Documentary Warns of Brain 'Degeneration' in AI Era: 'To Read Again' to Air on EBS

In an era where AI handles everything from summarizing to creating content, a provocative documentary is set to air, warning of the 'degeneration' of the human brain hidden behind the convenience of technology.

EBS will feature a special program titled 'To Read Again' on the 20th and 27th, shedding light on the essence of 'reading' that we are losing in the age of AI and its devastating price. The production team behind 'Your Literacy' and 'Illiterate Humanity,' which sparked a 'literacy boom' in Korea, now poses the weighty question: 'For a humanity that doesn't read, AI is not a tool, but a disaster.'

The most shocking revelation comes from the impact of AI dependency on human memory. An experiment conducted by MIT revealed that 83% of participants who used generative AI like ChatGPT to write recalled not a single sentence they had written just one minute after completing the task. This scientifically proves that using AI disconnects the areas of the brain responsible for thought and memory.

Professor Stanislas Dehaene, a renowned neuroscientist, emphasizes that in a world where AI and short-form content erode attention spans, the only solution to protect our brains is 'deep reading.' He argues that as technology advances, the ability to read, write, and discuss deeply becomes our irreplaceable competitive edge against AI.

Conversely, a paradoxical movement is being observed among Generation Z, often called digital natives. Part 1, 'Reading Dopamine,' highlights young people rejecting the passive pleasure offered by algorithms and seeking the 'active dopamine' derived from text. The 'Text Hip' phenomenon, where reading is perceived as cool consumption, is exemplified by over 3,500 people participating in a 10-hour poetry reading relay in Gwanghwamun Square and 10,000 attendees at the Gunsan Book Fair, signaling a transformation of reading from a dull study to a 'hip' activity.

EBS's special program 'To Read Again' will be broadcast on EBS 1TV at 3 PM on the 20th (Part 1: Reading Dopamine) and 27th (Part 2: AI Era, The Counterattack of Reading).

Netizens reacted to the documentary's warning about potential brain degeneration in the AI era, with comments like 'Will we become unable to do anything without AI?', 'This makes me realize the importance of deep reading once again,' and 'The current reading trend among young people is hopeful.'