What Is Critical Thinking Within the AI Era? What Must We Do Differently?

We know what it used to be.

Critical thinking used to follow a clear, human-based path: First, Clarify the problem or situation; Then ask critical Questions; That help Identify new ways of thinking; Analyze the new possibilities; Evaluate them; Then, finally, Create new approaches or solutions. Critical thinking integrates a suite of multi-dimensional cognitive skills, then combines them with situational, emotional, and practical awareness.?

But when our Robot Overlords can do all that in just seconds, what does critical thinking look like for us humans? What must we do differently in the AI Era? What must YOU do differently?

Welcome to the fourth of the seven skills you need to thrive in the AI Era: Critical Thinking, Best Questions.

Let’s Get Commonsensical

We can learn a lot from educators who have been wrestling with the AI dilemma, as one of their main ‘deliverables’ is the scaling of critical thinking. Daniel Willingham, a cognitive scientist, called his definition a commonsensical view: Critical thinking is…

• Novel: Not just a repetition of something you’ve learned before
• Self-directed: Not just repeating steps you’ve been given
• Effective: Following approaches that are likely to yield useful outcomes

That’s exactly what business leaders are seeking from us all!

EdSurge, an online publication that covers education and learning research, says that developing AI Era Power Skills is more important than ever, and a force-multiplier for all other job-specific skills. And what are Power Skills? You guessed it: The seven skills we’ve been writing about…

Here’s Where It Gets Tricky

Cogent Education, a peer-reviewed journal on educational research, published a study on what critical thinking needs to look like in the AI Era:

• There needs to be an emphasis on critical inquiry and skepticism
• Questioning established norms is crucial
• “Critical thinking is about questioning the status quo and not accepting information at face value.”
• “Critical thinking is the practice of applying rigorous skepticism to dissect complex problems and issues.”

The essence of human-based critical thinking in the AI Era — where machines can do most of the deep thinking and heavy-lifting analysis for us — is to emphasize FRONT-END questioning, skepticism, and debate about our assumptions, presumptions, and norms.

To think critically about what we’re told or what we’re given, and to bring unique, novel thinking to our solutions.

Whoa! Do you see what I see?

There’s an inherent conflict between what makes EACH OF US powerfully human in the AI Era — our ability to question the status quo, question established norms, being skeptical of assumptions and presumptions, and being uniquely human in how we create solutions — and what makes COMPANIES powerfully efficient and profitable.

Cultural norms of all enterprises include embracing, and aligning behind — without debating and questioning — the scaled efficiencies, processes, and ways of working that are best for the company. And accepting what the company says is best for the customer or end-user.

So being our best selves in the AI Era, and bringing our best contributions — questioning and critical, skeptical thinking — could be (if companies don’t change) in direct conflict with what’s best for the company.

Companies’ use of AI comes with the expectation that we’ll all be working smarter. Translation: “Now you can do morebetterfaster, morebetterfaster.” But if companies want us to use AI, and want us to be more human: They’ll have to build our humanness — which includes critical thinking skepticism and questioning — into all workflow processes.

So far… Not so much!

So, What Is Valuable Critical Thinking Within the AI Era?

More novel, self-directed, effective and useful skepticism, questioning, and not blindly accepting information (from our AI robots, our teammates, our managers, our senior leaders, or our customers or end-users) without critical inquiry.

And using our AI tools to quickly power-through identifying new approaches; analyzing the new possibilities; evaluating them; and synthesizing the results. Which will then be reviewed, assessed, and refined by humans.

Despite the paradoxes, or maybe because of them, enterprises truly do need and value your critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. They need people who embrace disruptive changes, who see challenges and won’t stop until they create solutions. Critical thinking that leads to usable solutions matter. And that’s one of our most human traits in the AI Era.

And What Must We Do Differently?

Rethinking and reimagining our procedures, processes, and scaled efficiencies to allow for, embrace, and value our humanness. Our novel ways of thinking that AI can’t do. Our useful skepticism and questions. Our reviews, refinements, improvements, tailoring, and personalizing what our AI robots have given us.

We know that companies seek people who can adapt to disruptive changes and create new solutions. We need to do more to create environments that embrace scaled efficiencies AND DO MORE to value, encourage, and leverage our humanness, our rigorous skepticism, our curiosity.

Stay Tuned…

In our coming issues, we’ll explore what that means for all of us; for leaders; for companies; and for those who need to design those changes.

?Bill Jensen is a seasoned strategy and transformation executive, advisor to C-suite execs, globally-known keynote speaker, and author of nine best-selling leadership and change books, including Simplicity, Disrupt, Future Strong, and The Day Tomorrow Said No. Reach him at [email protected].