Study Finds Heavy Reliance on AI May Weaken Independent Thinking and Persistence

People who rely on artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to solve everyday problems may become less capable of completing similar tasks independently when the technology is taken away, according to new research examining the effects of AI-assisted learning.

The study, presented at the 2026 Conference on Language Modeling in San Francisco, found that participants who used AI to obtain quick answers performed worse and were more likely to abandon tasks when subsequently required to work without assistance.

Researchers led by Liu conducted three randomised controlled experiments involving 1,222 participants to examine how AI assistance affected mathematical problem-solving, reading comprehension and the willingness to persist when faced with difficult tasks.