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A group of researchers from across the US and the UK have conducted a study on what AI does to our brains and the results are, in a word, grim. These results were published in a paper called "AI assistance reduces persistence and hurts independent performance" which kind of tells you everything you need to know.
"We find that AI assistance improves immediate performance, but it comes at a heavy cognitive cost," the study declares. Researchers went on to state that just ten minutes of using AI made people dependent on the technology, which led to worsening performance and burnout once the tools were removed.
The study followed people who use AI for "reasoning-intensive" cognitive labor. This refers to stuff like writing, coding and brainstorming new ideas, which are some of the most common use cases.
The researchers recruited 350 Americans, who were asked to complete some fraction-based equations. Half of the participants were randomly granted access to a specialized chatbot built on OpenAI's GPT-5 for help and the others had to go it alone. Halfway through the exam, the AI group had their access cut off.
This led to a steep decline in correct answers by the AI group and many instances of people simply giving up. This result, in which performance and perseverance both dropped, was repeated in a larger experiment with 670 people. Finally, the scientists performed one final experiment with reading comprehension questions, and not math. The results were more of the same.
"Once the AI is taken away from people, it's not that people are just giving wrong answers. They're also not willing to try without AI," Rachit Dubey, an assistant professor at the University of California and coauthor of the study,
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The maker of ChatGPT announced the limited release of GPT-5.4-Cyber, a technology designed to find security holes in software.
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Amazon's satellite-based internet service, Leo, will enter service by mid-2026, so says company CEO Andy Jassy. Writing in his annual letter, Jassy claimed Leo would offer download speeds of up to 1Gbps, far more than what Starlink presently offers. Sadly, Amazon declined to offer any more details about what that mid-2026 service would look like. But given select partners have already been kicking Leo's tyres for a while, we can only hope.
The mega-retailer is making some grand promises, including faster up and download speeds, cheaper cost and direct integration with Amazon's other products. Of course, the company can also sell itself on the fact it's a satellite internet provider not owned by Elon Musk. But it will have to buck its ideas up fast, given how far behind in its deployment of satellites it is.
— Daniel Cooper
The other big stories this morning
Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, with a motor that spins up to 65,000 RPM
Don't put your finger in it.
JBL Live 780NC and 680NC review: Great leaps, greater missteps
As the youth say, ‘mid.'
Sony teases its next-gen True RGB Mini LED TV technology
Yet another brand name to sully the Mini LED waters.
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With a $30 MSRP, this Iniu power bank has a 10,000mAh capacity, which means it has enough juice to recharge you phone about twice over, although that depends on what phone you have and if you're using the device while it's recharging or not.
The Iniu power bank has a cute strap you can use to carry it around town. The best part is that the strap is actually a short USB-C cable you can use to plug your phone in.
The power bank has a total of three ports, two of which are USB-C and one of which is USB-A, which means you can technically recharge multiple devices at once. With the 45W total output, charging speed would drop considerably if you plug in multiple gadgets.
Remember that in order to get the fabulous $11.21 price, you have to redeem the on-page coupon for the extra 40% discount that goes on top of the 38% off that's already available for the power bank. Stop wasting time because there's no way to know when this deal will expire.
Take this tiny power bank everywhere you goBuy now at Amazon
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