Over-Reliance on Generative AI and Its Impact on Critical Thinking and Learning Outcomes among Management Students: Evidence from Jodhpur

Abstract

The rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Copilot has fundamentally transformed learning practices in higher education. These tools enable students to generate text, solve problems, summarise complex material, and complete academic tasks with unprecedented speed and convenience. While generative AI offers significant benefits in terms of efficiency, accessibility, and personalised learning support, growing concerns have emerged regarding students’ over-reliance on AI and its potential impact on higher-order cognitive skills. In particular, educators and researchers have raised alarms about whether habitual dependence on AI may weaken students’ capacity for independent thinking, analytical reasoning, and deep learning. In this scenario, the current research investigates how generative AI use depends on critical thinking ability and its subsequent effect on learning outcomes among management students in the Jodhpur region of India. Following the cross-sectional design, a quantitative web survey was conducted among 390 management students in various courses such as BBA, MBA, PGDM, and Executive MBA. Two hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression analysis. The findings indicate that AI reliance has a strong, statistically significant negative impact on learners’ critical thinking skills (β = –0.869, p < .001), with an adjusted R2 of 74.2%. Additionally, there is a strong and statistically significant positive impact of critical thinking on learning performance (β = 0.729, p < 0.001, 55.1% of the variance). Collectively, the results show a direct causal link between reliance on generative AI and reduced critical thinking, which, in turn, reduces learning. The paper empirically contributes to the emergent literature on AI in education and provides a timely warning about the importance of an academically informed, ethical, and balanced deployment of generative AI within management education that prioritises cognitive development over technological efficiency.