The Impact of AI Usage and Informativeness on Skill Development in Logical Reasoning

2026-05-20

AI Summary

This study investigates how the informativeness and usage frequency of AI assistance influence skill acquisition and transfer in human logical reasoning tasks. Through a controlled experiment combining high- versus low-informativeness AI interventions, behavioral data analysis, and causal inference methods, the research finds that frequent AI use generally undermines independent reasoning ability. While high-informativeness AI enhances short-term performance without compromising subsequent task performance, low-informativeness AI provides no learning benefit. These findings reveal that AI can serve as an effective complement to skill development but also poses a risk of becoming a cognitive crutch. The study underscores the critical importance of regulating usage patterns and enhancing the informational quality of AI systems to foster robust human cognitive growth.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly integrated into human problem-solving, yet its effects on individual skill development remain unclear. We examine how both AI usage and informativeness can shape learning in the context of a controlled logical reasoning task with on-demand access to AI assistance. We find that greater AI usage is associated with weaker skill development: heavy AI users underperform relative to comparable peers, whereas light AI users perform similarly to matched users who do not use AI. We also find in our study that these patterns are mediated by AI informativeness. Low-information AI neither improves immediate performance nor preserves performance after AI assistance is removed, and is linked to weaker learning overall. On the other hand, high-information AI was found to improve short-run performance without reducing post-AI outcomes on average in our experiments, but with heterogeneous effects. Our findings in general suggest that AI can, depending on context, either complement human skill development by amplifying independent reasoning or can act as a substitute that undermines such reasoning, with the implication that regulating AI access and usage will be important for promoting skill development in the presence of AI assistance.

Problem

• AI usage
• informativeness
• skill development
• logical reasoning
• learning outcomes

Innovation

• AI usage
• AI informativeness
• skill development
• logical reasoning
• human-AI collaboration