Critical Thinking in the Age of AI:

From Cognitive Delegation to Cultural Impact

As generative AI becomes embedded in everyday reading and writing practices, it is no longer just a tool but a cognitive agent shaping how we think, decide, and produce knowledge. This talk argues that critical thinking is not simply a desirable skill for AI, but a necessary infrastructure for maintaining human agency. It explores why critical thinking is essential in this new context and how it is built and developed, especially when facing big claims about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and its supposed arrival. From there, it examines how we increasingly delegate cognitive tasks to AI systems, moving from summarization to interpretation, judgment, and even moral decision-making. The session then moves into how AI is already changing our reading habits, writing, and sense of authorship, as well as the emerging role of advertising within conversational interfaces. Finally, it offers a perspective on how to use AI without losing critical distance, managing the shift from tools to thought, and from thought to culture.

The event will be introduced by the academic Andrea Novoa, who will chair the roundtable discussion.

This event has been organised in collaboration with CERU – SRUK.

Event in English.

Carmen Torrijos is a researcher and speaker whose work focuses on the critical relationship between reading, writing, and emerging technologies. Her work explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping intellectual practices, creativity, and critical thinking, with particular attention to the ethical and cultural implications of delegating cognitive processes to digital tools.

Andrea Novoa is an academic at Imperial College London whose work sits at the intersection of research, education, and public engagement. She is actively involved in fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and regularly participates in conversations that connect scientific knowledge with broader cultural and societal questions.