The Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence Use and Critical Thinking Among University Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between overuse of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and critical thinking among university students. A descriptive correlational design was employed with a sample of 143 students who responded to an online questionnaire. The instrument included two domains: AI overuse and critical thinking. Although the initial questionnaire was designed as a five-point Likert scale, the exported Google Forms dataset contained binary yes/no responses; therefore, responses were coded as yes = 1 and no = 0, and total scores ranging from 0 to 10 were computed for each domain. Results showed that 92.3% of participants reported using AI tools in their studies. The mean AI overuse score was 4.15/10, whereas the mean critical thinking score was 8.22/10. Internal consistency was acceptable to good (AI overuse = 0.811; critical thinking = 0.775). The findings revealed a weak but statistically significant negative relationship between AI overuse and critical thinking, r(141) = -.188, p = .025, 95% CI [-.341, -.024], with Spearman’s rho confirming the same direction. In a multiple regression model, AI overuse remained a negative predictor of critical thinking after controlling for gender, specialization, academic stage, and daily use, B = -.194, p = .021. The study recommends developing university policies and instructional practices that promote critical, transparent, and responsible AI use, emphasizing verification of AI outputs and assessment designs that evaluate reasoning processes rather than final answers only.