A new study from Aalto University reveals that using AI tools such as ChatGPT can make people perform better — yet less aware of how well they’ve really done. The familiar Dunning–Kruger effect reverses: AI-literate users become the most overconfident of all. This article explores how “cognitive offloading” and misplaced trust in machine reasoning can erode critical thinking and self-assessment, even among skilled professionals. Drawing on the research AI makes you smarter but none the wiser (Welsch et al., 2025), it examines the implications for training, workplace performance, and AI-enhanced learning, arguing for a shift from AI literacy to AI wisdom — where reflection and self-awareness matter as much as technical skill.
Written by Anthony Hughes
The Alarming Decline of Critical Thinking in the Digital Age Stay informed Subscribe to our newsletter. Newsletter Δ Subscribe Table of Contents Professor Elena Marquez stood before her university class, presenting a deliberately flawed study about caffeine consumption. She claimed the research showed definitive evidence that three cups of coffee daily would extend lifespan by […]
