Is AI making you lazier?

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like chatbots are becoming part of everyday life, helping people write messages, answer questions and learn new skills. While some of these processes may save people time, a new study reveals a possible new downside of consistently relying on AI assistance.

The research, presented at the 2026 Conference on Language Modeling in San Francisco earlier this month, found that people who relied on AI assistance for tasks like math problems and reading comprehension were more likely to give up or struggle when the assistance was taken away. The findings suggest that leaning too heavily on AI could weaken people’s motivation to push through challenges.