We all know a lack of exercise is bad for our bodies. So what is relying on AI doing to our brains? | Devi Sridhar
Source: Guardian Health ↗
Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, warned that the widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence by university students could be eroding their cognitive abilities. Citing a 2026 Higher Education Policy Institute survey, she noted that 95 percent of undergraduates reported using AI in at least one way and 94 percent had employed it for assessed work, raising serious concerns about the integrity of academic assessment and the long‑term health of learners’ brains.
She linked this surge in AI reliance to broader trends in sedentary behaviour and declining educational outcomes. As nations become wealthier, physical activity falls and chronic conditions such as type‑2 diabetes, cancers and musculoskeletal pain rise, a pattern she sees repeating in the mental realm with AI. Recent OECD data show record‑low scores in maths and reading across member countries, a decline she attributes to longer screen‑time, greater classroom digitalisation and a collapse in recreational reading. Preliminary research supports her worry: an EEG study titled “Your Brain on ChatGPT” found students who used AI to write essays exhibited weaker, less distributed brain connectivity than peers who wrote unaided, suggesting reduced mental engagement.
The professor cautioned that while the health impacts of sedentary lifestyles are already evident, the cognitive consequences of delegating thinking to machines may only become clear after decades. She referenced a longitudinal study of over 19,000 adults over 50, which showed that regular mentally stimulating activities—crosswords, sudoku, and the like—correlate with lower dementia risk and better later‑life cognition. By outsourcing key intellectual tasks to AI, students risk missing these protective benefits, potentially compromising both individual brain health and broader societal wellbeing as reliance on automation deepens.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
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🏙️Local Economylow impact
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🏦Rates & Bankslow impact
What this means for you
- ▶A modest drift in borrowing costs is more plausible than a sharp jump.
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- ▶Everyday routines rarely need to change much once the facts are clear.
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💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Staying well is its own kind of saving.
- ▶Preventive care usually costs less than treating problems further down the line.
🏠Housinglow impact
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- ▶Buyers and renters might notice only a gentle drift, if anything at all.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.