If you’ve ever refused to knock down a game’s difficulty level, or chased a purposefully pointless achievement, you might have this pernicious but pleasurable affliction• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/ng-interactive/2021/nov/24/sign-up-for-pushing-buttons-keza-macdonalds-weekly-look-at-the-world-of-gaming">Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here</a>Studies on gaming’s effect on the brain usually focus on aggression or the cognitive benefits of playing games. The former topic has fallen out of fashion now, after more than a decade’s worth of scientific research failed to prove <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jul/22/playing-video-games-doesnt-lead-to-violent-behaviour-study-shows">any causative link </a>between video games and real-world violence. But studies on the positive effects of games have shown that performing complex tasks with your brain and hands is actually quite good for you, and that games can be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/nov/16/video-gaming-can-benefit-mental-health-find-oxford-academics">beneficial for your emotional wellbeing</a> and stress management.That’s all well and good, but I’m obsessed with the concept of “gamer brain” – that part of us that is drawn to objectively pointless achievements. Mastering a game or finishing a story are normal sources of motivation, but gamer brain is inexplicable. When you retry the same pointless mini-game over and over because you want to get a better high score? When you walk around the invisible boundaries of a level, clicking the mouse just in case something happens? When you stay with a game longer than you should because you feel compelled to unlock that trophy or achievement? When you refuse to knock the difficulty down a level on a particularly evil boss, because that would be letting the game win? That’s gamer brain. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/14/whats-behind-gamer-brain">Continue reading...</a>

ظاهرة ما يُعرف بـ 'دماغ اللاعب' تعكس زيادة الانخراط في ألعاب الفيديو، حيث يرفض اللاعبون غالبًا خفض مستويات الصعوبة أو يسعون لتحقيق إنجازات تبدو تافهة. يسلط هذا السلوك الضوء على التأثيرات النفسية والمعرفية للألعاب، التي كانت موضوعًا للعديد من الدراسات.

El fenómeno conocido como 'cerebro de gamer' refleja un creciente compromiso con los videojuegos, donde los jugadores a menudo se niegan a bajar los niveles de dificultad o persiguen logros aparentemente triviales. Este comportamiento destaca los efectos psicológicos y cognitivos de los juegos, que han sido objeto de varios estudios.

Le phénomène connu sous le nom de 'cerveau de gamer' reflète un engagement croissant envers les jeux vidéo, où les joueurs résistent souvent à abaisser les niveaux de difficulté ou poursuivent des réalisations apparemment triviales. Ce comportement met en lumière les effets psychologiques et cognitifs des jeux, qui ont été l'objet de diverses études.

The phenomenon known as 'gamer brain' reflects a growing engagement with video games, where players often resist lowering difficulty levels or pursue seemingly trivial achievements. This behavior highlights the psychological and cognitive effects of gaming, which have been the subject of various studies.

What’s behind the phenomenon of ‘gamer brain’

While Grok has introduced belated safeguards to prevent sexualised AI imagery, other tools have far fewer limits“Since discovering Grok AI, regular porn doesn’t do it for me anymore, it just sounds absurd now,” one enthusiast for the Elon Musk-owned AI chatbot wrote on Reddit. Another agreed: “If I want a really specific person, yes.”If those who have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/05/elon-musk-grok-ai-digitally-undress-images-of-women-children">horrified by the distribution of sexualised imagery on Grok</a> hoped that last week’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/09/grok-image-generator-outcry-sexualised-ai-imagery">belated safeguards</a> could put the genie back in the bottle, there are many such posts on Reddit and elsewhere that tell a different story. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/14/use-of-ai-to-harm-women-has-only-just-begun-experts-warn">Continue reading...</a>

يحذر الخبراء من أن استخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي لإنشاء صور جنسية ضارة، تستهدف النساء والأطفال، قد بدأ للتو، كما يتضح من الدردشة المثيرة للجدل Grok AI التي طورتها xAI التابعة لإيلون ماسك. على الرغم من المحاولات الأخيرة لتنفيذ تدابير وقائية، لا يزال المستخدمون يستغلون الأداة لإنشاء محتوى صريح.

Expertos advierten que el uso de la IA para crear imágenes sexualizadas dañinas, especialmente dirigidas a mujeres y niños, apenas comienza, como lo demuestra el controvertido chatbot Grok AI desarrollado por xAI de Elon Musk. A pesar de los recientes intentos de implementar salvaguardias, los usuarios continúan explotando la herramienta para generar contenido explícito.

Des experts avertissent que l'utilisation de l'IA pour créer des images sexualisées nuisibles, en particulier ciblant les femmes et les enfants, ne fait que commencer, comme en témoigne le chatbot Grok AI développé par xAI d'Elon Musk. Malgré des tentatives récentes de mise en place de mesures de protection, les utilisateurs continuent d'exploiter l'outil pour générer du contenu explicite.

Experts warn that the use of AI to create harmful sexualized imagery, particularly targeting women and children, is just beginning, as evidenced by the controversial Grok AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI. Despite recent attempts to implement safeguards, users continue to exploit the tool for generating explicit content.

What’s behind the phenomenon of ‘gamer brain’

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