Teaching critical thinking in the age of AI

On 26 March 2025, education stakeholders gathered in Brussels for an evening of thought-provoking discussion at the EduCafé panel discussion “Teaching Critical Thinking in the Age of AI.” Organised jointly by the Czech Liaison Office for Education and Research in Brussels (CZELO), the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) and the Swiss Contact Office For Research And Higher Education (SwissCore), the event offered a unique space to reflect on how artificial intelligence is transforming teaching and learning, and what this means for critical thinking, ethics, and policy in European education.

Moderated by Angeliki Psychogyiou from ACA, the panel brought together two experts: Simona Petkova, Policy Officer at the Digital Education Unit of the European Commission’s DG EAC, and Edouard Lamboray, Technology Expert at Educa in Switzerland. The speakers explored a range of pressing questions, from how AI is currently shaping classroom practices to how policy frameworks such as the EU’s Digital Education Action Plan and the AI Act aim to balance innovation with ethical safeguards.

Discussions were structured in three focused rounds:

AI’s Role in Education considered the widespread use of AI tools like ChatGPT and what this means for educators, students, and institutions.
Critical Thinking in the AI Age examined how AI literacy and disinformation resilience can be embedded in education systems, including insights from both EU and Swiss contexts.
Regulatory Frameworks and Ethical Use of AI addressed the importance of aligning AI-powered educational tools with European values such as transparency and accountability.

The interactive format allowed attendees to engage directly with the speakers during a lively Q&A session, followed by informal networking. Participants left with a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges AI presents, and the shared responsibility of educators, policymakers, and developers to ensure that AI supports, rather than undermines, independent reasoning and critical engagement.