The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI

This theoretical paper examines how heavy reliance on AI tools and discovery-based pedagogies may impair memory consolidation and learning, drawing on neuroscience evidence about declarative/procedural memory, cognitive offloading, and the relationship between knowledge and skills.

In the age of generative AI and ubiquitous digital tools, human cognition faces a structural paradox: as external aids become more capable, internal memory systems risk atrophy. Drawing on neuroscience and cognitive psychology, this paper examines how heavy reliance on AI systems and discovery-based pedagogies may impair the consolidation of declarative and procedural memory -- systems essential for expertise, critical thinking, and long-term retention. We review how tools like ChatGPT and calcu

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