AI and Critical Thinking: Are We Reading or Just Skimming?
Updated: 6 days ago
AI has naturally become the go-to tool for saving time and reaching "quick results." For example, a long article is compressed into five key points, and a meeting automatically generates a to-do list. Or an unfamiliar concept is explained in ten seconds. But there is a question far more worth asking than simply "to use AI or not". As we become increasingly accustomed to reading summaries, do we gain a deeper understanding, or do we just reach the illusion of understanding faster?
The layers of reading
Dividing reading ability simply into "good" or "bad" is almost as vague as labeling someone "smart" or "silly." If we simplify the process of reading into three layers:
Base layer: Being able to retell what the text says.
Middle layer: Identifying what the author explicitly stated, as well as what can be reasonably inferred.
Top layer: Asking, How does this connect to what I already know? Is the evidence sufficient? Are there alternative explanations?
