With the growing influence of AI in academic spaces such as educational chatbots, adaptive tutoring systems, and tools such as ChatGPT, many students experience feelings of anxiety and demotivation. When essays can be drafted by a click of a button, and solve problems with a three-liner prompt, the feeling of helplessness is often carried into the workforce.

Helplessness and Fear of Obsolescence

Learned helplessness is a psychological state where a person experiences having no control or repeated exposure to negative events, leading to resignation and the belief that they are powerless, even when opportunities to prove otherwise arise (Seligman, 1975). In a recent study, the overuse of generative AI is linked to a diminished self-efficacy and learned helplessness in students (Dolan, 2025) — “If AI can outperform me, why bother?”

Dopamine Shortcuts and Reduced Cognitive Effort

‘Metacognitive laziness’ (Fan et. al, 2014), or reliance on AI, interferes with learning beyond the classroom, such as homework, even though the rewards for self-regulated learning are equal to all. Another study found that students who use ChatGPT put in a lower amount of executive control and performed worse on measures for creativity and memory measures (Schlott, 2025). Instead of the delayed gratification earned from deep learning, quick rewards through instant answers from AI nurtures a dopamine-driven habit.

Decline in Self-Efficacy and Task Selection

Self-efficacy refers to the belief that an individual has about their capacity to carry out behaviours that are necessary to produce specific performance attainments (Bandura, 1997). This also means that when an individual has doubts about their own abilities, they are more likely to avoid tasks that make them feel that way. As Fan. et al (2024) and Schlott (2025) have explored, students are more likely to choose easier assignments, or may not even try, if AI is found to be more competent than they are.

Workforce Consequences

According to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) intrinsic motivation is driven by autonomy, competency, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2000). This translates to resilience, creativity, and initiative. Disengagement happens when the drives for SDT are unmet due to feelings of helplessness and low intrinsic motivation, lowering the likelihood for transformation or adaptation to change.

Resetting Motivation: Strategies for Students and Educators

AI as a Thinking Partner — Not a Threat

The ‘growth mindset’, defined to be the belief that abilities can be developed (i.e seeing setbacks as opportunities to improve the skillset of an individual) was introduced by Carol Dweck (2019). A study conducted by Fan et. al (2025) suggests using AI as a tool to amplify the abilities of an individual rather than acting as a replacement. Not only that, the study also presents an increased level of intrinsic motivation and reduced anxiety, to the point of even doing better than individuals without AI as a thinking partner.

Self-Efficacy and Mastery

Research has found that training interventions based on positive psychology theories significantly reduces learned helplessness and boosts self-efficacy in academia (Guiang-Myers, 2021; Niknam et. al, 2023). Separating learning material into manageable loads helps to foster a sense of control and allows for a moment to be proud of completing a task.

Emphasise Irreplaceable Human Skills

While adaptive learning systems may assist in the customisation of content, soft skills such as creativity, empathy, critical thinking, emotional intelligence are abilities that are not replaceable by AI. The active engagement of students is still required, and must be highlighted (Dweck, 2019; Fan et. al, 2025).

Conclusion

Offering both complex challenges and significant opportunities, it is undeniable that artificial intelligence is reshaping education. It can help to deepen engagement, reduce anxiety in students, and even deliver personalised feedback. However, the dependence on such technology risks nurturing learned helplessness, diminishes self-efficacy, and undermines the intrinsic motivation.

This may be combated by using AI as a collaborative tool, foster meaningful engagement, and cultivate uniquely human skills that AI cannot replicate to be a point of empowerment for students to regain motivation and thrive in a future that is heavily intertwined with artificial intelligence.

 

Written by:

Hayatun Syamilah

 

References

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