The essential skill: Critical thinking in the age of AI

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what skills will matter most as AI becomes more integrated into our work. The answer keeps coming back to critical thinking — but not the vague “think critically” advice we’ve all heard. I mean the actual, teachable skill of evaluating information, questioning assumptions, and making sound judgments.

Why now?

AI can generate reports, write code, and answer questions faster than any human. But it can also hallucinate facts, perpetuate biases, and give confident-sounding wrong answers. The differentiator isn’t who can generate content the fastest; it’s who can evaluate whether that content is accurate, relevant, and appropriate.

Where critical thinking shows up in TA:

• Evaluating AI-generated candidate summaries for bias or missing context

• Questioning whether a “culture fit” assessment is actually measuring fit or just similarity

• Analyzing whether your sourcing strategy is actually reaching diverse talent or just replicating your existing team

• Determining when to trust data and when to trust human judgment

How to develop it:

• The Foundation for Critical Thinking (criticalthinking.org) offers free resources and mini-guides on specific aspects of critical thinking

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman explores how our brains naturally take shortcuts and helps you recognize when to slow down and think more carefully

• Try this quick exercise: The next time you’re reviewing AI-generated content (a resume summary, a candidate evaluation, a job description), ask:

1. What assumptions is this making?

2. What information might be missing?

3. If this conclusion is wrong, what evidence would show that?

4. What alternative explanations exist?

The bottom line:

Critical thinking is about being thorough, not negative or suspicious. In an age where AI can generate plausible-sounding content instantly, the ability to evaluate quality, spot gaps, and question assumptions becomes your most valuable skill. The good news? Unlike technical skills that become obsolete, critical thinking only becomes more valuable as technology advances.