"How AI is reshaping human skills and thinking"

I regularly peruse articles about cognitive hygiene. This is one of the better ones, including links to research.

"Research suggests that the use of AI, mediated by cognitive offloading, can lead to a reduction in critical thinking,” said Michael Gerlich, PhD, a professor and head of executive education at the Swiss Business School in Zurich who studies AI and cognitive offloading. “But that’s largely a consequence of how people are using these tools. When used more deliberately, AI can actually enhance critical thinking.”

To test this theory, Gerlich asked 150 participants to write essays on the pros and cons of democracy under three conditions: without AI, using ChatGPT with no guidance, or using ChatGPT with structured prompts designed to encourage deeper thinking. The prompts helped users reflect independently, conduct targeted research, construct and critically review an argument, and revise their work as needed. Essays produced with structured prompting received the highest scores from expert reviewers (Data, Vol. 10, No. 11, 2025).

Among the practical tips in this article is the interesting strategy of not directly asking for answers to solutions, which reinforces the important idea that unlike search engines, LLMs are best used in an extensive dialogue -- going beyond answer-seeking to a systematic exploration of the topic in question. Starting with your own assessment of the issue, not with AI's version, which in the words of the article author, can "steer your thinking."

When using an LLM for support, Gerlich recommends flipping the conventional prompting strategy on its head. Rather than providing as much information as possible up front, start by thinking through the problem yourself. When you need additional data, ask pointed questions without revealing details about the broader project. Once you’ve reached an answer on your own, give the AI both the question and your solution and ask for feedback. Gerlich said this approach encourages active engagement and helps mitigate anchoring—where an early answer shapes or biases the thinking that follows—by preventing AI output from steering human reasoning.