AI assistance erodes motivation in just 10 minutes, study finds

A study of 1,222 participants found that people who used an AI chatbot for simple tasks performed worse and gave up more often when the assistant was removed. The effect appeared in both fraction problems and reading comprehension, suggesting cognitive offloading reduces persistence.

• Three experiments covered 1,222 participants in 13–15 minute sessions
• After the AI was removed, users skipped more problems and solved fewer
• The effect held for both math fractions and reading comprehension
• Researchers urge AI to act as a tutor giving hints, not answers