GoKawiilResearchers propose framework treating LLM adoption as a spreading 'cognitive virus'
An international team of scientists published a not-yet-peer-reviewed paper arguing that large language models like ChatGPT and Claude spread through populations similarly to how viruses transmit, driven by social learning and usefulness rather than biology. They contend this spread encourages 'cognitive offloading,' where people increasingly hand over mental tasks like reasoning and writing to AI tools, deepening reliance over time.