A new analysis in Education Next argues that the recent narrative claiming artificial intelligence is eroding critical thinking skills among students is misguided — not because AI is harmless, but because the educational system already struggled to teach deep thinking long before AI arrived. Critics like many faculty members believe AI tools encourage dependency and diminish students’ reasoning, but the article notes that problems with academic competence and critical inquiry existed well before generative AI tools like ChatGPT emerged. Surveys show educators were already worried about students’ lack of engagement, poor reading and writing proficiency, and weak analytical skills before AI became widespread.
The author argues that blaming AI for a decline in critical thinking is a distraction from deeper, systemic issues in education. Long-standing assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have consistently shown that a small percentage of students in the U.S. reach even “proficient” levels in literacy or writing, and college assessments have documented widespread academic drift. In this context, AI didn’t cause poor critical thinking — it simply exposed how poorly students were being taught to think, reason, and engage deeply with material. Focusing on AI as the culprit overlooks decades of educational challenges.
Rather than banning or restricting AI, the analysis suggests educators should use it as a catalyst for meaningful learning. When guided properly, AI can function as a personalised tutor, Socratic partner, or writing mentor, prompting students to reflect, analyse, and refine their thoughts rather than outsourcing all thinking. Educators in some programs report that with deliberate instruction on how to use AI ethically and purposefully, students can deepen their understanding and generate more thoughtful work, turning AI into a tool that supports critical inquiry instead of shortcutting it. [turn0search5]
The piece concludes that preserving and strengthening critical thinking in the AI era requires reimagining pedagogy, not rejecting technology. Bemoaning an imagined “golden age” of critical thinking before AI doesn’t align with educational history. Instead, the challenge for schools and teachers is to create environments where students learn how to question, evaluate, and reason — skills that remain essential regardless of the tools they use — and to integrate AI in ways that enhance rather than undermine these capacities.
