Khaberni - An American research team has warned that using artificial intelligence instead of searching for information with the usual internet search tools leads to only superficial knowledge for the researcher, and any learning process quickly turns into a "passive" activity.
The team stated in a research paper published by the journal PNAS Nexus of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States: "When individuals search for a topic through large language models of artificial intelligence, they risk acquiring more superficial knowledge than if they learned through traditional online search, even when the basic facts in the results are identical."
Artificial intelligence chat programs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and other similar programs have changed the way students write texts and find information in schools and universities. However, researchers Sheri Milomad from the University of Pennsylvania and Gene Ho Yun from New Mexico State University say that users of chat programs deprive themselves of the opportunities "to discover information by themselves."
The researchers mentioned in their paper, citing seven electronic and laboratory experiments: "Those who learn from large language models of artificial intelligence (compared to traditional web links) feel less interested in formulating their recommendations. More importantly, they provide broader yet less original recommendations, which consequently are less likely to be adopted by recipients."
The research team clarified: "Those included in the study reported gaining less in-depth knowledge through the use of large language models, even when results were augmented with real-time internet links."
According to Milomand and Gene, "While searching through large language models undoubtedly facilitates the acquisition of information, it may undermine learning at the same time compared with reading items that appear in traditional search engines."
The team added: "Among the risks of relying on large language models instead of traditional internet search links is that it may turn learning from a more active activity into a passive activity, which has been proven to lead to lesser learning outcomes in other environments."
