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Title: Large-Language Models as a Cognitive Virus

URL Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03344

Published Time: Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:26:01 GMT

Title:Large-Language Models as a Cognitive Virus

Authors:Ricard Solé, Giulio Ruffini, Francesca Castaldo, Marco Tuccio, Luis F. Seoane, Manlio de Domenico, Santiago F. Elena, David C. Krakauer, Michael Levin

View a PDF of the paper titled Large-Language Models as a Cognitive Virus, diffusion can be understood through a viral analogy, with LLM use spreading through populations, becoming embedded in cognitive and cultural practices. We model transitions among uncoupled, coupled, and persistently dependent users, and show that the interplay between social transmission, recovery, and collective reinforcement can generate tipping points and technological lock-in. A central consequence is the possibility of runaway dynamics: once a critical threshold is crossed, small increases in adoption can trigger rapid population-level shifts toward persistent dependence, with abrupt losses in cognitive competence. The same framework, however, identifies conditions for cognitive immunization, based on reducing transmission and facilitating reversibility. Our results highlight how LLM adoption may involve nonlinear collective transitions with important consequences for cognitive autonomy.

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From: Luis F Seoane PhD [[view KB)

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