posted in Technology
Using AI for just 10 minutes erodes your ability to persist at hard things - Berkeley News
news.berkeley.edu/2026/10/09/using-ai-for-just-10-minutes-erodes-your-ability-to-persist-at-hard-things/
Replying to @themachinestops@lemmy.dbzer0.com
For the first experiment with 354 participants, one group was tasked with solving 15 basic fraction problems without help, while another had ChatGPT open on the side to use for assistance and to even ask for the answer. The group with AI access started off more accurate than the group without it. Then, after 12 problems, researchers took away the AI tool. Almost immediately, the people in that group stopped solving questions accurately.
A similar thing happened when they ran the experiment on a second, larger group of 667 participants. Whereas the AI users got answers wrong or gave up entirely when the AI assistance was withdrawn, the group without AI stuck with the task and were more successful at the end.
Researchers then ran a third experiment with 201 participants and an SAT reading comprehension prompt. The results echoed those from the fraction problems: When the AI tool was removed, persistence and accuracy dropped.
Now you need a human control. Provide a human assistant to do the same.
Is this a problem of AI or a problem of dependency.
Cause from my understanding of the topic this same phenomenon happens when people are given too much assistance of any kind form any source.
Not many people will actively drive themselves if given a solution with low barriers.
It’s such a common thing it’s been a trope among noble classes though out the ages. If you coddle someone they go full potato.