Study: Just 10 minutes of AI use erodes persistence on hard tasks
A series of experiments led by Juliana Schroeder, an associate professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, together with Brian Christian of the UC Berkeley Center for Human-Compatible AI and other researchers, found that participants who first used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT on an AI-related task were more likely to give up on subsequent challenging tasks requiring sustained focus, while those who did the same work traditionally showed more persistence. The difference appeared after roughly 10 minutes of AI use, according to the team. The researchers say this does not mean AI is inherently harmful; rather, when AI supplies quick answers, people may grow used to a low-friction way of finishing work and become more easily frustrated by problems without immediate solutions. An updated, peer-reviewed version of the paper was presented this week at the Conference on Language Modeling, and the authors say larger, longer-term studies are needed to determine whether the effect persists and whether different patterns of use produce different results.
It frames AI's productivity gains alongside a possible cost to human grit and motivation, suggesting schools and employers should focus on how the tools are used, not just efficiency.
UC BerkeleyUC Berkeley Haas School of BusinessUC Berkeley Center for Human-Compatible AI