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The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers — Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Revision 95d8a5e0-3fe2-4f89-b413-1562ff48db11 · 5/22/2026, 2:38:23 AM UTC
Key
lee-et-al-2025-genai-critical-thinking
Authors
Lee, Hao-Ping; Sarkar, Advait; Tankelevitch, Lev; Drosos, Ian; Rintel, Sean; Banks, Richard; Wilson, Nicholas
Issued
2025-4
Type
paper-conference
Container
Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Publisher
ACM
Pages
1-22
Raw CSL JSON
{
  "DOI": "10.1145/3706598.3713778",
  "URL": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/lee_2025_ai_critical_thinking_survey.pdf",
  "page": "1-22",
  "type": "paper-conference",
  "title": "The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers",
  "author": [
    {
      "given": "Hao-Ping",
      "family": "Lee"
    },
    {
      "given": "Advait",
      "family": "Sarkar"
    },
    {
      "given": "Lev",
      "family": "Tankelevitch"
    },
    {
      "given": "Ian",
      "family": "Drosos"
    },
    {
      "given": "Sean",
      "family": "Rintel"
    },
    {
      "given": "Richard",
      "family": "Banks"
    },
    {
      "given": "Nicholas",
      "family": "Wilson"
    }
  ],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025,
        4
      ]
    ]
  },
  "publisher": "ACM",
  "event-place": "Yokohama, Japan",
  "container-title": "Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems"
}

Claims

  1. In a survey of 319 knowledge workers, higher confidence in a generative AI tool was associated with less critical thinking when using it, while higher self-confidence in doing the task was associated with more critical thinking.
    "Specifically, higher confidence in GenAI is associated with less critical thinking, while higher self-confidence is associated with more critical thinking."
    Quote language: en
  2. The authors describe a shift in the nature of critical thinking among knowledge workers using GenAI tools, toward information verification, response integration, and task stewardship rather than material production.
    "Qualitatively, GenAI shifts the nature of critical thinking toward information verification, response integration, and task stewardship."
    Quote language: en
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