IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL USAGE ON STUDENT COGNITION ACROSS ACADEMIC FIELDS

The rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education raises critical questions about its cognitive impact on students. This study examines the effects of AI tools on general cognitive performance and reflective problem-solving abilities among students from Medicine, Economics, and Information Technology. A total of 150 students (mean age: 18.33±1.13 years) participated, divided into AI users and non-users. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Frederick test. Results indicate that AI usage improves cognitive outcomes across fields, with the strongest impact in IT, followed by Economics and Medicine. These findings highlight the importance of discipline-specific AI integration strategies to optimize student learning and cognitive development.