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How to protect critical thinking in the age of AI - mklabgr - 09-27-2026
1. The Impact of AI on Critical Thinking
The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is raising concerns about its impact on students' critical-thinking skills. Researchers warn that students may increasingly rely on AI to complete assignments, solve problems and answer questions without engaging in the intellectual effort required for learning.
Education researcher Lixiang Yan of Tsinghua University discovered that an AI agent could independently complete an entire online course, including assignments and discussions, without students having to think for themselves. A 2025 survey of more than 1,000 US university faculty members found that 90% believed generative AI could reduce students' critical-thinking abilities. Furthermore, around 20% of students who use AI reported that they already find it more difficult to solve problems without assistance.
According to cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham, learning requires mental effort and active cognitive processing. When AI removes that effort by providing immediate answers, students risk losing opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
2. What Is Critical Thinking, and Can AI Weaken It?
Critical thinking is a broad concept that includes reasoning, decision-making, problem-solving and evaluating information. It involves considering alternative explanations, examining evidence and questioning one's own assumptions. These skills are particularly important in science, where students must formulate hypotheses, interpret data and deal with uncertainty.
Research on AI's effects remains inconclusive. A 2024 study found that secondary-school students performed better in mathematics when they had access to a ChatGPT-like tool. However, after access was removed, they performed worse than students who had never used the tool. Other studies suggest that AI can improve learning when it provides feedback and encourages students to solve problems independently rather than simply supplying answers.
The central issue, therefore, is how AI is used. Tools that encourage independent reasoning may support learning, whereas tools that do the intellectual work for students may undermine it. Researchers emphasize that more rigorous, long-term studies are needed to establish the effects of AI on memory, understanding and critical thinking.
3. How Can Schools and Universities Teach Critical Thinking?
Researchers argue that critical thinking must be taught within specific subjects, rather than as a completely separate, universal skill. For example, historical thinking involves comparing historical records and evidence, whereas scientific thinking requires understanding the relationships between theories, hypotheses, methods and experimental results.
Teachers should incorporate reasoning skills into their curricula and provide students with regular opportunities to practise them across different types of problems. A coherent curriculum that gradually builds knowledge and reasoning skills is also essential. One international project involving approximately 800 teachers, led by the OECD, investigated teaching methods and developed educational materials to promote critical thinking.
Another promising approach is metacognition, which means thinking about and monitoring one's own learning. Students learn to plan their approach, assess their understanding and check their answers. According to the Education Endowment Foundation, teaching metacognitive strategies can produce an average of eight additional months of learning progress over a year compared with students who do not receive this instruction.
4. Combating Misinformation and Developing Independent Thinking
An important aspect of critical thinking is the ability to identify misinformation and misleading claims, particularly on social media and websites. A study involving nearly 24,000 university students in the Philippines found that 63% believed they could identify fake news, but only 26% could do so reliably.
Researchers recommend lateral reading, a technique in which people leave an unfamiliar website and consult other credible sources to verify its claims. Another approach is to teach students to recognize common misinformation techniques by examining examples of misleading content. These methods can help students become more careful and independent evaluators of information.
Finally, students should be encouraged to tolerate the intellectual effort involved in learning. Techniques such as retrieving information from memory, summarizing, explaining concepts in their own words and considering alternative solutions can improve understanding. Before asking AI for help, students should first develop their own interpretation and arguments. According to the researchers, education should focus on building knowledge over many years, rather than relying on quick answers or isolated interventions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- AI and critical thinking: Excessive reliance on AI may reduce opportunities for students to develop independent reasoning and problem-solving skills.
- Learning requires effort: Mental effort, questioning and struggling with problems are essential parts of the learning process.
- Research is inconclusive: Some studies show benefits from AI, while others indicate that excessive reliance may harm learning. More long-term research is needed.
- AI should support, not replace, thinking: Educational AI should encourage students to reason, evaluate evidence and solve problems independently.
- Critical thinking is subject-specific: Students need relevant knowledge and reasoning skills in mathematics, science, history and other disciplines.
- Metacognition improves learning: Teaching students to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning can substantially improve educational outcomes.
- Misinformation requires verification: Students should learn to check claims using multiple reliable sources.
- Active learning matters: Testing oneself, explaining concepts and retrieving information from memory are more effective than passively consuming information.
- Think before using AI: Developing an initial answer or interpretation independently can help prevent AI from replacing students' own reasoning.
- Education is a long-term process: Developing critical thinking requires sustained teaching, subject knowledge and repeated practice.