Application of AI in education and its influence on students’ critical thinking

The deep integration of generative AI into education has attracted widespread attention, but existing research lacks a systematic exploration of the long-term influence mechanism of critical thinking. This article analyzes the educational reconstruction and its dual effects triggered by the evolution of AI from a “tool” to a “cognitive partner”. Research shows that AI expands thinking training through personalized learning and immediate feedback. However, its algorithmic rationality implies cultural biases and a tendency towards data simplification, which may lead to the transfer of cognitive sovereignty and the compression of innovative thinking. The optimization strategies include: constructing a “technical buffer zone” to protect independent thinking; enhance algorithm transparency and cultural inclusiveness; promoting the transformation of teachers and improving the human-machine collaborative evaluation framework. The research emphasizes that AI education needs to strike a balance between technological empowerment and humanistic reflection to safeguard human cognitive sovereignty.