Navigating conversations with AI: the importance of human critical thinking
- Dafi Weiss
- May 27
- 3 min read
Updated: May 29
Conversing with Artificial Intelligence is like sailing on a calm river- the water carries you, but not always to the right place. The current flows confidently, answers come easily, and everything seems precise. But if we don't navigate ourselves, we'll arrive somewhere we didn't intend. Like a boat without a captain, in conversation with Artificial Intelligence, if we don't exercise judgment, ask questions, and examine the direction of the wind, we'll lose control over logic, context, and meaning.
Artificial Intelligence excels at pattern recognition, connecting information, and producing quick answers. But it has no judgment, intuition, or consciousness. It doesn't question or ask what's missing but rather learns from what has already been said. This is precisely where human critical thinking enters: the ability to stop, ask, examine, and choose the right path.
In the 21st century, more and more work processes are being automated, and it sometimes seems that computers "think better" than we do. But especially now, when the tools are so advanced, there is renewed importance for humans’ critical thinking. The human advantage lies in not being satisfied with what is said, but checking what is not said; identifying hidden assumptions, raising troubling questions, imagining new scenarios, and examining alternatives.
Although Artificial Intelligence tools don't exercise critical thinking themselves, we can apply critical mechanisms to them by means of smart prompts. This turns the conversation into a tool for learning, expanding perspective, and deepening understanding.
Ways to Apply Critical Thinking in Conversation with Artificial Intelligence
Here are practical tools that can be incorporated into prompts to encourage a critical process:
Ask about underlying assumptions
It's important to ask from the start what the are the AI tool basic assumptions in order to expose the basis on which the answer relies.
Eexample: "What assumptions lead to this recommendation?"
Request analysis of alternatives
Instead of a single answer, asking for several different approaches allows exposure to diverse and even creative approaches.
Example: "Suggest three different ways to deal with knowledge loss during retirement, including one unconventional approach."
Ask about missing information
It's worth clarifying what's missing in the data or context to make good decisions. Example: "What information is needed to make a more informed decision about changing the knowledge management system?"
Encourage breaking down thought processes using "chain of thought"
When asking AI tools to explain their thinking process step-by-step, we can examine the internal logic and suggest improvements.
Example: "Detail the thinking stages that led you to the solution, from problem identification to recommendation."
Request an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages
When presenting solutions, it's important to delve into the various good and bad implications.
Example: "What are the advantages and disadvantages of using an open knowledge portal for all employees?"
Ask how different stakeholders would view the problem
A multi-dimensional view enriches thinking and highlights additional perspectives. Example: "How would a veteran employee, a manager, and a technology expert respond to the new system?"
Ask about possible biases
The machine doesn't "know" it's biased, but if we ask it properly, it can reflect patterns that might bias the answer.
Example: "What types of biases might affect this answer in terms of sources, geography, or gender?"
Check information sources
To ensure the answer is well-founded, it's important to ask the AI tool to reveal its knowledge sources.
Example: "What sources did you rely on? Mention source names and provide links if possible."
In Summary
Artificial Intelligence tools are powerful, but humans are the captains holding the wheel. Humans examine, navigate, question, and doubt. The more we direct our conversations with these tools toward critical thinking, the more we will improve the answers we receive, develop our own thinking process, and strengthen the human role in a renewing world.
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