OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF AI FOR DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING IN EDUCATION

In response to European recommendations to strengthen students’ digital competences, educational systems are increasingly required to promote conscious, informed, and responsible engagement with digital technologies. Within this context, critical thinking represents a key transversal skill, enabling learners to navigate complex information environments and make reasoned decisions. In alignment with the DigiComp 2.2 framework, this study investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can both support and hinder the development of critical thinking in educational settings. The study employs a structured literature review methodology to analyze recent international research on AI in education. The review is guided by an analytical framework that focuses on three dimensions: cognitive processes involved in critical thinking, pedagogical uses of AI tools, and risks associated with AI-mediated learning environments, including algorithmic bias, misinformation, and cognitive offloading. Findings indicate that AI can enhance critical thinking when used within well-designed pedagogical approaches that promote reflection, problem-solving, and metacognitive awareness. At the same time, the analysis highlights significant challenges, including students’ overreliance on AI-generated content, reduced evaluative judgment, and limited awareness of underlying algorithmic mechanisms. The study identifies specific educational strategies, such as guided AI use, critical evaluation tasks, and explicit teaching of AI literacy, that can mitigate these risks. Overall, the research contributes to the ongoing debate by providing a clearer conceptualization of the relationship between AI and critical thinking and by outlining practical implications for educators. It underscores the need for a balanced integration of AI in education, where technological innovation is accompanied by the deliberate development of students’ critical, reflective, and responsible engagement with digital environments.