Critical Thinking Still Matters (Even with AI)
A few weeks ago, I caught myself asking an AI to draft a simple thank you email, something i’ve written a hundred times before. It felt efficient at first, but afterward, I realized i’d handed over a moment that could have been mine to shape. That tiny shortcut got me thinking: if i’m not careful, these tools might make my work smoother, but my thinking softer.
In an age of smart machines and endless shortcuts, the question isn’t should we use AI? We absolutely should. The real question is how do we use it while staying sharp, curious, and fully human?
In the last year, it feel like every hallway conversation, workshop, or faculty meeting circles back to one thing: AI.
New tools promise to streamline curriculum development, write policies, generate teaching materials, even craft patient care summaries all in seconds. It’s impressive. And, let’s be honest: it can be a little unsettling too.
Because beneath the excitement is a quieter truth: the more we delegate to AI, the easier it comes to let our own thinking muscles atrophy.
The Double Edge Sword
A syllabus update that once took hours? AI can spit out a draft before you finish your coffee. Need a patient handout, lecture slides, or a quiz? Done.
But’ here’s where we have to pause: speed doesn’t equal soundness.
When we rely too heavily on AI, we risk cutting corners on what matters most: context, nuance, and the human lens that can’t be auto generated.
A policy written by A might look polished but miss a crucial local detail. A student’s essay drafted by a bot might check the grammar box but dodge authentic reflection. A clinical note composed with an AI assist might save time but miss subtle cues that only human eyes and hearts catch.
Staying Sharply Human
Here’s what I’ve been reminding myself and what I hope can help you, too:
Use AI as a starting point, not the final answer.
Think of it like a smart assistant. Great at first drafts and ideas, but always needing your brain and judgement to shape the final product.
Build pause and question moments in your workflow.
Before hitting ‘submit’ or ‘publish’, ask: Does this reflect what I really mean? What context might be missing? Keep your editorial instinct alive.
Teach the thinking, not just the tool.
For learners, it’s not enough to know how to prompt ChatGPT. We need to guide them in asking good questions, validating output, and applying critical thought to everything AI generates.
Celebrate the human touch.
Empathy, lived experience, moral reasoning, these don’t come from code. Let your learners see you model it in feedback, discussions, and real-time problem-solving.
AI is here to stay, and used wisely, it can free us from repetitive tasks and spark new ideas. But is’ no substitute for thoughtful, discerning, beautifully imperfect ways we think, feel and decide.
Our challenge now isn’t to resist AI, it’s to stay awake, curious, and anchored in our own judgement.
Here’s to staying both efficient and deeply, brilliantly human.