Why We Built Ideation: ChatGPT Makes Us Dumber

ChatGPT and other AI assistants have become everyday tools. They translate texts, write emails, generate ideas. But with this convenience comes a risk: the brain begins to work less. This risk was the starting point for creating our app — Ideation.

When the brain stops making an effort

A study at MIT Media Lab showed that while people were using ChatGPT, activity decreased in brain areas responsible for memory and attention (MIT Media Lab, 2023).

When a person solves a problem on their own, the brain connects memory, experience, and focus. When AI does it instead, those processes switch off. Over time, we lose the habit of deep thinking.

Think about phone numbers. We once remembered dozens of them; now almost none. With ChatGPT it’s not just memory at risk — analysis, creativity, and focus are also fading.

The habit of accepting answers

AI creates the pattern of “ask and accept.” Why doubt, if the answer is already there? But doubt is the root of critical thinking. Without it, the ability to check, compare, and reason weakens.

This is especially clear in education. A student who copies an answer doesn’t train their brain. A month later, they can’t explain the principle. A year later, they can’t apply the knowledge in a new context.

Cognitive debt

Every task delegated to AI is a “loan” from the brain. Memory, attention, and reasoning are handed over to external tools. Today it’s convenient. Tomorrow you find it harder to concentrate and think independently.

ChatGPT amplifies the difference

For active people, AI works as an accelerator. They take a suggestion, check it, rewrite it, add their own. They become more productive. For passive users, it becomes a crutch. They copy and grow dependent.

We wanted to build a tool that develops thinking, not replaces it.

Ideation: AI that doesn’t think for you

Instead of ready-made answers, Ideation gives short prompts and unexpected perspectives. You write a topic, choose “roles” (Marketer, Critic, Optimist, etc.), and get sparks that push your own thinking forward.

It’s not a chat that solves problems for you. It’s a space where AI nudges ideas — and the rest is up to you.

How not to lose your mind in the age of AI

This is our motivation: to help people keep their ability to think for themselves. Ideation helps you:

  • use AI as a spark, not a substitute
  • train critical thinking instead of blind copying
  • explore new perspectives while staying the author of your ideas

No conclusion needed

AI is a mirror of how we treat knowledge. Use it as a crutch, and it weakens you. Use it as inspiration, and it makes you stronger. Ideation was built to make that choice clear.

Tags: AI, ChatGPT, thinking, memory, creativity, technology, Ideation