Better answers, broader thinking: What students gain from ChatGPT and critical-thinking training

A Bocconi University experiment with over 1,000 first-year undergraduates explored the impact of ChatGPT and critical thinking training on practical assignments. Students developed marketing proposals for a university merchandise store. The findings indicate that AI, specifically ChatGPT, helped students improve the quality of their answers, while critical thinking training broadened their perspectives. This suggests a complementary role for both AI and critical thinking training in preparing students for future challenges.

This study is among the first to quantify how AI tools like ChatGPT, combined with critical thinking training, specifically impact both answer quality and breadth of ideas in a large-scale university setting.