What do I not know? How does AI affect critical thinking
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19480263 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Beth Weaver (0000-0003-1711-1068, University of Strathclyde, corresponding author), Fern Gillon (University of Strathclyde), Ian Belton (0000-0002-2479-6563, University of Strathclyde), Gavin Heron (0000-0002-2238-1532, University of Strathclyde) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Criminology & Criminal Justice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-8958 • E-ISSN: 1748-8966 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/17488958261453600 |
| OpenAlex | W7162940758 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 53 |
Effective and ethical risk assessment in criminal justice depends on practitioners’ critical thinking and professional curiosity, yet both are constrained by structural, relational and emotional pressures. The rapid proliferation of Large Language Models (LLMs) introduces new opportunities and challenges in probation practice. Drawing on data from 16 practitioners who participated in exploratory, interactive workshops, this study examined how practitioners engaged with ChatGPT when completing an actuarial risk assessment, and how these interactions influenced their critical thinking. Participants identified potential benefits, including reduced cognitive load through idea generation, support in articulating justifications, and assistance in structuring complex information. However, they also highlighted risks, particularly the potential for cognitive offloading, over‐reliance on AI outputs, and diminished critical scrutiny in contexts characterised by time pressure and uncertainty. The article discusses these preliminary findings in relation to wider debates on human–AI interaction and the conditions under which LLMs may augment, or undermine, professional judgement
Cognition · Criminal justice · Critical thinking · Scrutiny · Structuring · Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education · Deception detection and forensic psychology · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Human Factors and Ergonomics
Cognitive Offloading
Cognitive Load Measurement as a Means to Advance Cognitive Load Theory
Eliciting Self‐Explanations Improves Understanding
Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design
ChatGPT
Artificial Intelligence in Social Work
Cognitive Load Theory and the Format of Instruction
Confirmation Bias
AI-based chatbot interactions and critical thinking skills
From Theory to Practice
The influence of artificial intelligence within health-related risk work
Professionalism in Probation
AI Tools in Society
Risk and punishment
Criminogenic needs and the transformative risk subject
Exploring risk management in probation practice
Theorizing the Performative Effects of Penal Risk Technologies
Negotiated Risk
Theorising Social Work Sense-Making
What does professional curiosity mean to you?’
The Role of Uncertainty in Professionals’ Thinking about Children Who Harm Other People
Magic moments’
Social Work and Artificial Intelligence
Inclusion and Exclusion Through Risk-based Justice
Government and Control
The Role of Metalearning in Study Processes
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |