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Thursday January 9, 2025 3:48 pm

AI tools in the classroom may dull critical thinking, study suggests 

Does outsourcing your cognition come at a cost? As the emergence of artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize aspects of modern life, including education, a new study from the Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at the SBS Swiss Business School investigating the link between AI tools and critical thinking skills, focusing on cognitive offloading suggests a significant negative correlation. 

Younger participants in the 666-person study showed higher dependence on AI tools and lower critical thinking scores compared with older participants. Furthermore, higher educational attainment was associated with better critical thinking skills.

Researchers conclude that these results highlight the potential cognitive costs of AI tool reliance, emphasizing the need for educational strategies that promote critical engagement. This study contributes to the growing discourse on AI’s cognitive implications, offering practical recommendations for mitigating its adverse effects on critical thinking.



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