AI assistance makes people worse at tasks and more likely to quit

New research finds that using AI tools, even for a short time, makes people less persistent and worse at tasks when the AI is gone. This means current AI designs, which give instant answers, might actually prevent people from developing skills and solving problems on their own.

Everyone assumed AI tools would make people smarter or at least more productive. It turns out, they might be making people less capable in the long run. Companies building AI for education or knowledge work now have to consider if their tools are helping or hurting human skill development. This paper shows that optimizing for instant answers comes with a hidden cost.