A collaborative research team between Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University reported on a study of 319 knowledge workers on the impact of generative AI on their work. It was found that the more confident employees feel in artificial intelligence, the more it negatively affects their confidence in critical thinking abilities.
The sample group of 319 individuals using GenAI consisted of an equal split of male and female workers (excluding 5 and 2 unspecified individuals). The majority used ChatGPT at 96.87%, with the remaining using Microsoft Copilot at 23.20%, Gemini at 21.63%, Copilot in Office at 18.81%, and Gemini in Workspace at 15.36%. The tasks involved answering two questions:
1. How do workers perceive critical thinking when using GenAI?
2. Do workers feel more or less reliant on critical thinking when using GenAI?
Research participants began with an inquiry into the GenAI functionalities and provided examples of tasks such as creativity, data retrieval, and seeking advice, leading to 957 task categories. They were then presented with examples of each task type and asked how they perceived critical thinking in the process, followed by analysis of the results.
The survey analysis revealed that participants found tasks using GenAI to be significantly easier across the various categories, with only a 5% higher perceived difficulty level in evaluation tasks. Overall, workers reported improved efficiency when using GenAI, highlighting that increased confidence in AI leads to reduced reliance on critical thinking.
The research team recommends developing tools that support workers in incorporating their own critical thinking into the work process involving GenAI.
TLDR: Research conducted by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University shows that increased confidence in generative AI leads to decreased reliance on critical thinking among knowledge workers. The study suggests the necessity of tools that encourage the integration of personal critical thinking alongside AI in work processes.
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