Just ten minutes of using AI as an answer machine can measurably erode problem-solving skills, new study finds

THE DECODER / 4/18/2026

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Key Points

  • A new US and UK study reports that using an AI assistant for only about 10–15 minutes can measurably weaken people’s problem-solving abilities afterward when they work without AI.
  • The research suggests the effect is tied to reduced persistence, not just immediate accuracy or performance.
  • Participants who used AI as a quick “answer machine” showed worse outcomes on later tasks compared with those who did not.
  • The findings imply that relying on AI for rapid answers may have short-term cognitive and behavioral costs for learning and troubleshooting.

Developer at the laptop in front of a glowing AI toolbar, next to it fragmented data cubes as an abstracted staircase.

Just 10 to 15 minutes with an AI assistant is enough to measurably weaken problem-solving ability and persistence on later tasks done without AI, according to a new study from researchers in the US and UK.

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