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@article{198043,
        author = {Asst. Prof. Deepmala Sharma and Mohammed kaif Mohammed Efam Khan},
        title = {AI Dependency and Cognitive Decline},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {10752-10755},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=198043},
        abstract = {The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fundamentally reshaped how humans interact with information, approach problem-solving, and formulate decisions. [3] Intelligent systems are now deeply embedded in everyday routines, facilitating tasks ranging from scholarly composition and logical analysis to navigation, communication, and personalized content suggestions. Although these technologies offer significant gains in productivity and accessibility, their expanding role in mental activities raises critical questions about the future trajectory of human intellectual growth. Interdisciplinary insights drawn from neuroscience, psychology, and human-computer interaction indicate that over-dependence on AI may alter fundamental learning mechanisms and memory consolidation.
This research critically analyses the correlation between AI dependence and the risk of cognitive atrophy. It scrutinizes the implications of outsourcing mental functions—including reasoning, recall, content creation, and judgment—to algorithms, potentially curtailing active mental exertion. The study utilizes 'cognitive offloading' as a primary theoretical lens, illustrating how transferring cognitive labor to machines might degrade the neural strengthening required for critical analysis and profound learning. Key areas of focus include the impact on memory stability, analytical skills, creative output, self-efficacy in intellectual tasks, and autonomous judgment.
Employing a qualitative conceptual methodology rooted in established behavioural and cognitive literature, this work assesses the dual nature of AI adoption. The analysis reveals that although AI functions as a potent cognitive aid, unmonitored and habitual reliance risks the gradual erosion of core intellectual competencies. The paper concludes that AI ought to complement human cognition instead of supplanting it, advocating for a mindful, balanced approach to ensure cognitive resilience and intellectual independence persist amidst rising automation.},
        keywords = {Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Decline, AI Dependency, Cognitive Offloading, Critical Thinking, Brain Plasticity, Human–AI Interaction},
        month = {April},
        }