Role of Artificial Intelligence in Developing Critical Thinking Skills among University Students in Pakistan

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a defining force in global education, transforming how students learn, interact, and construct knowledge. Although AI offers personalized learning and analytical support, its influence on higher-order thinking—particularly critical thinking—remains debated. Grounded in Socratic philosophy and Constructivist Learning Theory, this quantitative cross-sectional study examines how AI sub-factors such as learning support, motivation, information analysis, personalization, ethical use, and overreliance risk influence critical thinking dimensions, including analysis, evaluation, inference, reflection, questioning, and independence. The study contributes to the philosophical and empirical understanding of AI integration in higher education, offering evidence-based implications for fostering analytical and self-directed learners in Pakistan. Descriptive statistics indicated moderately high levels of both AI engagement and CT. These findings suggest that AI can function as a digital scaffold that enhances analytical and reflective capacities when used critically and ethically, but may undermine intellectual autonomy when over relied upon. The study offers empirical evidence and pedagogical implications for aligning AI-based learning with the cultivation of reflective, independent thinkers in Pakistani higher education