ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CRITICAL THINKING: PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDENT EDUCATION
Abstract
The rapid advancement of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), has brought about substantial transformations in the ways knowledge is produced, circulated, and validated in contemporary society. In the educational field, these changes call for reflection on the role of schooling in shaping students capable of critically interpreting information, evaluating sources of knowledge, and developing complex cognitive competencies amid an information-saturated environment increasingly mediated by technology. This study critically examines the implications of artificial intelligence for the development of critical thinking in basic education, considering both the pedagogical possibilities offered by these technologies and the challenges associated with their use in school environments. The research is characterized as qualitative and bibliographic in nature, developed through a systematic review of scientific literature on artificial intelligence in education, critical thinking, and pedagogical innovation. The analysis reveals that AI-based tools can expand access to information, support personalized learning practices, and foster investigative processes that stimulate reflection and argumentation. However, risks are also identified relating to overreliance on automated systems, the reproduction of algorithmic biases, and the reduction of cognitive effort in knowledge construction. The study concludes that integrating AI into basic education requires pedagogical approaches that prioritize critical thinking, intellectual autonomy, and reflective analysis, ensuring that digital technologies serve as learning support tools rather than replacements for the active process of knowledge construction.
Author Biographies
Postgraduate in: Professional Education in the Health Area (ENSP/Fiocruz); Special Education, Inclusive Education and High Abilities (Uniguaçu); Inclusive Education, Special Education and Inclusion Policies (FI); Special and Inclusive Education, Institutional and Clinical Neuropsychopedagogy; Education (FI), Development and Educational Policies (CINTEP); Teaching of Religious Education (UniBF).
PhD candidate and Master’s degree holder in Electrical Engineering. Specialist in areas of Education and those related to Electrical Engineering. Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and teaching degrees in Mathematics, Physics, Pedagogy, and Teacher Training for Professional and Technological Education (EPT). Former undergraduate research (IC) student, worked as a teacher in Basic, Technical and Technological Education (EBTT), and participated in several R&D projects. Currently, works as a researcher and PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering.
PhD in Materials Science from Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, postgraduate degree in Occupational Safety Engineering from Instituto Federal de Ciências e Tecnologia de Pernambuco, Caruaru campus, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Centro Universitário Vale do Ipojuca.
Master’s degree in Emerging Technologies in Education from MUST University, Deerfield Beach, Florida, USA. Teacher in the municipal school system of São Borja (E.M.E.F. Neith Aragon Motta) and in the state school system of Rio Grande do Sul (E.E.E.M. Apparicio Silva Rillo).
Holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine (2004) and a Master’s degree in Veterinary Sciences (2006) from Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA). Currently a PhD candidate in Food Science at Universidade Federal de Lavras, working in the field of meat science and technology. Her research focuses mainly on pork meat anomalies, with emphasis on evaluation, prediction, and effects on the production of cooked ham. In addition, she is a licensed professor from Universidade Vale do Rio Verde, with interests in active learning methodologies, the use of educational games, and studies on artificial intelligence applied to education.
PhD in Gerontology from Universidade Católica de Brasília; Master’s degree in Adult and Child Health from Universidade Federal do Maranhão; Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from Faculdade Santa Terezinha and teaching degree in Physical Education from Universidade Ceuma. Associate Professor in the Physical Education Teacher Education Program at Universidade Federal do Norte do Tocantins, at the Center for Education, Humanities and Health, in Tocantinópolis.
Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Universidade Federal do Pará; specialist in School Management and Coordination from Intervale; Bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy from Intervale and in Physics from Universidade Federal do Pará. Currently a PhD student in the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering (PPGEE) at Universidade Federal do Pará.
Master’s student in Biotechnology at Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Sobral Campus. Holds a teaching degree in Chemistry from Centro Universitário Uniúnica. Postgraduate student in Higher Education Teaching at UNIASSELVI. Holds a postgraduate degree in Environmental Management and Education from UNIASSELVI. Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú.
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