- The problem
- An AI helper can make practice easier, but getting answers with help is not the same as learning to solve problems alone. People who use AI for studying or other demanding tasks may also become less willing to keep trying when help is unavailable.
- The idea
- The researchers compared people randomly assigned to practice with or without an AI helper, then tested them without help. They checked both whether people answered correctly and whether they gave up, so that easier practice would not automatically count as better learning.
- What it got
- After just 10–15 minutes of AI-assisted work, people performed worse when the help disappeared; in some experiments, they also gave up more often. The findings support checking what users can do independently, not just what they accomplish with AI.