Here is an AI summary in bullet point form: ^/s^

• Title: The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers
• The study surveyed 319 knowledge workers to explore how Generative AI (GenAI) impacts their critical thinking practices and the perceived effort involved in these tasks.
• Knowledge workers primarily engage in critical thinking when using GenAI tools to enhance work quality, avoid negative outcomes, and develop skills.
• Key barriers to critical thinking include lack of awareness, time pressure, limited motivation, and challenges in improving AI responses in unfamiliar domains.
• Higher confidence in GenAI reduces the perceived effort required for critical thinking tasks, while confidence in their own skills tends to increase perceived effort, especially during evaluation and application of AI outputs.
• Participants reported enacting critical thinking in about 60% of the examples shared, often involving goal and query formation, response inspection, and integration of AI outputs.
• Trust in GenAI can lead to over-reliance, diminishing independent problem-solving and critical engagement, particularly in routine tasks.
• The study identified motivators for critical thinking, including the desire for quality work and skill improvement, alongside inhibitors like perceived task importance and job scope.
• Knowledge workers often conflated reduced effort with reduced critical thinking when satisfied with AI-generated responses, indicating a potential risk of complacency.
• The findings suggest that GenAI tools should be designed to support critical thinking by addressing awareness, motivation, and ability barriers among users.
• The implications highlight the need for feedback mechanisms in GenAI tools to help users calibrate their trust and confidence, ensuring a balanced relationship between AI assistance and independent critical thinking.