Too Much Scare Mongering Can Create a Beast!
NEUROLETTER #27 | JUNE 2025
Great to have you here. Let’s share:
When is a myth not a myth? What are the alternative truths behind brain myths?
Thoughts on the recent research claiming AI will make us dumb!
Could you benefit from a real-time read on the cognitive health of your team. Quick overview of ‘Brains@Work® Diagnostic’ and why it could be a game changer for your company.
The Neuroscience of the not so dark side of myths?
Imagine a bustling village where the townspeople gathered every evening around a flickering fire, sharing tales passed down through generations. One night, an old sage, known for his wisdom, began to speak of a peculiar creature that lived deep in the forest - the Brain Beast.
This beast, with its shimmering, multi-coloured skin, was said to have the power to grant extraordinary intelligence to anyone who could capture it. However, there was a catch: to find the Brain Beast, one had to navigate a labyrinth of illusions, where every twist and turn revealed a different myth about the mind.
As villagers ventured into the forest, they encountered whispers of what they believed to be true about their own brains. Some claimed that humans only used 10% of their brainpower, while others insisted that left-brained people were logical and right-brained individuals were creative. Each myth tugged at their beliefs, leading them deeper into the maze, where the Brain Beast waited, a guardian of knowledge.
In this tale, the villagers soon discovered that the truths they sought were often more complicated than the myths they believed. The journey turned into a quest not just for the beast, but for understanding the complexity of their own minds. The true magic lay not in capturing the Brain Beast, but in unravelling the myths that had shrouded their understanding of intelligence, memory, and creativity.
As you explore the real myths surrounding the brain, remember the villagers and their quest. Like them, you may find that the real journey is one of discovery, where each myth debunked leads to a deeper appreciation for the marvel that is the human brain.
If you want to capture the Brain Beast of Creativity follow Brainy Podcasts on LinkedIn and be the one of the first to hear Episode 17, with our guest Adam Hill, Founder of @designate on the 8th of July, where we explore what ‘Vibrators to Google Maps to AI ‘have in common, as Adam shares his uniquely human approach to innovation, leadership, and the ever-evolving digital space.
Is AI making me dumb? The Neuroscience behind the headlines.
You may have seen the recent research creating ripples (and a few brain beasts) about the potential "brain impacts" of AI tools like ChatGPT, especially in students. It’s an important conversation, but before we get swept along by sensational headlines, we need to pause, interrogate the science, and apply critical thinking.
Headlines can mislead.
First, the study in question involved a small, geographically limited sample of 54 students, primarily based in Boston. To give the researchers their due they stated that these are preliminary findings, requiring far broader, more diverse studies before drawing firm conclusions. But when headlines run faster than evidence, they sow confusion or build unhelpful, fear-driven narratives about our brains 'shrinking' or our cognition 'declining' due to AI, and the implied danger of AI.
As an Applied Neuroscientist its drummed into us to be curious, question and be wary of black-and-white thinking. The brain is just not that simple! Our brains are far more adaptable, nuanced, and resilient than clickbait headlines suggest. What is important to remember is that our brains are designed for change and adaption. It’s how we change and how we continue to keep shaping our brains that means success or mediocre results both educationally and in business. It’s not all doom and gloom!
In fact, from a neuroscience perspective, this study actually offers some fascinating, layered insights, if you look beyond the scare mongering, especially the collaboration of human intelligence with artificial intelligence.
Neural Efficiency Is Not Decline: In the study some participants showed reduced global brain connectivity after repeated AI tool use. That’s not necessarily negative. It may reflect the brain’s ability to streamline networks and conserve energy similar to muscle memory when we master a new skill. Less visible activity doesn't always mean less engagement, sometimes, it means more efficiency.
When We Think First, Augment Second, the Brain Thrives. Participants who first engaged in tasks without AI, then introduced AI later, showed spikes across key neural networks (alpha, beta, theta, delta). Meaning using your own brain first by planning, and generating ideas followed by AI support can enhance integration and cognitive engagement.
Shifting Not Losing, Cognitive Load: AI tools free up working memory, allowing us to shift cognitive resources toward oversight, evaluation, and critical thinking. So, rather than AI 'replacing' brain effort, it changes where and how that effort is applied, a concept well-established in cognitive neuroscience.
Let’s not forget, Plato worried that writing would damage memory. People fretted that the printing press, calculators, even GPS, would ‘dull’ our thinking. In every case, new tools reshaped cognition but they also expanded human potential in new ways.
AI is undeniably a bigger cognitive leap, sitting closer to how we think and communicate. But we know we adapt, that’s our species survival mechanism. We morph one skill set for another, evolving our cognitive landscape, not erasing it.
My take from this is to be cautious of alarmist narratives, especially when research is so fresh. The more we learn and understand about the brain's remarkable neuroplasticity the more aware and resilient we can be in our learning.
As in so many areas of life tools like AI aren’t inherently good or bad, it’s how we use new tech that’s important, such as the remarkable developments in medicine etc.
As you will have guessed I created the Brain Beast story above in tandem with my AI friend and it was great fun!
AI can enhance learning, accessibility, efficiency, and even creative thinking but it’s the human part that makes the difference - human curiosity, awareness and critical reflection. Leaders and companies have a responsibility to train their people to what end they want them to use new tech, how to use it well to benefit competitive growth but also humanity.
So, let’s continue to challenge what we read and hear because our brain like any other muscle in our body thrives when stretched. This article from Bernard Marr AI Could Reshape Humanity And We Have No Plan For It, will certainly give you a stretch.
If you want more points of view, listen to our latest Brainy Podcast with the ever-curious Ross Stephenson - learning strategist, AI explorer, and all-around provocateur for progress. Ross offers a grounded view on the human skills that matter most, how AI can elevate thinking (not just efficiency), and why curiosity might just be the ultimate superpower in the age of automation.
NEW Brains@ Work Diagnostic
The essential first step to unlocking sustainable performance through neuroscience insight. A neuroscientific performance audit for leaders, used to pinpoint how stress, culture, and complexity are actively impairing decision-making, internal & external relationships and competitive growth. Rooted in the latest findings from applied neuroscience, this diagnostic reveals how well individuals and teams are performing across four key brain-based dimensions that drive sustainable leadership and collaboration:
Cognitive Clarity - Mental focus, energy, and decision-making.
Emotional Regulation - Staying calm, adaptable, and resilient under stress.
Social Connection & Trust - Building psychological safety and trust.
Resilience & Adaptability - Bouncing back and thriving through change.
When your brain is under pressure, it can’t optimise it can only protect. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more
