The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in workplaces has led to a surge in training programs focused on teaching employees how to use AI tools. However, experts warn that this may not be enough to fully harness the potential of AI. According to Omagbitse Barrow, CEO of Efiko Management Consulting, organisations must also invest in developing critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making skills in their employees. This is because AI can amplify both good and bad decision-making, depending on the capabilities of the person using it.
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies AI and big data as the fastest-growing skills, but also highlights the importance of analytical thinking and creative thinking. Employers recognise that technological capability and human thinking capability are equally essential for the future of work. Critical thinking enables individuals to interrogate information, question assumptions, and evaluate evidence, which is particularly important when using AI-generated information that may be incomplete or incorrect.
A recent study by Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University found that people who are more confident in AI tend to exert less critical thinking effort when using it. The study also noted that AI changes the nature of critical thinking, placing greater emphasis on verifying information, integrating responses, and maintaining oversight of tasks. This presents organisations with a paradox: AI can enhance human capability, but over-reliance on it may weaken critical thinking skills.
Organisations that adopt AI must make deliberate investments in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Critical thinking involves questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, and recognising bias. Creative problem-solving enables individuals to reframe challenges, connect unrelated ideas, and generate alternatives. Decision-making involves exercising judgement, considering context, trade-offs, and uncertainty. These skills form the foundation for innovation and cannot be compensated for by AI alone.
The importance of these skills cannot be overstated. When using AI to solve business problems, it is the human being who must determine whether the problem has been correctly defined, question assumptions, and recognise missing information. AI can provide information, identify patterns, and recommend options, but ultimately, someone must exercise judgement. As AI gives managers access to more information and alternatives, the capacity to make disciplined decisions may become more important, not less.
The implications for learning and development are significant. While AI training programs are necessary, they must be complemented by training in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making. Organisations must ask themselves what they are doing to strengthen the thinking capabilities that underpin AI use. This may involve deliberately teaching critical thinking, structuring and diagnosing problems, and training managers in disciplined decision-making techniques.
Ultimately, organisations that gain the greatest advantage from AI may be those that combine powerful technology with people who know how to think. Teaching employees to use AI is important, but it is not enough. Organisations must invest in human intelligence, specifically critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making skills, to maximise the benefits of AI and produce better innovation, better decisions, and ultimately better results.
Key points
- Organisations must invest in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making skills to maximise AI benefits.
