What is beneficial friction?

beneficial friction (noun)

Cognitive and procedural speed bumps intentionally added to workflows to promote more responsible and successful use of generative AI. 

Reducing friction is often seen as a business goal, given that frictionless processes and transactions are generally easier for customers and employees alike.

But sometimes friction is a good thing, according to MIT Sloan senior lecturer and research scientist Renée Richardson Gosline. When it comes to using artificial intelligence, humans tend to “anchor,” or fixate, on AI-generated content, even if they know there’s a possibility of error. Adding a little bit of friction can help promote more responsible and successful AI use by prompting users to pause and think more deliberately.

Working with a team at Accenture, Gosline looked at employees’ behavior when completing a writing task using a tool that highlighted potential errors or omissions in AI-generated content. Adding a medium level of friction pushed users to scrutinize the generated text without being a significant drag on the time it took them to complete the task.

These types of “speed bumps” can help workers avoid fast, unconscious decision-making in situations when slower, more deliberative thinking is warranted. “We want to use models to shave time off work, but we don’t want to leave users open to risk,” Gosline said.

To help improve the accuracy of generative AI, add speed bumps | MIT Sloan