Artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly transforming music creation practices, but its impact on human effort remains largely unexplored. This article proposes the concept of eco-attentional factor, which quantifies the cognitive, temporal, and emotional load required to interact with AI systems. Through case studies on prompting cycles, probabilistic generation, and creative exploration, we analyse how AI redistributes creative work, modifies artistic mediation, and influences creativity. Finally, we discuss co-learning strategies and frugal models, illustrating how adaptive collaboration between artist and machine can reduce attentional load while enriching creativity.
