Thinking clearly · Chapter 14

Does AI affect critical thinking?

By Zafar Alam · Critical Thinking in the AI Era

AI can change how people do the work of thinking. A 2025 survey associated greater confidence in generative AI with less reported critical thinking. It does not prove that AI causes lasting loss of thinking ability.1

What the study shows

Lee and colleagues surveyed 319 knowledge workers who supplied examples of AI use. Greater confidence in AI was associated with less critical thinking, while greater task-specific self-confidence was associated with more. The measure was self-reported effort.1

This was not a long-term experiment measuring skill decline. 'Associated with' and 'caused by' are different claims.

Keep ownership of judgment

The authors describe thinking shifting toward verification, integration and task stewardship. Chapter 14 asks what happens when a confident machine answers first; Chapter 15 carries the question into who retains control of judgment.12

I suggest forming a provisional view before asking for an answer, then using the output to test it. Read original sources for consequential claims. Fluency invites a check; it should not end one.

A check you can use

  1. Write your provisional answer before generating one.
  2. Ask for alternatives and decision-changing evidence.
  3. Check the sources and explain your choice in your own words.

What is cognitive offloading in AI use?

I use the term for handing mental work to an external aid, such as asking a system to summarize or draft. Which work do you hand over and which judgment do you keep? This survey concerns reported effort, not proof that every aid weakens ability.1

Zafar Alam

Zafar Alam is a civil engineer and Chartered Construction Manager with about 12 years on major projects. He is the author of What Are We Missing? How to Think More Clearly Before You Decide, planned for 13 February 2027.

Keep thinking

How can you spot a deepfake?Chapter 4 · What the Machine EatsHow can you avoid confirmation bias?Chapter 10 · Building Critical Thinking HabitsWhat questions should you ask before making a decision?Chapter 11 · Integrated Decision Architecture

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