Beware: Excessive AI Use Can Cause Stress, Here Are the Research Findings

Users who frequently use AI should be cautious. This is because the latest research shows that users are more likely to experience stress when using AI too often, especially while working. The research, published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), indicates that excessive AI use can cause “AI brain fry,” a condition of mental fatigue resulting from over-relying on AI beyond human cognitive capacity. In the latest research titled When Using AI Leads to “Brain Fry,” the researchers surveyed around 1,500 full-time workers in the United States. The results showed that some workers who use AI intensively actually experience mental fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and slower decision-making. The research details that out of nearly 1,500 surveyed workers, about 14 percent of respondents admitted to having experienced the condition known as “brain fry.” The highest percentages were found in the fields of marketing, software development, HR (Human Resources), finance, and IT. Julie Bedard, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group and author of the study, said these findings serve as an early warning for companies that are overly optimistic about productivity increases from AI. “AI can develop very quickly, but we still have the same brain as yesterday,” said Bedard. According to Bedard, these findings are an “early warning sign” that expectations around AI productivity may need to be reset. AI companies promise that AI can dramatically increase productivity. Regardless of whether this is true or not, this technology enables workers to perform many tasks simultaneously at speeds and workloads far exceeding normal human capabilities. This appears to be part of the problem related to the cognitive impact on workers. When AI is used to take over routine and repetitive tasks, workers’ stress levels actually decrease. However, when workers have to monitor multiple AI tools (three or more) at once or switch between AI tools, mental pressure increases sharply. This is caused by too much information, rapid task switching, and the need to continuously check AI outputs. Many workers describe the brain fry experience as a feeling of “mental fog” or a head that feels full, like having many browser tabs open at once.