AI System

ChatGPT

Conversational AI as cognitive prosthesis.

Conversational AI launched by OpenAI in November 2022. OpenAI is funded primarily by Microsoft (Reid Hoffman is a former board member and major Microsoft shareholder; Sam Altman is co-founder and CEO).

Documented Cognitive Harm Footprint

42

Harm Footprint

Moderate

A 2025 study found that higher confidence in AI-driven systems is linked to "less critical thinking effort", with critical thinking skills "atrophying the more they relied on, and trusted in" automated systems. Frequent AI-tool use is associated with measurable cognitive offloading.

Harm Count
10 / 40
Severity
9 / 35
Reach
18 / 22
Mechanism
5 / 5

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Documented Harms (2)

Critical-Thinking Atrophy

2025 frequent AI tool users

Higher confidence in AI-driven systems is linked to less critical-thinking effort and measurable skill atrophy with sustained use.

Source: 2025 study on AI tools, cognitive offloading and critical thinking

Cognitive Offloading

2025 frequent AI tool users

Frequent reliance on conversational AI is linked to measurable cognitive offloading — outsourcing mental work to the system.

Source: 2025 study on AI tools, cognitive offloading and critical thinking

Ownership & Accountability

Sam Altman Co-founder and CEO of OpenAI

What they say (Give)

Built the most widely used conversational AI system in history.

What the public loses (Take)

Leads the system whose heavy use is documented to produce cognitive offloading and atrophy of critical-thinking skills.

Reid Hoffman Former OpenAI board member; Microsoft major shareholder (Microsoft is OpenAI's primary backer)

What they say (Give)

Helped fund and govern the launch of ChatGPT.

What the public loses (Take)

Profits from the system documented to produce cognitive offloading and atrophy of critical-thinking skills.