In the age of AI, critical thinking is more important than ever
In the age of AI, critical thinking is more important than ever
Publish Date: 2026-06-24 09:30:00
Source Domain: www.ualberta.ca
From 2024 to 2026, the proportion of post-secondary students in the United Kingdom using generative artificial intelligence “in some way in their studies” jumped to a staggering 95 per cent from 66 per cent, according to the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI).
The trend is hardly limited to the U.K. In Canada, the percentages are also rising sharply, from 59 per cent in 2024 to 73 per cent last year, according to a survey by KPMG Canada. What’s more, nearly half of students surveyed said their critical thinking skills have deteriorated since adopting AI.
What was once a fringe tool is now used by the vast majority of students, said Afia Abedinin a recent presentation alongside Soroush Razavi at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) annual Upper Bound conference last month. Both are machine learning educators with Amii.
“Students are not just using it for generating text; they’re using it for research, for generating ideas and approaching assignments,” says Abedin. “It’s becoming part of students’ workflow.”
Ubiquitous but uncertain
Despite the ubiquity of generative AI — such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot — many students feel universities have been slow to embrace the inevitable, says Abedin, too often framing the tool only in terms of academic misconduct, rather than accepting it as a powerful new research aid that’s here to stay.
“There is a lot of uncertainty among students about whether they are using it appropriately or not. Many worry they are cheating and fear they might be caught if using these AI tools.”
According to the KPMG, 77 per cent of postsecondary students want clear direction on AI literacy, including courses that provide examples of how it can be used responsibly and ethically. Only one university surveyed…
