The Impact of Artificial Intelligence On Students^ Thinking Skills In Indonesian Higher Education
Adhi Susilo

Universitas Terbuka

Abstract

Across the updated literature, AI shows the strongest positive association with higher-order learning when it is embedded in structured, dialogic, and reflective pedagogies rather than used as a shortcut for answer production. Recent empirical studies and reviews indicate that scaffolded human-AI collaboration can improve critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and idea generation, especially when students must justify prompts, compare alternatives, evaluate evidence, and revise outputs. However, the same literature also documents clear risks: passive dependence on generative AI, cognitive offloading, fatigue, reduced evaluative depth, and homogenization of written or creative products. Indonesia-specific studies suggest rapid uptake and substantial student readiness, yet the local evidence base remains thinner and methodologically less mature than the surrounding policy discourse. The central conclusion of the revised review is that the educational impact of AI is not determined by tool adoption alone but by pedagogical framing, assessment redesign, AI literacy, and equitable institutional governance. The manuscript therefore recommends moving from permissive or prohibitive approaches toward responsible, higher-order, human-centered AI integration in Indonesian higher education.

Keywords: artificial intelligence- critical thinking- problem-solving- creativity- analytical reasoning- higher education- Indonesia- systematic literature review- PRISMA- cognitive skills

Topic: AI for Learning