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Imagine running a 5K, and instead of feeling exertion, your heart rate eases, each stride becoming smoother and easier as you go. We're not built for that—but new research suggests that AI could make complex tasks feel just as effortless.
What we did:
Our researchers asked employees at a multinational IT services company to complete a challenging project: digest information from an array of documents and draw up a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), along with an accompanying set of training materials. Twenty-six study participants had access to Copilot, while a control group of 22 did not.
Participants shared their experiences after completing each of the six tasks in the project, providing feedback about the perceived mental effort they required. They were asked to rate how much mental effort each step took on a scale from one to 10.
After the work was finished, researchers surveyed participants about their experience, including how draining they found the process. Then they compared the answers.
What we found:
Employees with Copilot access found the task five times less draining than the control group did, and they were far less likely to report that the task took a lot of effort.
But here’s what came as a surprise: Copilot users experienced a noticeable reduction in mental effort with each step of creating the SOP and training materials. On average, their perceived effort decreased 6.3% per instance. In contrast, the control group’s effort level increased about 2% with each subsequent step—like the runner who gets more fatigued as the race goes on.
Crucially, Copilot users saw no adverse impact on quality: In fact, they had significantly higher scores in dimensions like “comprehensiveness” and “structure and effectiveness.” They also completed the materials at a similar rate or even faster than the control group.
AI Reduces Mental Load Over Time
Employees with Copilot found a set of tasks increasingly easier, while those without it faced growing challenges.
What it means:
AI doesn’t take all the mental effort out of work—indeed, learning to use it requires building a new set of habits. But our study shows that once employees master Copilot, difficult tasks become less mentally draining over time.
Mental energy is a finite and precious resource that every company should use as intelligently and purposefully as possible. Helping employees harness AI frees them to focus on what matters most—and gives them the endurance to go the distance.
