Dataconomy
  • News
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • DeFi & Blockchain
    • Finance
    • Gaming
    • Startups
    • Tech
  • Industry
  • Research
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Guides
    • Case Studies
    • Glossary
    • Whitepapers
  • Newsletter
  • + More
    • Conversations
    • Events
    • About
      • About
      • Contact
      • Imprint
      • Legal & Privacy
      • Partner With Us
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • AI
  • Tech
  • Cybersecurity
  • Finance
  • DeFi & Blockchain
  • Startups
  • Gaming
Dataconomy
  • News
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • DeFi & Blockchain
    • Finance
    • Gaming
    • Startups
    • Tech
  • Industry
  • Research
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Guides
    • Case Studies
    • Glossary
    • Whitepapers
  • Newsletter
  • + More
    • Conversations
    • Events
    • About
      • About
      • Contact
      • Imprint
      • Legal & Privacy
      • Partner With Us
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Dataconomy
No Result
View All Result

Is your super helpful generative AI partner secretly making your job boring?

Studies involving over 3,500 participants found a hidden cost to AI collaboration as interest and enjoyment in tasks significantly dropped after AI assistance was removed.

byKerem Gülen
May 14, 2025
in Research

Recent research shows that when people team up with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to complete tasks, they do better at the task right away. Yet, this short-term boost comes with a hidden cost: once people go back to working on their own, they often feel less motivated and more bored. Below, we explain these findings in clear terms and offer practical ideas for balancing AI support and personal engagement.

  • Immediate performance gains: Collaborating with AI helps people produce higher-quality work right away.
  • Motivation drop: After switching back to solo work, people report feeling less driven by interest or enjoyment.
  • Increased boredom: Tasks that follow AI-assisted work feel more tedious, reducing engagement.

Why people turn to AI partners

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can generate text, ideas, or even code at impressive speed and quality. In professional settings—whether writing emails, brainstorming product improvements, or crafting reports—these systems act like an extra teammate who never gets tired.

Researchers wanted to know two things:

Stay Ahead of the Curve!

Don't miss out on the latest insights, trends, and analysis in the world of data, technology, and startups. Subscribe to our newsletter and get exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.

  • Does working with AI make people perform better on following tasks done alone?
  • How does the switch from AI help to independent work affect people’s feelings about the tasks?

How the studies worked

Four online experiments involved over 3,500 participants. Each person completed two tasks in a row. In some cases, they did both tasks by themselves (Solo-Solo). In others, they did the first task with AI support and then the second task alone (Collab-Solo). A final experiment also looked at switching from solo work to AI support (Solo-Collab) and doing both tasks with AI (Collab-Collab).

After each task, participants rated how much control they felt, how motivated they were, and how bored they felt. Independent judges also scored the quality of their work.

What the research revealed

  • Immediate performance boost: Participants who used AI produced more engaging posts, longer reports, and more socially warm emails compared to those who worked alone. These results were consistent across different tasks and measures.
  • No lasting spillover effect: Contrary to expectations, AI assistance did not make people perform better on the next task when done solo. In some cases, their work was slightly worse than those who never used AI.
  • Shift in psychological experience: Switching from AI collaboration to solo work led to:
  • Higher sense of control: People felt more in charge once AI was removed.
  • Lower intrinsic motivation: Interest and enjoyment dropped significantly.
  • Greater boredom: Tasks felt duller after the AI-assisted activity.
  • Order matters: Moving from solo to AI also reduced control and motivation, though in different ways.

AI finally solves biology’s hardest puzzle


Why motivation and boredom change

Self-Determination Theory suggests that people need autonomy, competence, and relatedness to stay motivated. When AI does much of the creative work, people may feel less competent or autonomous. Then, when they return to doing everything by themselves, the contrast makes tasks feel harder to enjoy. Tasks become more routine, triggering boredom.

To make the most of AI help without losing motivation, consider these strategies:

  • Balance AI and solo tasks: Alternate between AI-assisted and independent work in a way that maintains challenge and novelty.
  • Set clear roles: Use AI for repetitive or data-heavy parts and keep the creative or decision-making steps for yourself.
  • Build in autonomy: Personalize prompts or edit AI outputs so you remain in control of the final product.
  • Vary task types: Mix analytical tasks with brainstorming or hands-on activities to reduce monotony.

Generative AI offers clear benefits for immediate task performance. Yet, to keep long-term motivation and engagement high, it is essential to thoughtfully integrate AI assistance into workflows.


Featured image credit

Tags: AIFeatured

Related Posts

Forget seeing dark matter, it’s time to listen for it

Forget seeing dark matter, it’s time to listen for it

October 28, 2025
Google’s search business could lose  billion a year to ChatGPT

Google’s search business could lose $30 billion a year to ChatGPT

October 27, 2025
AI helps decode the epigenetic ‘off-switch’ in an ugly plant that lives for 3,000 years

AI helps decode the epigenetic ‘off-switch’ in an ugly plant that lives for 3,000 years

October 27, 2025
Researchers warn that LLMs can get “brain rot” too

Researchers warn that LLMs can get “brain rot” too

October 24, 2025
Cyberattacks are now killing patients not just crashing systems

Cyberattacks are now killing patients not just crashing systems

October 21, 2025
Gen Z workers are telling AI things they’ve never told a human

Gen Z workers are telling AI things they’ve never told a human

October 20, 2025

LATEST NEWS

Google marks Pac-Man’s 45th anniversary with a Halloween Doodle

OpenAI Sora adds character cameos and video stitching

WhatsApp introduces passkeys for end-to-end encrypted chat backups

Character.AI is closing the door on under-18 users

Rode upgrades its Wireless Micro Camera Kit with universal compatibility

YouTube’s new Super Resolution turns blurry uploads into HD and 4K

Dataconomy

COPYRIGHT © DATACONOMY MEDIA GMBH, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • About
  • Imprint
  • Contact
  • Legal & Privacy

Follow Us

  • News
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • DeFi & Blockchain
    • Finance
    • Gaming
    • Startups
    • Tech
  • Industry
  • Research
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Guides
    • Case Studies
    • Glossary
    • Whitepapers
  • Newsletter
  • + More
    • Conversations
    • Events
    • About
      • About
      • Contact
      • Imprint
      • Legal & Privacy
      • Partner With Us
No Result
View All Result
Subscribe

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy Policy.