AI bots like ChatGPT can suffer human-like ‘brain rot’ from hours of internet scrolling

AI chatbots like ChatGPT can suffer human-like cognitive ‘brain rot’ symptoms if they are fed large amounts of “trivial” content that does not teach them anything new

Large Language Models like ChatGPT can be at risk of developing “brain rot”, just like humans, if they are repeatedly subjected to “trivial” content, latest research has revealed.

“Brain rot” is a slang term used to describe the perceived reduction in cognitive ability as a result of consuming trivial and un-stimulating online content, typically in the form of short-form social media videos. It is commonly used to describe the effects of endless scrolling on apps such as TikTok.

Now, boffins from Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Purdue University have seen signs that LLMs like ChatGPT can fall victim to this too.

They fed AI chat bots with two types of “trivial” content; “highly engaging” viral social media posts and longer-form content.

The findings showed that all four models they tested – Llama3 8B, Qwen2.5, 7B0.5B and Qwen3 4B all showed some signs of cognitive decline.

Meta’s Llama model was hit hardest by its “brainrot” training data, showing declines in reasoning, difficulty grasping context, and lapses in safety compliance. Qwen 3 4B handled the content better but was still affected.

Although ChatGPT, the most widely used AI chatbot, was not included in the study, the research shows just how much AI can suffer when what it is being fed doesn’t enhance it in any way.

This news comes just days after ChatGPT officially launched a new internet browser that it hopes can rival the market dominating Google Chrome.

The new ‘Atlas’ service offered by OpenAI, will work the same as Chrome, with users able to open tabs and use the “incognito” mode so viewing activity is not recorded. Sky News reported that product lead Adam Fry said: “Atlas should feel very familiar. It has all of your tabs, bookmarks, autofill for passwords, all the things you’re used to”.

The AI service ChatGPT has also been incorporated into the browser, so users can still access the technology with ease.

Atlas will, however, differ from Google Chrome in one key way, with creators hoping they can stand out against the long-standing internet giant, which already has AI summary features incorporated into the search engine.

Every tab you open on Atlas will have ChatGPT incorporated, with no need to copy and paste or keep going back to just one tab.

It appears the new service means users can stop using physical brain power so much, as it uses an AI ‘agent’. This means artificial intelligence could research, plan or book activities for you, without you having to physically seek them out yourself.

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