Is critical thinking lost in the age of AI?

We are witnessing a paradigm shift in the way we process information and practice nuanced analytical thinking. The increasing influence of digital media and AI tools has led to a progressive deterioration of critical thinking skills and our ability to concentrate, and remain engaged.

Since the rise and expansion of the popularity of  social media platforms we have been experiencing an overwhelming amount of information. Content is constantly available to us through our smartphones, laptops, and tablets, at any time of the day or night. However, this information explosion has not necessarily resulted in more informed or nuanced decisions or critical thinking. Instead, the never-ending stream of bite-sized media and sensationalist headlines has resulted in fragmentation of our attention span. This is what makes our capacity for critical analysis compromised. In recent months with the release of generative AI tools, the global content has been flooded with synthetic information generated by those tools in an unprecedented speed and pace. This phenomenon has indeed been accelerated. With our engagement with information becoming increasingly superficial, how can we address and manage the challenges of today’s world?

Social media platforms are designed to “exploit” our psychological vulnerabilities, prioritising engagement over anything else. These platforms employ algorithms to select and feed us content that reinforces our existing belief and value systems, creating echo chambers and a certain cognitive dissonance. How can we develop and support an environment within the social media space that actively encourages critical thinking instead of instant gratification and superficial engagement?

Much attention has been given to the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence, but the state of human cognitive abilities is also in crisis. There is an incremental decline in our ability to engage deeply with complex texts and ideas, evidenced daily in various forms and routine functions.

This paradigm we have all been witnessing in recent years poses a multitude of risks on a personal and societal level. With a diminished ability for critical thinking and analysis, the way we process information and make reasoned decisions is compromised significantly. We gradually lose the capacity to analyse issues critically, comprehend diverse perspectives, and engage in meaningful conversations. Our opinions are slowly shaped by artificially created profit-driven perspectives, by confirmation biases, and by conflict-powered rhetoric rather than nuanced understanding. We consume information with a “fast-food” approach without ever truly digesting it. We effectively witness the erosion of the foundations of a healthy society unfolding before our eyes.

The information overload we have been exposed to on a daily basis leads to a decline in reading comprehension, which is a serious intellectual concern. Our reading abilities allow us to immerse ourselves in different perspectives, experience diverse views, achieve better understanding of concepts and ideas, and ultimately further develop empathy. This challenges us to confront complex thoughts and deal with ambiguity and confusion in better terms. Without this engagement, we risk becoming a society that reacts instinctively and impulsively, driven by our primitive emotions instead of considered and nuanced values and principles.

In my book on AI ethics, I examine how AI-driven technology, while offering tremendous benefits, also poses significant risks when not regulated by robust governance frameworks. The same tools that have revolutionised communication and information sharing can negatively affect the principal cognitive abilities we need to critically assess them and utilise them responsibly. This is a technological paradigm shift never seen before. If we lose our capacity for critical thinking, we also lose the ability to understand and control the same technologies that control our information feeds, ultimately resulting in an infinite loop of interdependence and oblivion.

The decline in critical thinking and analysis has implications for democracy. A robust and healthy democratic system relies heavily on citizens who are accurately informed and educated. If we lose our capacity to analyse information rigorously, question sources critically, and engage in meaningful debates, we risk being exposed to demagoguery and manipulation. The erosion of our critical thinking skills compromises our collective and individual ability to hold political leaders accountable.

The role of education systems is absolutely crucial in addressing this crisis. There is urgency and a need to refocus educational priorities toward preserving and nurturing critical thinking. This requires teaching students to decode text, interpret meaning, analyse content, and question everything they read. Encouraging curiosity and intellectual rigor has never been more important than today. We are faced with the task of traversing this information-oversaturated yet context-deficient paradigm and preparing our young ones, students, and the upcoming generation of citizens for the variety of challenges that loom ahead.

It is imperative that we analyse the socioeconomic values that contribute to this decline. We live in a culture that often values speed over depth and convenience over quality. We have been experiencing the rise of technological solutions that are designed to make our lives easier, comfortable, and productive enough to superficially process information as consumers rather than free-thinking citizens. This constant pursuit of instant gratification through algorithmic-driven content in today’s society has become countercultural and dangerous.

The focal point of discussion is how we can encourage the quest for knowledge that is significant to us, as individuals, as citizens, without being influenced so blatantly by corporate or ideological motives. What should be the involvement of technology companies in the design of platforms that encourage meaningful engagement and critical thinking, rather than bypass them entirely?

Technology companies need to be part of the conversation with governments and societal bodies and consider the ethical implications of algorithms that prioritise engagement metrics over the quality and veracity of information. We must establish frameworks to ensure that the design of communication platforms supports the cognitive and emotional well-being of users.

Addressing such complex issues requires coordinated and collective action. Governments, educators, technologists, and civil society must discuss, share ideas, and develop strategies that revive critical analysis and thinking amongst citizens. There is a strong dilemma here, and that is the choice between enforcing content moderation or preserving freedom of speech. I maintain that we must protect and preserve our human thinking skills and abilities rather than become the “world police” and moderate the global content. That could lead to an “Orwellian” disturbing scenario, one we should not allow to happen. With that in mind, we should also not allow a handful of tech giant corporations to dictate what we are fed on our social media accounts. These organisations must prioritise substantive content over sensationalism.

I believe that there are significant parallels between the ethical considerations of AI and the decline in critical thinking. Both revolve around the challenges of rapidly changing technologies. Both require a certain level of alertness and vigilance about the unintended consequences that can undermine societal well-being. In both cases, the solutions lie in prudence and nuanced critical thinking. The irony here is that we must exercise the same skills and abilities that technology, through ill-considered thought processing and profit-driven agendas, has caused to deteriorate. But we must not resort to rejecting these technologies; we must find ways to harness them wisely and responsibly to enhance and benefit humanity.

Ultimately, the safeguarding of democracy, the advancement of knowledge, and the preservation of social cohesion depend on our ability to think critically. If we allow these skills to diminish, we risk becoming passive consumers of information, easily influenced by profit-oriented motives and ideological rhetoric. Just as we must be proactive in establishing ethical frameworks for AI, we must also focus on the intellectual principles that sustain a healthy functioning society.

In my latest book on AI ethics, I have examined the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), which has highlighted the urgent need for robust governance frameworks. Given the critical nature of this issue, I was encouraged to read and analyse the UNESCO Guidance for generative AI in education and research. In my view, this document lays the foundation for addressing the ethical, social, and economic risks brought by AI, which have been areas of global concern. I welcome it as a significant step forward in addressing the governance challenges AI presents, particularly as the growing power imbalance between global tech corporations and nation-states intensifies.

The decisions we make now will shape the intellectual discourse of future generations. We must take the necessary steps to enable and support environments that promote critical engagement with information. Ignoring these challenges risks undermining the foundations of our democracy and society. Confronting this issue will strengthen our cognitive and ethical abilities necessary to navigate the complexities of today’s world embedded in innovation and technology.

UNESCO Guidance for generative AI in education and research:

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/guidance-generative-ai-education-and-research