PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — A new study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Oxford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and UCLA suggests that even short periods of artificial intelligence use may reduce a person’s ability to solve problems independently.
The research examined how AI assistance affected performance on math and reading tasks involving more than 1,000 participants. Researchers found that people using AI tools initially completed tasks faster and more accurately than those working without assistance. However, when the AI was removed, their performance often declined.
In one experiment involving 350 participants solving fraction problems, those who used AI performed well while assistance was available. Once the tool was taken away, accuracy fell and participants were more likely to abandon difficult problems rather than continue working through them.
“We show that just 10-15 minutes of AI interaction can result in significant impairments in independent performance and persistence,” the researchers wrote, warning that the long-term effects of daily AI use remain largely unknown.
A separate reading comprehension study involving 670 participants produced similar results. Researchers found that users who relied on AI to provide direct answers showed the largest declines in independent performance. Participants who used AI primarily for hints, explanations, or clarification did not experience the same level of impairment.
Co-author Rachit Dubey told Futurism that the issue was not simply incorrect answers. “They’re also not willing to try without AI,” he said.
The findings add to a growing debate over how artificial intelligence may affect learning, education, and critical thinking as AI tools become increasingly common in everyday life.
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