Knowledge workers who used genAI tools found it could boost efficiency — at the risk of diminishing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, according to research from Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft.
Generative AI (genAI) tools based on deep learning are quickly gaining adoption, but their use is raising concerns about how they affect human thought.
A new survey and analysis by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft of 319 knowledge workers who use genAI tools (such as ChatGPT or Copilot) at least weekly showed that while the technology improves efficiency, it can also reduce critical thinking engagement, could lead to over-reliance, and might diminish problem-solving skills over time.
A key irony of automation is that by mechanizing routine tasks and leaving exception-handling to the human user, you deprive the user of the routine opportunities to practice their judgement and strengthen their cognitive musculature, leaving them atrophied and unprepared when the exceptions do arise,” the study found.
Overall, workers’ confidence in genAI’s abilities correlates with less effort in critical thinking. The focus of critical thinking shifts from gathering information to verifying it, from problem-solving to integrating AI responses, and from executing tasks to overseeing them.
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