A growing number of employees are experiencing mental fatigue from intensive use of artificial intelligence tools, according to new research from Boston Consulting Group published in Harvard Business Review.
The study surveyed employees at large companies and found that 14% of workers who use AI report symptoms of “AI brain fry,” defined as mental exhaustion caused by excessive interaction with and oversight of AI systems.
Oversight, Not Usage, Drives Fatigue
The research suggests the biggest strain comes from constantly monitoring and correcting AI outputs, rather than simply using the technology.
Employees experiencing AI brain fry reported 33% higher decision fatigue and were more likely to make mistakes, including 11% more minor errors and 39% more major errors.
Marketing and HR Workers Report Higher Rates
Rates varied by role. Marketing employees reported the highest levels of AI brain fry at 25.9%, followed by human resources and people operations staff at 19.3%.
Other roles reporting notable levels included operations (17.9%), engineering (17.8%), finance (16.7%) and IT (16%).
AI Pressure May Increase Turnover Risk
The study also found links between AI fatigue and retention. Among AI users who did not report brain fry, 25% said they were considering leaving their jobs. That figure rose to 34% among those experiencing the condition.
Workers who felt pressure from their teams to use AI or feared it would increase workloads were significantly more likely to report mental strain.
A New Workplace Risk
Researchers say the findings showcase a growing challenge as AI becomes embedded across workplaces.
Rather than simply increasing AI adoption, companies may need to redesign workflows and set clearer expectations around how many AI tools employees are expected to manage to avoid cognitive overload.
