Review of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Technologies and Cognitive Task Substitution

A comprehensive scoping review conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines has been published, examining the effects of artificial intelligence-assisted technologies on cognitive task substitution, cognitive offloading, and behavioral dependency.

Technological advancements and large-scale data models have facilitated the transfer of cognitive tasks to digital environments, enabling the use of artificial intelligence in cognitive work. The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence and automated decision systems has led to a fundamental shift in human-technology interaction, causing mental processes such as information retrieval, synthesis, and planning to be delegated to external tools while reducing the intrinsic effort required during coding.

The current scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Research was examined by searching electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ScienceDirect from inception through April 2026.

A total of 519 records were identified through database searching; following the removal of duplicates, 485 unique records remained for screening. As a result of title and abstract screening, 422 records were excluded, leaving 63 articles for eligibility assessment. Following full-text review, 27 articles were excluded, and 36 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis.