Higher AI tool usage leads to reduced critical thinking abilities, with cognitive offloading serving as a mediating factor between AI use and decreased critical thinking skills.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between AI tool usage and critical thinking skills, focusing on cognitive offloading as a mediating factor, particularly in the context of K-12 education.

Methods:

• Mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative data
• Survey with 666 participants across different age groups and educational backgrounds
• 50 semi-structured interviews
• Analysis using ANOVA, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and random forest regression
• Used Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) tool and Terenzini's self-reported measures

Key Findings:

• Higher AI tool usage significantly correlated with reduced critical thinking abilities
• Younger participants (17-25) showed higher AI dependence but lower critical thinking scores
• Higher education levels correlated with better critical thinking skills regardless of AI usage
• Cognitive offloading significantly mediated the relationship between AI use and critical thinking
• Education level moderated the negative effects of AI tool usage on critical thinking
• Random forest regression explained 37% of variance in critical thinking scores

Implications:

• Need for balanced AI integration in educational settings
• Importance of developing educational strategies that promote critical engagement with AI
• Necessity for clear policy frameworks to guide AI integration in education
• Value of maintaining human cognitive engagement despite AI automation
• Need for teacher training programs on effective AI integration

Limitations:

• Reliance on self-reported data
• Potential sample bias due to snowball sampling method
• Focus on specific geographic region (Idaho)
• Limited generalizability due to predominantly rural sample

Future Directions:

• Longitudinal studies on long-term effects of AI tool usage
• Cross-cultural studies on AI impact on critical thinking
• Investigation of specific AI tools and their distinct effects
• Development of interventions to mitigate negative impacts
• Research on individual differences in susceptibility to cognitive offloading

Title and Authors: "AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking" by Michael Gerlich

Published on: January 3, 2025

Published by: Societies (MDPI)