ChatGPT Users Show Weaker Brain Activity When Writing

MIT researchers tracked essay writers and found those using ChatGPT showed the weakest brain connectivity. Participants who wrote unaided recorded the strongest, most distributed neural activity on EEG.

The experiment split subjects into three groups—LLM, search engine, and brain-only—and analyzed three essay sessions for each. Teachers and an AI judge rated the output, while the LLM group also struggled to accurately quote their own writing.

Researchers concluded that dependence on AI tools curtails cognitive, linguistic, and behavioral engagement. They warn the pattern raises long-term questions for education systems contemplating unrestricted LLM use.

Mattel has signed a deal with OpenAI to use its AI tools to design and power new toys and products across its brands. The partners plan to unveil their first product toward the end of this year.

Mattel keeps its intellectual property and decision-making authority, declining to license its brands to OpenAI. Executives described plans for digital assistants built around characters and more interactive versions of classics like Magic 8 Ball and Uno.

The agreement underscores OpenAI’s campaign to partner with rights-holders and embed its technology in branded consumer products. Mattel’s stock rose 1.8% on the news, reflecting its broader push to expand beyond traditional toy making.

Alta secured an $11 million seed round led by Menlo Ventures to scale its AI-powered personal stylist and shopping app. Founder Jenny Wang positions the product as a virtual closet assistant that generates outfit suggestions and lets users try looks on a personalized avatar.

The round attracted high-profile backers including stylist Meredith Koop, LVMH-backed Algaé Ventures, Phenomenal Ventures, Anthropic’s fund, and angels such as DoorDash CEO Tony Xu and supermodels Jasmine Tookes and Karlie Kloss. Alta already partners with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and is pursuing further retailer tie-ups.

Wang says maturing AI now makes the once-fantasy wardrobe assistant feasible, placing Alta within a growing cluster of consumer AI startups in New York. The fresh capital funds continuous model updates and international rollouts supported by LVMH contacts and Marie Kondo.

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Canva has integrated Google’s Veo 3 AI video generator into all of its paid plans. Subscribers can instantly produce eight-second, audio-synced video clips from text prompts inside any Canva project.

The tool is also live on Leonardo.Ai, the creative suite Canva owns, giving users another route to Veo 3. Canva Pro’s $15 monthly subscription now includes the feature, sidestepping the higher cost of accessing Veo 3 through Google.

Canva leadership frames the move as using AI to remove manual, time-consuming steps rather than replace human creativity. The company says AI now handles ideation and translation while designers remain in control of branding, collaboration, and final edits.

TechRadar spotlights five playful, heartwarming applications of common AI tools. The list ranges from turning dogs into human portraits to pairing isolated seniors with children for AI-guided video chats.

Other examples include photo shoots of pets cooking and AI images that depict elementary students in their chosen future careers. Each idea uses off-the-shelf chatbots or image generators and is spreading quickly on social media and in classrooms.

The roundup shows AI delivering joy and connection instead of just efficiency or spectacle. It also demonstrates how simple prompts can spark viral, personal experiences without specialized tech.