic acid (which must be converted over several steps), methylfolate is already in its bioactive form and can cross the blood-brain barrier directly.

Several studies have shown that methylfolate supplementation may help to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and support long-term neural health. This may be highly beneficial in an era where our brains are doing less work. 

Clinical trials on older adults show supplementation with folic acid improved general intellectual function and performance in various tasks involving memory, attention and problem-solving skills.⁸

Other studies show that methylfolate supplementation resulted in significant improvements in overall cognitive functioning, including memory, mental clarity and the ability to perform daily tasks independently.⁹ These improvements were even more pronounced when methylfolate was combined with vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine).¹⁰

Patients who took 15mg L-methylfolate daily showed improved function in brain areas that control emotions and decision-making, as well as increased thickness in the brain's outer layer, which is typically a sign of improved brain health.¹¹