August 19, 2024 The AI Catch: Doubling Down on Critical Thinking

The steps to sharpening critical thinking skills in the age of AI.

By Sandra Loughlin, Chief Learning Scientist, EPAM Systems, Inc.

Generative AI is set to revolutionize how we work, offering unprecedented speed and efficiency across industries. But there’s a catch. While AI excels at delivering rapid insights and automating tasks, using it effectively — and ethically — requires a skill set at risk of being eliminated by the very technology designed to enhance it: critical thinking.

The ease of accessing information through AI presents a seductive shortcut and a challenge for leaders. Why spend hours researching when answers appear in seconds? Now, leaders must look to leverage AI’s power without inadvertently undermining critical thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving skills, which will be even more crucial in the future.

Don’t Just Use AI—Use It to Train Critical Thinking

The solution isn’t to shy away from AI or limit its adoption. Instead, companies need to make critical thinking a core competency, interwoven with AI adoption at every level. One of the most effective ways to do this is to use AI to sharpen critical thinking skills, helping employees analyze information, connect ideas, uncover insights, and mitigate missteps. Here are a few examples:

• Uncover Assumptions and Biases: “What are common misconceptions surrounding [topic], and what are the underlying reasons for these misperceptions? Who benefits from these misunderstandings?”
• Identify Contrasting Viewpoints: “What are the most compelling arguments against [topic or proposed solution]? Who are the key thinkers or experts who hold these opposing views?”
• Force Unexpected Connections: “Connect [topic] to a seemingly unrelated field. What insights emerge from this unexpected connection? How can this new perspective inform our approach?”
• Consider Different Lenses: “Approaching this problem from the perspective of [a role]. How might someone in [different role] view this issue differently? What factors might they prioritize?”
• Anticipate Unintended Consequences: “What are the potential downsides or unintended consequences of this solution, even if it appears successful at first glance? How would this solution impact different stakeholders within and outside the company?”
• Distill to Key Principles: “Imagine someone has no background in this field. What are three essential things needed to understand about [topic], and why are they so important?”

Make these types of probing questions central to your company’s DNA. Don’t just relegate them to training sessions. Integrate them into brainstorming meetings, strategic planning sessions, performance reviews, and casual conversations. When critical thinking becomes a habit, it leads to more innovative solutions, better risk mitigation, and a more agile and resilient organization.

From Information Consumption to Capability Building

In the age of AI, information is readily available, but it’s also increasingly manipulated. The differentiator for companies will be what their workforce does with that information. This requires a shift from traditional training models focusing primarily on information delivery to those cultivating advanced capabilities, especially critical thinking. Capability academies are essential in this regard, providing immersive and engaging learning experiences structured around these key elements:

• Relevant Content: A focus on emphasizing real-world application, analysis of trade-offs, and robust problem-solving strategies.
• Scaffolded Application: Learners immediately apply new concepts to real work challenges, receiving guidance and feedback from experienced practitioners who serve as coaches and mentors.
• Collaborative Learning: A collaborative environment that enriches the learning process with diverse perspectives from peers sharing experiences, insights, and different ways of thinking.
• Feedback and Reflection: Regular feedback and structured reflection integrated throughout the program, enabling learners to refine their critical thinking skills, identify their biases, and develop greater self-awareness.

Harness the Power of Informal Learning: The S.T.R.I.V.E. Framework

While capability academies provide a structured environment for skill development, don’t underestimate the power of informal learning to reinforce critical thinking habits. Leaders should encourage and provide opportunities for employees to be more engaged, which is the intent of S.T.R.I.V.E.  

The framework begins by focusing on cultivating a culture of Social Learning where active dialogue and debate are encouraged. By exposing employees to diverse viewpoints, both within and outside the company, they can challenge assumptions and refine their perspectives. The second piece of the framework is Teaching Others – an effective way to solidify understanding. Employees should be encouraged to share their knowledge through mentoring, presentations, or writing articles for internal communication. As such, they also open themselves up to Reflective Practice, where they can analyze successes and failures and reflect on what went well, what could have been done differently, and what they learned from the experience. Additionally, organizations should emphasis the importance of Investigation, where employees can explore ideas beyond their areas of expertise.

These topics should extend outside of the work environment through Vocational and Experiential Learning, by providing support for ongoing professional development and hands-on learning for employees to take on new challenges and experiment with different approaches for problem solving.

The Bottom Line

Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize business, but its true power hinges on a workforce equipped with the critical thinking skills needed to leverage it responsibly and effectively. Leaders who prioritize critical thinking – from the prompts used with AI to the design of learning programs – will be the ones who unlock true competitive advantage in the age of intelligent machines.

Sandra Loughlin, Ph.D, Managing Principal and Head of Client Learning & Talent Enablement at EPAM Systems, Inc.

Dr. Sandra Loughlin is a learning scientist and organization change expert. As Head of the Client Learning & Talent Enablement Practice at EPAM Systems, Sandra is responsible for integrating EPAM’s many internal and external educational activities under one umbrella and ensuring that they reflect the latest advances from the learning sciences. 

Prior to her work at EPAM, Sandra held faculty appointments in colleges of business and education at the University of Maryland and advised several edtech startups. She holds a PhD in educational psychology and learning analytics from the University of Maryland and a master’s in education from Harvard University.

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