Researchers from the US and UK published a study revealing AI assistance creates cognitive dependence, with just 10 minutes of use enough to make people reliant on the technology. The paper "AI assistance reduces persistence and hurts independent performance" shows immediate performance improvements come at a heavy cognitive cost, with participants experiencing burnout when tools were removed.

In experiments with over 1,000 participants, researchers found that when AI access was cut off, participants who had been using GPT-5 assistance showed a steep decline in correct answers and were more likely to give up. Rachit Dubey, coauthor from UC, warned rapid AI deployment in education could create a "generation of learners who will not know what they're capable of," potentially diluting human innovation.

The study likens AI use to a "boiling frog" effect where sustained use erodes motivation and persistence for long-term learning. These accumulating effects become difficult to reverse over time. However, researchers found one positive outcome: participants who used AI for hints rather than complete answers adapted better once assistance was removed.