Reflections on ChatGPT and Critical Thinking
I use ChatGPT for all kinds of things. This is a somewhat new development for me. At first I rejected the concept of AI, believing it to be a tool for people avoiding work, trying to cheat the system. I guess the change came around when I realized that I too am lazy, and would like to avoid work. I have chatting history with ChatGPT going back to 2023, but it wasn’t something I felt was helpful, or could enhance my work until late 2024. I started inputting pieces I was writing, asking for directional advice, editing, and ideas for new pieces that were similar. The first assignment I really had it dig into was for one of my art classes. I had to create a “family tree” of artists that were similar or inspiring to me, and I had no intention of doing heavy research. What I did instead was input every single artist statement I’ve ever written into ChatGPT, and as many pictures of my work as I was allowed to upload. I explained my assignment, and asked it to compile a list of 100 artists who might be of interest. Without much tweaking, it gave me useful responses, saving hours of research time. Since then, I’ve heavily increased my ChatGPT usage, using it for class and personal projects, having it interpret my dreams, and occasionally asking it for advice. One might assume that this heavy use would lead me to be a proponent of the service, but I’m quite conflicted about its rapid, widespread adoption. I try my best to use ChatGPT as a tool, aiding my own ideas, but I can easily imagine how substantial use of artificial intelligence could lead to a decline of critical thought.
As I’ve continued to use this service, I have noticed an increasing willingness to use ChatGPT for smaller as well as more personal tasks. I don’t necessarily believe that using it to help me complete any one small task is an issue. On the contrary, I think AI is an invaluable tool for projects I would normally cast aside unfinished. I can’t count how many projects I completed because I was able to skip the boring information compiling. At the same time, it’s impossible to argue that not doing my own research or brainstorming myself doesn’t diminish my creative imprint on these projects. With more frivolous pieces, this is less obvious, but what happens when I rely on AI for something more personal? If I consult ChatGPT from the start of a creative endeavor, how much of it is mine? Outsourcing my thinking to a robot feels like quite the slippery slope. At this point, I don’t know how to answer these questions. I still use ChatGPT because it is profoundly useful. I think it will continue to rapidly improve, and those who know how to use it efficiently will be heavily advantaged in the years to come. Yet as I continue to utilize artificial intelligence, a fear of it becoming less of a tool and more of a dependency grows in my mind.
When I was twelve or thirteen, I started being invited to my peers’ bar and bat mitzvahs. At first, this was an exciting prospect, but as I continued to attend them, this mainstay of Jewish culture grew old fast. I always had trouble sitting still as a kid, and oftentimes the 1–2 hour service would feel like it stretched out infinitely. I remember wishing multiple times that I had some button that could just fast forward reality, transporting me to the end of the service and skipping the tedious parts. I see ChatGPT a lot like that button. I could sit through researching some topic, gathering information, slowly forming ideas—or I could type a description and have the process expedited. Entirely convenient, yet in either case, I lose the purpose of enduring the task: learning. Skipping to the end of an intellectual or emotional journey is rewarding in the short term, but that journey is often what gives the final product its weight—and what makes it feel like it’s truly mine. Without it, I sometimes reach the end faster, but unsure if I actually arrived.
On a larger scale, I see education as a similar journey. As large language models have gained widespread accessibility, there has been a universal sense of pessimism from teachers and professors. As have I, students all over the world have recognized the extreme convenience of artificial intelligence. I’ve heard stories of full high school classes all using ChatGPT, generating discussion and homework answers, and writing that may not be plagiarism, but definitely isn’t students’ work. When an individual uses this service to complete work for them, it isn’t the system they are cheating in actuality, but themself. The purpose of education is not to complete assignments or get work done, but rather to grapple with complex ideas, building problem solving and critical thinking ability. The academic struggles we see as pointless busy work are in actuality a ladder to intellectual growth. By using a service that skips these moments of development, one only appears to climb the ladder, but truthfully remains firmly gripping the bottom rung.
That being said, it would be absurd to blame the students in this scenario. It is in our nature to look for shortcuts and ways to make our tasks easier. Additionally, it may not even be wrong to strive to master the use of artificial intelligence. The following is almost assuredly true. First, AI is a remarkable tool for expediting work of all kinds, and will not only be present in the decades to come, but will in fact improve and escalate in use. Moreover, as it continues to gain prominence and credibility as a tool, those who are less proficient will likely be at a disadvantage. To summarize: AI is here to stay, and one cannot blame students for utilizing a new available tool. Just as curriculums had to change with the introduction of the internet or calculator, we must find a way to allow the use of artificial intelligence while still fostering critical thinking and creativity.
Ironically, even as I examine this issue and worry about the future of our thinking, I too rely on AI. I’ve consulted ChatGPT while writing this essay, and for countless recent projects of mine. As is evident, I often grapple with my use of artificial intelligence. I try my best to use the service responsibly. I try to enter with my own ideas, and question its statements and assumptions. Still, the temptation to hit fast forward is ever-present. Using AI thoughtfully and intentionally requires a constant vigilance, a willingness to slow down and engage deeply even when a quicker opportunity is present. Learning to coexist with AI without losing the ability to think critically and deeply may emerge as one of the major intellectual journeys of my generation. If we want to stay thinkers, not just users, we’ll have to keep choosing the slower, harder path, even when the fast-forward button is right in front of us.
