April 22, 2026
A new study highlights how those who heavily rely on AI tools show weaker confidence in their own thinking.
New research is examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping self-perception and how those who rely heavily on these tools may lack confidence in their own thinking and intelligence.
A recent study published on April 16 in Technology, Mind, and Behavior found that nearly 2,000 working adults who rely heavily on AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini were more likely to feel that the tools were “doing the thinking” for them. They also reported lower confidence in their own reasoning and ownership of ideas.
By contrast, participants who actively challenged AI by editing, questioning, or rejecting its suggestions reported higher confidence and a stronger sense of ownership over their work. The findings suggest AI isn’t the main factor weakening our abilities, but may be subtly changing how we experience our own thinking.
“Generative AI can lead to cognitive decline or cognitive evolution—it depends on your interaction style,” study author Sarah Baldeo told Time. “When we look at brain activity contingent on how people choose to use the tool, we can see increases or decreases. It really doesn’t have to do with the tool itself.”
AI’s impact depends on how it’s used: those who engage critically receive help with projects and ideas, while those who defer to it may hinder their own abilities. The study found that heavy reliance, especially accepting outputs without modification, led many to feel tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini were “doing the thinking” for them.
The study tracked 1,923 adults in the U.S. and Canada as they used AI for simulated workplace tasks, comparing users with non-users and how they interacted with the tools. It found a clear divide: some accepted the first response, while others edited and challenged it — choices that strongly influenced their confidence in their own reasoning.
“If the AI solves a problem for you, you don’t think, and you don’t learn,” said Ethan Mollick, an associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who studies AI and work. “If you make AI act like a tutor and push people, you get improved outcomes.”
Researchers hope the study helps workers not avoid AI but instead find that balance and use it intentionally. Mollick says the key is choosing which tasks to handle yourself and resisting the urge to outsource everything just because you can.
“It might be worth being less efficient for practice,” he said, before offering a comparison to working out. “There are a lot easier ways to move weights up and down than with your own hands, but we do it because we want to maintain muscle.”
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