New MyIQ research suggests that heavy reliance on artificial intelligence tools may be reshaping how people approach reasoning, memory, and problem-solving when those systems are no longer available.
Artificial intelligence tools are increasingly embedded in everyday work, from drafting emails and summarising meetings to organising schedules and solving technical problems. But new research from MyIQ suggests that the convenience of constant digital support may be changing how people perform when they are forced to think without it.
According to survey data collected from 7,472 adults across Latin America, Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom, frequent users of AI tools scored an average of 23% lower on unaided reasoning tasks compared with people who reported limited or no AI use.
The findings are based on self-reported survey responses examining how participants perceived their own ability to focus, retain information, organise thoughts, and solve problems without AI assistance. Respondents who reported daily or near-daily AI use were significantly more likely to describe difficulties completing complex tasks independently once digital support was unavailable.
The biggest differences appeared around concentration, structured thinking, and short-term information retention, where frequent AI users were substantially more likely to report reduced confidence in completing tasks unaided.
The findings arrive as AI systems move rapidly from novelty to infrastructure. In many professional environments, interacting with AI throughout the workday has become routine rather than exceptional. That shift appears to be influencing not only productivity, but also the instinctive way people begin a task.
Among frequent AI users, 68% said they would consult an AI system before attempting to solve a complex problem independently. Among low-frequency users, only 29% reported the same behaviour.
The survey also identified a measurable change in confidence. More than half of heavy AI users (54%) said they felt less confident completing tasks without digital assistance, compared with 21% of infrequent users.
Sarah Meyer, Managing Director at MyIQ, said the findings point to a broader behavioural transition rather than a decline in intelligence itself.
“What changes first is not intelligence, but cognitive habit,” Meyer said. “When people repeatedly outsource early-stage thinking, planning, structuring, recalling, and evaluating, the brain adapts to expecting support. The concern is not that people become less capable overnight, but that independent reasoning is exercised less often.”
The strongest indicators of AI reliance appeared among younger respondents. Within the 18-34 age group, 72% reported using AI tools daily, the highest level of any demographic surveyed. In this cohort, the independent performance gap between frequent and infrequent users widened further to 27%.
Several respondents described AI as becoming deeply integrated into the rhythm of everyday decision-making. A 29-year-old marketing professional said AI had become central to writing, planning, and information organisation, but noted that completing those same tasks without assistance now required noticeably more effort and concentration.
A 42-year-old teacher described using AI more selectively, treating it primarily as a support tool rather than a replacement for independent work.
The data suggests that the trade-off may not be immediately visible because AI still delivers clear efficiency gains. Across all respondents, 74% of frequent users said AI tools helped them complete tasks faster. But the survey suggests that increased speed and convenience did not necessarily correspond with stronger confidence in independent problem-solving without assistance.
The pattern reflects a broader shift already visible across digital culture: the movement from memorisation toward retrieval, from internal processing toward external support systems. Search engines changed how people store information. Smartphones reduced the need to remember phone numbers and directions. AI may now be influencing how people approach reasoning itself.
MyIQ noted that the findings do not measure cognitive decline or intelligence directly and should instead be understood as a snapshot of changing behavioural habits around problem-solving and digital reliance. The survey points toward a broader shift in how often people choose to engage in sustained, unaided cognitive effort when AI tools are constantly available.
As AI tools become more deeply integrated into professional and personal workflows, the distinction between supported thinking and independent reasoning may become increasingly difficult to separate. The long-term implications remain unclear, but the behavioural shift itself is already becoming visible.
About MyIQ:
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.