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Examine the influence of artificial intelligence on critical thinking skills in educational settings.

January 23, 2026Open Access Government0 citations

Learning with AI: Losing critical thinking at the worst time

Key Points

Examine the influence of artificial intelligence on critical thinking skills in educational settings.
Analysis of educational trends in K-12 and university settings
Review of AI tool adoption across curricular topics and grades
Evaluation of the implications for student critical thinking
AI adoption correlates with diminished critical thinking skills
Critical thinking erosion is particularly concerning during formative educational years
Need for strategies to mitigate AI's negative impact on cognitive skills

Abstract

Learning with AI: Losing critical thinking at the worst time Nancy Butler Songer argues that learning with artificial intelligence is contributing to the erosion of critical thinking skills at a time when it is most needed. Today, many K-12 school districts and universities are widely adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools, with implementation as early as elementary school and across all grade levels, curricular topics, and university majors. The argument, such as that for prospective applicants to the Applied Generative AI Certificate at Johns Hopkins University in partnership with Great Learning (Johns Hopkins University, 2025), focuses on preparing students to “harness the power of generative AI” for the present and future workforce amid rapid change.

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