As AI Takes Over Thinking Tasks, Critical Thinking Becomes a Qualification

Artificial intelligence is increasingly taking over tasks that have traditionally been part of everyday professional work: researching information, conducting analyses, identifying connections, and preparing results. Yet these are precisely the activities through which people develop experience, critical thinking, and professional judgment.

The professional services firm PwC is responding to this development with a new certification program focused on critical thinking and human judgment [1][2][3]. Starting in December 2026, more than 85,000 professionals are expected to participate. The program will include training, individual assessments, and personalized simulations, with completion targeted for June 2027 [1].

PwC also plans to make its critical thinking framework available to universities beginning in 2027 [1].

Another indication of a post-generative present: As AI increasingly takes over foundational cognitive tasks, organizations are creating new ways to deliberately develop human capabilities that were previously strengthened through practical experience. Critical thinking is becoming not only more important, but also a skill to be explicitly trained, assessed, and certified.

Personal Statement

I find it remarkable that, at a time when AI is taking over more cognitive work, we are beginning to explicitly certify human thinking. Perhaps this development says less about our abilities than about how profoundly our understanding of human work is changing.