AI Insight
This longitudinal study of 475 Chinese postgraduate students found that perceived information overload from generative AI tools leads to increased cognitive fatigue two weeks later, which in turn weakens students' intention to use AI for English academic writing four weeks later. However, students who frequently delegated lower-order cognitive tasks to AI (such as having AI summarize papers) experienced less cognitive fatigue from information overload. The research demonstrates that while AI-generated content can overwhelm users, strategic offloading of foundational tasks can mitigate this negative effect.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that academic writing programs should teach students which basic tasks to delegate to AI tools to prevent cognitive fatigue and sustain productive AI use. The results also indicate that AI tool developers should consider implementing features that limit information overload in their outputs to support sustained user engagement.
Understand the Science
BackgroundGenerative artificial intelligence (AI) returns large amounts of information that postgraduates must judge and integrate when they write in English. The stressor-strain-outcome framework suggests that such overload strains cognitive resources and weakens plans for further use. This study tested whether cognitive fatigue links perceived information overload with later behavioral intention to use AI for English academic writing. It also tested whether lower-order cognitive offloading, such as having AI summarize papers, conditions the overload-fatigue association.MethodsIn total, 475 Chinese master’s and doctoral students who used AI for English academic writing completed three surveys at two-week intervals. Overload and offloading were measured at Time 1, fatigue at Time 2, and intention at Time 3. A moderated mediation model adjusted for baseline fatigue, baseline intention, and AI-use frequency.ResultsHigher perceived information overload accompanied higher cognitive fatigue 2 weeks later and weaker behavioral intention 4 weeks later, net of baseline levels. Cognitive fatigue was associated with weaker later intention and carried part of the overload-intention association. The overload-fatigue association was weaker at higher levels of lower-order cognitive offloading. Among the most frequent offloaders it was not statistically significant, which does not indicate its absence. The indirect association through fatigue was likewise weaker at higher offloading. These patterns held with additional covariates, a competing interaction with AI-use frequency, and shortened scales.ConclusionIn this sample, cognitive fatigue accompanied the prospective association between overload and weaker plans to use AI. This pathway was weaker among postgraduates who delegated foundational tasks more often. Writing programs can teach students which foundational tasks to delegate, and tool developers can limit output overload.