Analytical thinking is the most sought after “core skill” among employers, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report. Seven in 10 organizations “consider it essential in 2025.”
Analytical and critical thinking will become even more important as AI tools take on more routine tasks, but a problem is emerging: AI may weaken these core thinking skills. Three studies published in 2025, discussed below, link the use of AI with declines in critical and analytical thinking abilities, in an obvious downward trend:
This article examines the role of critical and analytical thinking in the age of AI and what can be done to strengthen those skills. Because the terms are used inconsistently – or not defined at all – this article will treat critical thinking and analytical thinking as related skills involving the evaluation of data and use of logic to arrive at conclusions.
In a 2025 study conducted by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, the researchers found, “The higher the level of confidence in AI that the user has, the lower the critical thinking (inverse correlation), while the higher a user’s self-confidence is, the greater their use of critical thinking (direct correlation).”
The researchers also wrote, “Used improperly, technologies can and do result in the deterioration of faculties that ought to be preserved.” “[B]y mechanizing routine tasks . . . you deprive the user of the routine opportunities to practice their judgment and strengthen their cognitive musculature.”
In a separate 2025 study, Michael Gerlick of the Swiss Business School found the use of AI to be correlated with loss of critical and analytical thinking skills. The author singles out “cognitive offloading” – the use of AI tools to reduce mental effort – as strongly correlated with declines in critical and analytical thinking ability.
Finally, a June 2025 study uploaded to the pre-print server Arxiv compared three groups given an essay writing task. The first group used “brain only,” the second group used a search engine, and the third group used an LLM, like ChatGPT. Based on electroencephalogram (EEG) readings, the study found the LLM group to be the least engaged in the task. “Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels,” the authors report.
The lesson from these studies is that remaining mentally active is vital to maintaining cognitive functions. Organizations need to be aware of the risks and avoid delegating too much “brain work” to AI.
The AI age requires more and better analytical thinking skills. While AI tools have made rapid progress, they have significant limitations, according to Forbes. Among them are (1) failure to understand context, (2) inability to adapt to novel situations, (3) absence of ethics and “moral intuition,” (4) “hallucinations” (making up information), and (5) errors in reasoning.
According to Feyaza Khan, quoted in Forbes, “Good AI can’t learn from itself. High-quality, responsible and accurate AI will continue to rely on human intervention to actually learn new things and generate quality content.” “Fact checking, source analysis and other critical thinking skills are crucial for properly training AI,” she explained.
Critical and analytical thinking skills will be crucial if humans are to leverage the strengths of AI to augment human efforts. As the author writes, “In reality, critical thinking becomes even more necessary in the age of AI, both to use it properly, and to do the necessary work behind the scenes to make it a more reliable tool.”
Writing in TD (Talent Development) magazine, Justin Reinert writes that the AI revolution may take one of two paths. The first path focuses on automation and replacing humans in the workplace. “A more optimistic path . . . emphasizes augmenting human capabilities by leveraging AI to equip workers with enhanced tools and data driven insights.” To realize that more optimistic outcome, humans need to bolster their capacity for critical and analytical thinking.
How organizations can improve analytical thinking. Organizational culture plays a big role in promoting analytical thinking. These are among the most important qualities:
Psychological safety. Psychological safety exists when individuals feel they can express their opinions, dissent, and take risks without fear of negative consequences.
Culture of curiosity. Curiosity includes a willingness to learn, an openness to new ideas, and the ability to question assumptions.
Intellectual humility. Humility and humble leadership incorporate the ideas that no one has all the answers and that everyone can learn and improve.
Continuous improvement. Support learning with a culture of continuous improvement, including opportunities for professional and personal development.
Core skills to improve analytical thinking. These are among the core skills to develop critical and analytical thinking, which can be incorporated into training materials and daily activities:
Observation. Build observation skills through scenario planning to explore business trends and uncertainties. Encourage open dialog and assess strategies collaboratively.
Data analysis. Data analysis training can help team members learn to gather, validate, and interpret information. Work through exercises to apply data to real business problems.
Inference building. Inference building entails drawing conclusions from outside information, personal knowledge, and experience. Case studies, critical reading, and structured “brainstorming” can be useful exercises.
Problem solving. Problem solving exercises may include root cause analysis, constructing decision matrices, and simulation exercises. Providing structured decision frameworks can help team members define problems clearly and reach solutions rationally.
In the AI age, critical and analytical thinking is more important than ever. If you would like to learn more about ways to help your organization improve its core skills, please contact us.
Copyright ©️ 2025 by Stephen Wullschleger. All rights reserved.
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