Project LEARN-AI

Impact of AI on human learning: an experimental approach

About the project

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the way we work, learn, and make decisions. While the theory of “learning by doing” shows that learning relies heavily on practice, the increasing automation of certain cognitive tasks by AI may reduce opportunities to exercise and develop our skills. This project investigates this phenomenon, known as cognitive disengagement, namely the tendency to delegate intellectual effort to AI at the risk of weakening one’s own learning abilities.

Through a series of laboratory experiments conducted at LEEN (the experimental economics platform of GREDEG), we first measure the impact of AI use on learning outcomes. We then examine the role of various factors that may influence cognitive disengagement, including monetary incentives, individuals’ time preferences, and the performance level of AI systems. By drawing on the methods of experimental economics, this project aims to improve our understanding of AI’s effects on knowledge acquisition and to identify mechanisms that can promote its beneficial use for learning.