Cognitive decline trends predate the rise of artificial intelligence

Data analysis suggests that current declines in cognitive abilities, reading comprehension, and mathematics are not caused by artificial intelligence, but rather amplified by it. Research indicates that these trends began well before the widespread adoption of smartphones and generative AI.

A study involving 35 million American students by researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth found that reading scores have been declining since 2013. Similarly, evidence regarding the Flynn Effect—the historical rise in IQ scores—suggests a reversal began around 1975, decades before the internet era.

In Argentina, PISA results show that 54% of adolescents fail to reach minimum reading levels, significantly higher than the OECD average of 26%. Furthermore, 72.7% of 15-year-olds in Argentina do not meet minimum mathematics standards. Experts note a high correlation between reading and math proficiency, suggesting that many mathematical errors stem from an inability to comprehend written problem statements rather than calculation failures.