Using GenAI could lead to changes in critical thinking, says new study. © rimmdream- stock.adobe.com
<h2><span data-contrast="auto">A new study from Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research Cambridge has found evidence that using generative AI (GenAI) like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini could lead to weakened critical thinking skills. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The paper adds to a wealth of other research that looks at the effects of GenAI on cognitive processes such as memory and creativity, raising further questions about how we employ GenAI both in the workforce and in education. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/latest-print-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Read the latest print edition of <em>School News</em> online HERE.</b></a></p>
<h4><b><span data-contrast="auto">The study</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h4>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Researchers recruited 319 white-collar workers (termed “knowledge workers”) who regularly used generative AI. Participants were asked to self-describe three real examples where they used generative AI to complete a task, and share how they used critical thinking in the process. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Researchers found that the more confident a user was in the GenAI tool and/or the less confident they were in their own skills and abilities, the less critical thinking they employed. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Critical thinking was defined according to an existing framework of six types of learning: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<figure id="attachment_32947" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32947" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-32947" src="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/emiliano-vittoriosi-vEN1bsdSjxM-unsplash-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32947" class="wp-caption-text">Image by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash.</figcaption></figure>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The paper also found that when a task was considered “low stakes”, respondents reported using less critical thinking.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“W</span><span data-contrast="auto">hile AI can improve efficiency, it may also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI, raising concerns about long-term reliance and diminished independent problem-solving,” reads the paper. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Knowledge workers’ trust and reliance on GenAI doing the task can discourage them from critically reflecting on their use of the tools. Users often adopt a mental model that assumes AI is competent for simple tasks&#8230; This mental model, however, can lead to overestimating AI capabilities.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Researchers found that users who had a positive experience with a GenAI tool where an accurate or high-quality answer had been provided in the past were more likely to trust GenAI and therefore less likely to employ critical thinking skills. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Worryingly, some respondents believed information provided by GenAI was always accurate and of high quality. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Some respondents who reported high trust in the GenAI also reported low self-confidence.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“This self-doubt led them to accept GenAI outputs by default.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The paper also noted that although respondents perceived GenAI to be competent at low stakes tasks and therefore requiring less oversight in these instances, “it is risky for users to only apply critical thinking in high-stakes situations. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Without regular practice in common and/or low-stakes scenarios, cognitive abilities can deteriorate over time, and thus create risks if high-stakes scenarios are the only opportunities available for exercising such abilities.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Additionally, GenAI was found to have an effect on </span><i><span data-contrast="auto">how</span></i><span data-contrast="auto"> users employed critical thinking. In the knowledge and comprehension domains, critical thinking changes from information gathering to verification. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">When applying knowledge, users employ critical thinking to integrate AI responses appropriately, rather than problem-solving for a given task. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<figure id="attachment_32948" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32948" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-32948" src="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/compare-fibre-Y8TiLvKnLeg-unsplash-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32948" class="wp-caption-text">Using GenAI could change how we deploy critical thinking. Image by Compare Fibre on Unsplash.</figcaption></figure>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">For the analysis, synthesis and evaluation aspects of critical thinking, users employed task stewardship, or oversight of the task, rather than executing these aspects directly. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Researchers posited a possible explanation could be that the use of GenAI causes users to “underinvest” in critical thinking. However, as the study did not establish causation (i.e using GenAI always leads to diminished critical thinking): “it is possible that fostering workers’ domain expertise and associated self-confidence may result in improved critical thinking when using GenAI.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";134233117";:false,";134233118";:false,";201341983";:0,";335551550";:1,";335551620";:1,";335559685";:0,";335559737";:0,";335559738";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:279}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Another interpretation of results is that GenAI may be a form of “cognitive offloading” where users depend on AI for tasks where they lack confidence. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";134233117";:false,";134233118";:false,";201341983";:0,";335551550";:1,";335551620";:1,";335559685";:0,";335559737";:0,";335559738";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:279}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&#8220;Confidence in AI is associated with reduced critical thinking effort, while self-confidence is associated with increased critical thinking effort.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h4><b><span data-contrast="auto">GenAI in education</span></b><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h4>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">This year, UNESCO dedicated the </span><a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-dedicates-international-day-education-2025-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">International Day of Education</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> to the theme of Artificial Intelligence. The theme was aimed at generating conversations about AI and its uses for education. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In high income countries, more than two-thirds of secondary school pupils are using GenAI to produce work and teachers are using the technology to help with marking, lesson preparation, and administrative tasks like sending emails. Still, according to a UNESCO survey, only 10 percent of schools and universities have an official framework for using AI. Additionally, more schools and counties are implementing technology ban policies, like New Zealand’s recent mobile phone ban in classrooms. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Although there is widespread hope that AI could improve the education sector by providing classroom tools such as </span><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2025/02/warm-and-friendly-or-competent-and-straightforward-what-students-want-from-ai-chatbots-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">chatbots</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> that provide </span><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2024/12/revolutionising-education-through-ai-a-thoughtful-approach/" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">targeted learning support</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, and </span><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2025/01/boosting-new-zealands-education-standards-with-artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">lightening teacher workload</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, there are also valid concerns about the ethics of using AI in the classroom, and its implications for teaching and learning. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>

NZEI Te Riu Roa is considering legal action against the government for the disestablishment of…
NZQA is implementing AI-marking for all Year 10 written assessments from this year onwards, following…
Teaching personal financial responsibility isn't enough. Children should be taught broader economic context, argue New…
When students can't hear the teacher, they can't learn properly. Sound quality matters in education…
The Garden City is rich with learning opportunities, no matter what subject or part of…
Teaching Council of Aotearoa launch school leaders’ stories project with Unteach Racism to challenge institutional…
This website uses cookies.
