Human-generative AI collaboration enhances task performance but undermines human’s intrinsic motivation

Checked 30 Sept 2026. Non-commercial or no-derivatives license: full text kept internally; only metadata and abstract are indexed and used.

In a series of four online experimental studies (total N = 3,562), we investigated the performance augmentation effect and psychological deprivation effect of human-generative AI (GenAI) collaboration in professional settings. Our findings consistently demonstrated that collaboration with GenAI enhanced immediate task performance. However, this performance augmentation effect did not persist in subsequent tasks performed independently by humans. Importantly, transitioning from collaboration with GenAI to solo work led to an increased sense of control of human workers, and was also accompanied by significant decreases in intrinsic motivation and increases in feelings of boredom. These results highlight the complex dual effects of human-GenAI collaboration: It enhances immediate task performance but can undermine long-term psychological experiences of human workers.

• Delegation buys immediate performance at the cost of human engagement: in Hao et al. 2026 the Delegated Reasoning group "achieved the highest task performance" yet the Concerted Interpretation group "reported significantly greater use of self-regulation strategies," and Wu et al. 2025 show the performance boost "did not persist in subsequent tasks performed independently by humans" while intrinsic motivation fell—a small-scale signature of Park et al. 2026's "enrichment paradox." Trace →
• Field and laboratory evidence conflict on whether AI assistance builds durable human skill: Brynjolfsson et al. 2024 "find evidence that AI assistance facilitates worker learning," with the largest gains for less-experienced, lower-skilled workers, whereas Wu et al. 2025 find gains vanish in solo work and boredom rises—so the conditions under which AI collaboration converts into lasting human learning remain unidentified. Trace →

• Supervision and doctoral education