AI Use Hurts Independence in Just 10 Minutes

A new randomized controlled trial reveals that approximately 10 minutes of AI assistance is enough to cause a significant drop in user performance and an increased likelihood of giving up when working without AI.

The study, led by Grace Liu and colleagues, analyzed data from 1,222 participants. Unlike human mentors who scaffold learning, current AI systems are optimized for instant, complete answers. This "short-sighted collaboration" denies users the experience of working through challenges independently.

While AI improves short-term task completion, the research highlights its side effect: undermining "persistence," which is foundational to skill acquisition. The authors posit that AI conditions people to expect immediate answers, thereby eroding their ability to struggle productively.

This is an arXiv preprint (v5, updated Oct 3) and has not yet undergone peer review. The findings are based on mathematical reasoning and reading comprehension tasks; generalizability to other cognitive domains remains to be verified.