AI Creates Illusion of Efficiency: Expected 55s Saved, Actual 7.5s
rohanpaul_ai · x · 2026-08-13
A joint study by MIT, Stanford, NYU, and Princeton reveals that people often overuse AI for simple tasks due to a perceived sense of efficiency, despite minimal or negative actual gains.
Across three preregistered experiments with 2,691 participants, researchers found that people used AI for basic arithmetic, spelling, and rewriting more often than they predicted. Participants expected AI to save them an average of 55.7 seconds, but the measured time saving was only 7.5 seconds.
The study highlights that the hidden cost of using AI for simple tasks is interface friction—writing prompts, waiting, and verifying answers. Furthermore, this creates a feedback loop: after using AI on just two tasks, participants were more likely to use it again even when doing it themselves would be faster. This suggests AI dependence can stem from a mistaken feeling of convenience rather than real productivity gains.
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