Blog post

Use AI without skipping the thinking

A useful AI answer is not always the answer you should copy. Sometimes the better move is to ask AI to help you think more clearly.

The situation

You ask ChatGPT for help with a plan, email, recommendation or assignment. The answer looks polished. It has structure. It sounds confident. That can be helpful, but it can also make it harder to see what is missing.

OpenAI shared research from a randomized experiment with more than 1,000 students. ChatGPT helped improve quality and coherence. Critical-thinking training helped students produce a wider range of original ideas and question assumptions. The strongest lesson is practical: AI can improve the output, but your thinking still matters.

What to try

Do not only ask AI for an answer. Ask it to help you inspect the answer.

"Give me a draft answer. Then add a second section called 'Check the thinking'. In that section, list the assumptions, weak points, missing alternatives and one question I should ask before using this."

Make it easier

Separate the polished answer from the thinking check. Use two headings. That makes it easier to scan, easier to read aloud and easier to decide what needs attention before you reuse the answer.

Check before relying on it

This is based on education research, not a rule for every workplace task. Still, the habit transfers well: let AI draft, then let AI help you question the draft. For important decisions, check the original source, context and facts yourself.

Source