Relying on AI tools can diminish confidence in personal thinking, while active engagement with these systems can actually strengthen it. A study of 1,923 workers in the U.S. and Canada asked participants to use generative AI for realistic workplace tasks, such as planning a salary negotiation or interpreting ambiguous data, and then examined how interaction styles related to self‑perceived reasoning ability. People who accepted AI responses with little or no modification tended to feel that the tools were “doing the thinking” for them and reported lower confidence and weaker ownership over their ideas. In contrast, those who edited, questioned, or rejected AI suggestions felt more sure of their reasoning and more that the final output was truly theirs.
AI itself is not inherently harmful; instead, the crucial factor is whether users defer passively or participate actively in the process. Participants were most likely to outsource their thinking during complex planning and sequencing tasks, but became more critical and assertive when questions touched on personal identity or self‑reflection, where they trusted their own judgment more. Senior workers tended to override AI more often and reported higher confidence, suggesting expertise helps resist over‑reliance. Experts quoted highlight a feedback loop: people with low self‑confidence are more prone to defer to AI, and doing so further erodes their confidence, whereas those with stronger self‑belief use AI in a more cognitively healthy way.
Deliberate strategies to avoid this erosion of confidence, such as maintaining a basic understanding of tasks before turning to AI, using it like a tutor that challenges thinking, and engaging in back‑and‑forth instead of accepting first drafts. Recommended practices include building “cognitive scaffolding,” asking AI to base answers on verifiable information, and explicitly instructing it not to flatter or emotionally bond with the user in order to obtain more honest, thought‑provoking responses. Ultimately, the message is that humans still decide which skills to maintain and when to let AI help, making conscious, effortful use of the tool essential to protect both cognitive abilities and self‑confidence.
Reference
Haupt, A. (2026, April 16). Letting AI do your work erodes your confidence, according to a new study. TIME. https://time.com/article/2026/04/15/how-ai-use-affects-confidence-thinking-study/