Abstract

Critical thinking plays a vital role in education by fostering intellectual independence and resilience. From a Cartesian perspective, epistemic curiosity embodies the spirit of methodological doubt, where questioning and scepticism are essential for arriving at indubitable knowledge. Virtue epistemologists contend that curiosity is an intellectual virtue necessary for the development of wisdom and the search for truth. Epistemic autonomy, on the other hand, is an epistemological agent’s ability to independently govern his or her beliefs and reasoning. It empowers students to critically evaluate information, resist undue influence, and form justified beliefs through rational deliberation. This paper discusses how students’ excessive reliance on AI tools for knowledge acquisition may compromise their capacity for autonomous learning and critical thinking. The paper also explores (i) the epistemological impact of the use of AI tools in education on epistemic curiosity and epistemic autonomy, (ii) on active inquiry and the resilience-building experience of problem-solving, and (iii) the epistemological consequences of superficial learning, instant gratification and reduced cognitive struggle. Finally, the paper proposes certain strategies to mitigate the AI’s impact on critical thinking while AI tools are used for learning.