The AI Dependency Test
Is AI thinking for you — or with you? The first serious measure of cognitive offloading to AI
About this assessment
A behavioral self-assessment of how much of your thinking, deciding, and remembering has shifted onto AI tools. Inspired by cognitive-offloading research (Risko & Gilbert, 2016, Trends in Cognitive Sciences), the 2025 MIT Media Lab 'Your Brain on ChatGPT' EEG study (Kosmyna et al.), and the emerging literature on AI dependence and critical thinking (e.g., Gerlich, 2025), this test measures five dimensions: cognitive offloading — letting AI do the thinking before you've tried; skill atrophy — abilities that have softened from disuse; unverified trust — passing AI output onward without checking it; life creep — AI spreading from work tasks into feelings, relationships, and health decisions; and cognitive self-doubt — losing confidence in your own unassisted mind. Items are behavioral rather than abstract — they ask about what you actually do, not what you believe about technology. Higher scores indicate more dependence in that dimension. Dependence is a spectrum, not a diagnosis, and every pattern this test measures responds to deliberate practice. For self-reflection and education only, not a clinical diagnosis or a substitute for professional support.
Your result breaks down across 5 measured dimensions
This assessment includes built-in validity checks. Your result includes a confidence rating based on response consistency.