How to Teach Critical Thinking When AI Does the Thinking

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In a modern classroom overlooking a city skyline, a female teacher engages with a small group of students around a table. A glowing holographic maze labeled "CRITICAL THINKING" emanates from the tabletop, surrounded by various interactive data displays. In the background, other students work on laptops, and a large screen at the front displays "CRITICAL THINKING IN THE AGE OF AI: NAVIGATING THE ALGORITHMIC LANDSCAPE." Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
As artificial intelligence increasingly automates cognitive tasks, educators face the crucial challenge of teaching critical thinking when AI can “do the thinking” for students. This image illustrates a forward-thinking classroom where a teacher guides students through complex, interactive simulations designed to hone their critical thinking skills, transforming AI from a potential crutch into a tool for deeper intellectual engagement and navigating an algorithmic world. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

Psychology Today

Summary

Timothy Cook explores how the growing use of generative AI is eroding critical thinking and accountability in both education and professional contexts. Citing Deloitte’s $291,000 error-filled AI-generated report, he warns that overreliance on AI leads to “cognitive outsourcing,” where users stop questioning information and lose ownership of their ideas. Educators, he argues, mirror this problem by automating grading and teaching materials while penalising students for doing the same. Cook proposes a “dialogic” approach—using AI as a thinking partner through questioning, critique, and reflection—to restore analytical engagement and model responsible use in classrooms and workplaces alike.

Key Points

  • Deloitte’s AI-generated report highlights the risks of uncritical reliance on ChatGPT.
  • Many educators automate teaching tasks while discouraging students from AI use.
  • Frequent AI users show weakened brain connectivity and reduced ownership of ideas.
  • Dialogic prompting—interrogating AI outputs—fosters deeper reasoning and creativity.
  • Transparent, guided AI use should replace institutional hypocrisy and cognitive outsourcing.

Keywords

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URL

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-algorithmic-mind/202510/how-to-teach-critical-thinking-when-ai-does-the-thinking

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

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