If I could be more informed about any single topic, it would be critical thinking. In a world overflowing with information, opinions, and competing narratives, the ability to question assumptions, weigh evidence, and arrive at well-reasoned conclusions has never been more important. Critical thinking is not just an academic skill—it’s a way of navigating life with clarity, humility, and resilience.
But critical thinking doesn’t grow by accident. It needs practice, partners, and the right kind of tools. Traditionally, this has come through reading widely, discussing ideas, and testing arguments in conversation. Those habits remain essential. Yet we also live in a time when new resources can extend our capacity to think deeply.
Take artificial intelligence, for example. AI is not a replacement for human reasoning—it often gets things wrong and sometimes even invents information. But it can play a useful supporting role. Used well, AI can act as a curator of perspectives, pulling together a wide range of ideas that students can then analyse and evaluate. It can also function as a debate partner, generating counterarguments that force us to strengthen our own reasoning. In the university setting, this could help students go beyond shortcuts or surface answers, and instead build the intellectual stamina to test ideas thoroughly.
In the end, though, the goal is to become better thinkers. AI is just one tool in a broader toolkit that includes conversation, reflection, research, and the habit of curiosity. What I want to be more informed about is how all of these can work together to help us grow in the art of critical thinking: not just absorbing knowledge, but learning to handle it wisely.
The Afterword 
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