Efficiency Without Cognitive Change: Evidence from Human Interaction with Narrow AI Systems

TL;DR

This study shows that short-term use of narrow AI tools improves task efficiency but does not lead to lasting changes in core cognitive abilities, highlighting AI's role as a performance scaffold rather than a cognitive enhancer.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence that narrow AI systems enhance efficiency without altering underlying cognitive skills, emphasizing the distinction between performance support and cognitive change.

Findings

AI-assisted participants performed tasks faster and more accurately.

No significant improvements in standardized cognitive assessments post-intervention.

AI acts as a cognitive scaffold without transforming mental capacities.

Abstract

The growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into human cognition raises a fundamental question: does AI merely improve efficiency, or does it alter how we think? This study experimentally tested whether short-term exposure to narrow AI tools enhances core cognitive abilities or simply optimizes task performance. Thirty young adults completed standardized neuropsychological assessments embedded in a seven-week protocol with a four-week online intervention involving problem-solving and verbal comprehension tasks, either with or without AI support (ChatGPT). While AI-assisted participants completed several tasks faster and more accurately, no significant pre-post differences emerged in standardized measures of problem solving or verbal comprehension. These results demonstrate efficiency gains without cognitive change, suggesting that current narrow AI systems serve as cognitive scaffolds extending performance without transforming underlying mental capacities. The findings highlight the need for ethical and educational frameworks that promote critical and autonomous thinking in an increasingly AI-augmented cognitive ecology.