Are AI chatbots making us lose control of our brains?
General consumer-technology and attention research with no immediate APS AI governance or policy parallel.
Key points
- Research shows adult attention spans have shrunk from 2.5 minutes in 2003 to 47 seconds by 2020.
- Content focuses on social media addiction and attention research - AI chatbots are not substantively examined.
- Limited direct relevance to APS AI governance work; framed as consumer technology and child safety concern.
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"Are AI chatbots making us lose control of our brains?"
Source: MIT Technology Review – AI
Published: 5 June 2026
URL: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/05/1138427/are-ai-chatbots-making-us-lose-control-of-our-brains/
An MIT Technology Review article reporting on research by attention scientist Gloria Mark, who has tracked shrinking adult attention spans over two decades of device use - from around 2.5 minutes in 2003 to 47 seconds by 2020. The piece also covers social media litigation in the US, including Meta and YouTube being ordered to pay damages over addictive product design affecting children. Despite the headline, AI chatbots are not substantively examined; the content is primarily about social media and attention.
Retrieved from SIMS, 18 July 2026.