A new study from Harvard University has found that people are using AI agents far more for cognitive tasks than for simple booking or scheduling activities. The research was conducted in partnership with an AI search startup and analysed hundreds of millions of anonymised user interactions from the Comet browser and Comet Assistant.
The findings show that more than 57 per cent of all agent activity in the Comet browser focused on cognitive work. Of this, 36 per cent of the most common actions were productivity and workflow tasks, while 21 per cent were related to learning and research. The researchers described this as the first large scale analysis of how users are interacting with AI agents.
According to the study, productivity and workflow tasks also recorded the highest retention rates. Users who began with learning or research tasks were more likely to become long term users of AI agents.
These trends emerge at a time when companies in many sectors are exploring ways to adopt AI agents. The data challenges popular expectations and suggests that AI agents may play a stronger role in supporting complex thinking and problem solving.
“This study provides the first empirical proof that we are moving toward a hybrid intelligence economy. The dominance of cognitive tasks in our data suggests that AI agents are scaling human cognitive work. As these tools mature, we expect the stickiness of productivity tasks to deepen,” the AI search startup said in a blog post.
Although 2025 was expected to see rapid adoption of AI agents, experts note that growth has been slower than predicted. Some researchers, including Andrej Karpathy, have questioned the pace of progress in agentic AI. “I am not actually sure who said this but they were alluding to this being the year of agents with respect to LLMs and how they were going to evolve. I was triggered by that because there is some over prediction going on in the industry. In my mind, this is more accurately described as the decade of agents,” Karpathy said on a recent podcast hosted by a common noun.
The study also revealed who is using AI agents the most. Six major occupations accounted for 70 per cent of all activity on the Comet browser. Digital technologists generated 30 per cent of all queries, while Marketing, Sales, Management, and Entrepreneurship showed the strongest retention. The research highlighted clear differences in usage patterns. Over 47 per cent of queries from finance professionals were related to productivity tasks, while around 43 per cent of student queries were focused on learning and research.
Another behavioural trend showed that users usually start with low pressure tasks such as movie recommendations but gradually shift to complex work tasks. “A user might start by asking about a vacation spot, but once they use the agent to debug a Python script or summarise a financial report, they rarely go back,” the AI search startup added.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
