Generative AI as a Teammate: Exploring Social Loafing and Individual Effort in Human–AI Teams

Martin Matussek, René Wendland and Patrick Hendriks

Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) from Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL)

Abstract: This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI), specifically large language models (LLMs), influences social loafing in group work. Social loafing describes reduced individual effort in teams. To explore this in AI-supported settings, 28 participants were placed into seven groups of four and completed a validated brainstorming and evaluation task on a text-based platform (Discord) with assistance from an LLM chatbot. The results show that AI does not inherently increase social loafing. While some participants offloaded effort onto the AI, most used it strategically to extend and refine their own ideas. Qualitative findings indicate that AI changes key mediators of social loafing, such as responsibility diffusion and group cohesion, depending on how it is perceived and engaged with. These results challenge assumptions that AI necessarily causes disengagement. Instead, AI reshapes, rather than replaces, human effort, creating both risks and opportunities for future collaborative work.

Date: 2026-07
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dar:wpaper:162316

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