Experts stress role of critical thinking in education

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms education and the workplace, college students must master new skills to thrive in a world increasingly driven by intelligent machines, experts said on Thursday during the ongoing 2025 World Digital Education Conference in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Jacques Fremont, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ottawa, called AI a "double-edged sword" that challenges educators to ensure students retain the ability to think independently.

"If people stop thinking for themselves and always rely on machine-generated knowledge, they will not learn how to think," he said.