Research & Science

What remains when the AI advice goes away?

AI advice made people feel more sure in two simulated factory studies. But the test after the tool was removed gave mixed results. Feeling helped is not the same as being able to decide alone.

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What the source reports

Robin Welsch studied what people could do after AI advice went away. Two planned studies used factory tasks with 200 and 198 people. Users said the advice made them feel more sure and spend less effort. But later results without the tool were mixed. The answer changed with the study and the group used for comparison. Among people who got advice, those who changed it more often tended to do better alone later. That link does not prove the edits taught them. These were simulated tasks, not a classroom or real factory test. Feeling sure with help is not the same as making a sound new choice alone.

Original source

Title
When the AI Leaves the Tailorshop: Measuring What an LLM Advisor Leaves Behind in Complex Problem Solving
Author
Robin Welsch
Publication
arXiv
Date
Friday, October 2, 2026

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