Why can’t I make decisions without asking AI first?

When decisions feel difficult, AI can become the first place people turn for help. In HCI data, this reliance pattern is common in the sample, and it often appears alongside frequent AI decision-help use. For some, this also comes with reduced independence without AI — but that is not the main pattern for everyone.

This reflects a broader shift in how decision-making can begin with AI involvement — where systems are used early to guide thinking, shape options, and support choices before people reach their own conclusions.

Answer

In HCI data, 58% of people report relying on AI when decisions feel difficult.

When decisions feel difficult, AI use can shift from support to a default first step in the decision process. This does not necessarily mean a person cannot decide at all, but it can mean that asking AI first becomes a repeated habit.

Among those high on this reliance pattern (subgroup n=208), 67% also report using AI for decision help frequently.

This suggests that asking AI first is often not a one-off behaviour, but part of a repeated decision habit that appears more strongly under difficulty.

Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number and calculated using valid responses for each item.

In-depth analysis

For a complete, data-driven explanation of how AI changes decision-making — including reliance, influence, control, and delegation — see the full system report: How AI Changes Human Decision-Making

How people often describe this

  • “I can’t make decisions until I run it through AI.”
  • “When something feels hard, I ask AI first.”
  • “I keep checking with AI before I commit.”
  • “It’s become my default step when I’m unsure.”
  • “I ask AI before I trust my own decision.”

What tends to accompany this pattern?

Within the survey sample, people who rely on AI when decisions feel difficult also commonly report frequent AI decision-help use. A smaller share also report reduced independence without AI.

  • 67% reported frequent AI decision-help use among those high on reliance.
  • 22% reported low perceived independence without AI in the same high-reliance group.

These co-occurrence patterns reflect within-sample association and do not establish causation.

Theme: Losing Confidence in My Own Thinking
Construct tags: Agency, Behavioural Alignment, Epistemic Confidence

Part of a wider topic

This page forms part of HCI’s work on Losing Confidence in My Own Thinking .

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