News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by bargainbin on Thursday June 19, 2025 @08:34AM (#44318067)
Tool that gains popularity for reducing cognitive load is found to reduce cognitive load. Shocker.

I expect better from El Reg.

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by amelius on Thursday June 19, 2025 @08:42AM (#44318133)
Why? Cognitive load could go elsewhere. Like going from low-level programming to better architecture decisions.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by bluefirebrand on Thursday June 19, 2025 @08:59AM (#44318290)
Why would it go to better architecture decisions when you can just ask the AI to make those too?

The Human problem with "the everything machine" is that it does "everything" and by and large Humans really do need to do something while we're alive

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by amelius on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:02AM (#44318325)
> Why would it go to better architecture decisions when you can just ask the AI to make those too?

Because anyone could do that.

To remain competitive, humans will have to keep using their cognitive functions.

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by bluefirebrand on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:11AM (#44318393)
Remaining competitive is already such an exhausting, burnout fueled treadmill

I cannot imagine how miserable it will be trying to keep up with the AI slop firehose

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by AnimalMuppet on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:24AM (#44318489)
Remain competitive by not producing a firehose of slop. Remain competitive by producing "non slop", even if it's not a firehose.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by lukan on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:14AM (#44318421)
Because the AI is not good for the big picture or really understanding anything at all.

If the human doesn't do it, no one does.

So great if the AI can help with the subtasks, bad if people assume the big problems will solve itself.

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by frizlab on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:52AM (#44318697)
> Why would it go to better architecture decisions when you can just ask the AI to make those too?

Because AI can’t do it. It does not understand anything and probably won’t before a very long time.

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by koakuma-chan on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:04AM (#44318341)
> Cognitive load could go elsewhere.

EVE ponytail length

Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by panxyh on Thursday June 19, 2025 @08:49AM (#44318185)
Because people are lazy.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by mensetmanusman on Thursday June 19, 2025 @08:57AM (#44318277)
Where it will go is discovering more ways to eat sugar.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by add-sub-mul-div on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:11AM (#44318397)
Yes it's obvious but you're supposed to go one step deeper and consider the implications of this.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by Herring on Thursday June 19, 2025 @09:22AM (#44318468)
Why? This website is for 2-liners, not in-depth discussions. More and more I find myself discussing important ideas with Gemini, not other people :/
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by cgriswald on Thursday June 19, 2025 @10:04AM (#44318792)
Serious question: Are your offline conversations also being replaced this way?
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by Herring on Thursday June 19, 2025 @10:17AM (#44318912)
Yes and no? I think irl conversations were always more about connecting "what's going on in your life, who did what, I'm worried about X" eg with family. On the rare occasion there's a disagreement over facts, it's absolutely great to have a LLM ref to adjudicate. So the LLM is supplementary. It even does emotional persuasion better than I do. But yes I do find overall I have slightly less subjective need for irl conversations because I have been talking with the LLM.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by cgriswald on Thursday June 19, 2025 @10:25AM (#44318973)
Interesting. Thanks for responding. As I've gotten older (or maybe it is the times and not me), I've found online conversation less stimulating, and like you, most of my IRL conversations are focused on more social/personal things. I've used LLMs for learning, but not conversation; but I've been scratching that itch with books, which, although they are not the same as conversation, do offer something similar.
Re:Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT bof... by add-sub-mul-div on Thursday June 19, 2025 @12:19PM (#44320073)
You can't tell what's sincere and what's parody anymore. It's like we had a mini internet death before the big one.