When AI Thinks for Us: Unveiling the Cognitive and Social Toll of ChatGPT Over‐Reliance

ABSTRACT ChatGPT has rapidly become an indispensable tool for users worldwide, integrating seamlessly into daily academic, professional, and social routines. Based on qualitative interviews with 45 regular users, the findings reveal reduced critical thinking, weaker memory retention, and heightened cognitive dependence on AI. Psychologically, participants reported loss of autonomy, diminished intrinsic motivation, and emotional attachment to ChatGPT, while socially, many experienced reduced real‐world interaction and isolation. However, several users demonstrated adaptive and constructive uses of ChatGPT, employing it as a scaffold for creativity and reflective learning rather than a substitute for thinking. These results underscore the need for balanced and self‐regulated AI use, promoting critical AI literacy and digital well‐being to harness ChatGPT's benefits without compromising cognitive autonomy.