How Is AI Damaging Our Critical Thinking Skills?

by Sapna Pradhan, Jan 4, 2026

A student opens ChatGPT for an English essay to “just get started.” Within seconds, the blank page is filled. It’s faster writing, less stress, and polished results. AI feels like a miracle, but what is convenience costing us cognitively? Does this introduce cognitive debt where short-term ease creates long-term intellectual consequences?