Protecting Human Cognition in the Age of AI
Overview
The rapid adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) is significantly reshaping human cognition, influencing how we engage with information, think, reason, and learn. Our Tools for Thought Workshop paper at CHI’25 synthesizes existing literature on GenAI’s effects on different aspects of human cognition. Drawing on Krathwohl’s revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Dewey’s conceptualization of reflective thought, we examine the mechanisms through which GenAI is affecting the development of different cognitive abilities. We focus on novices, such as students, who may lack both domain knowledge and an understanding of effective human-AI interaction. Accordingly, we provide implications for rethinking and designing educational experiences that foster critical thinking and deeper cognitive engagement.
Comparing cognitive processes engaged in the given scenario when a novice uses the web versus an LLM for support, with fainter arrows indicating weaker engagement. See our paper for more details.
If you’re interested in this topic, please reach out to me. We are interested in following up this meta-analysis with a study and would love to talk to potential collaborators and interested stakeholders like teachers, students, and educators.
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Team
Anjali Singh (Project Lead), Karan Taneja, Zhitong Guan, Avijit Ghosh