Does AI Assistance Enhance or Erode Expertise?
NBER · 2026-09 · not peer-reviewed
01 · The key finding
In a patent-lawyer field experiment, AI especially improved less experienced participants’ results. Lasting gains on later tasks without AI appeared mainly among experienced lawyers.
Better work with AI does not automatically mean learning without it
02 · The study
03 · What we take from it
Assess AI-assisted performance separately from independent ability. Include tasks for practising without AI.
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