Cognitive Task Substitution, Cognitive Offloading, and Behavioral Dependency on Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Technologies: A Scoping Review

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and automated decision systems has resulted in a fundamental shift in human-technology interaction. This scoping review aims to map the breadth of empirical evidence and original conceptual models regarding human-artificial intelligence (AI) functional displacement. The objective is to synthesize findings across disparate fields into a unified framework of task substitution, cognitive offloading, and behavioral dependency. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Systematic searches were executed across PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ScienceDirect. The studies were screened for research addressing thinking substitution (e.g., reasoning, clinical diagnosis, and creative synthesis) over simple digital assistance. A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Neurophysiological data from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) indicate that digital saving triggers cognitive offloading, characterized by significantly lower activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In academic settings, randomized controlled trial data showed that students using ChatGPT scored significantly lower on 45-day retention tests (57.5% correct) compared to traditional learners (68.5% correct, p = 0.002). Professional judgment is increasingly subject to biases; MRI interpretation exhibited substantial self-anchoring bias (score: 6.94), while the automation bias index was high for ECG tasks (0.30). Senior executives receiving AI recommendations acted more actively (M = 5.05) than human-led controls (M = 4.61; p = 0.020), and 89% of educators surveyed reported perceptions of quantifiable skill atrophy. Socially, AI usage and human interaction were moderately and negatively correlated (r = -0.443; p < 0.01), with participants delaying the revelation of intentions in parallel-play settings with digital agents. Task substitution may create a "sovereignty trap" where individuals cede intellectual judgment to automated systems, confusing operational fluency with epistemic mastery. This reliance carries the risk of bypassing the desirable difficulties essential for long-term knowledge retention and the development of professional expertise. As "quiet dependency" becomes an evolving reality of professional and academic life, institutional and design-level interventions must prioritize trust-enabling mechanisms and robust AI literacy to preserve human critical character and professional autonomy.