Topical Talk

AI and critical thinking

Should AI do your thinking for you?

Collage of pages from the “AI and critical thinking” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 12 June 2026

About this lesson

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life. People use it to plan tasks, communicate at work and find information online.

Increasingly, AI chatbots are also being used as a source of news. But like any tool, AI comes with risks. How can people use AI to support their thinking without relying on it completely?

Use this lesson to help students:

  • Explore how people use AI in everyday life
  • Consider the risks and benefits of AI-generated information
  • Discuss how to use AI responsibly and think critically about its answers

These teaching resources have been created with support from Microsoft. The Economist Educational Foundation maintained full editorial control.

Skills and knowledge

  • Problem solving

    Step 5: Creating options
    I create different possible solutions to a problem
    Did you consider possible solutions when you discussed the tools you could use for your AI problem?

    Step 6: Analysing options
    I identify advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions
    Did you think about the positives and negatives of each tool as you matched them to scenarios?

    Step 7: Evaluating options
    I choose between possible solutions based on success criteria
    Did you consider different possible solutions when you matched the tool cards?

  • Knowledge

    I know how to use critical-thinking and media-literacy skills alongside AI.
    What actions could you take to improve or check an AI-generated result?

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