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Understanding, Protecting, and Augmenting Human Cognition with Generative AI: A Synthesis of the CHI 2025 Tools for Thought Workshop

Authors
Lev Tankelevitch,
Elena L. Glassman,
Jessica He,
Aniket Kittur,
Mina Lee,
Srishti Palani,
Advait Sarkar,
Gonzalo Ramos,
Yvonne Rogers,
Hari Subramonyam
Date
Publisher
arXiv
Link
http://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.21036v1
Generative AI (GenAI) radically expands the scope and capability of automation for work, education, and everyday tasks, a transformation posing both risks and opportunities for human cognition. How will human cognition change, and what opportunities are there for GenAI to augment it? Which theories, metrics, and other tools are needed to address these questions? The CHI 2025 workshop on Tools for Thought aimed to bridge an emerging science of how the use of GenAI affects human thought, from metacognition to critical thinking, memory, and creativity, with an emerging design practice for building GenAI tools that both protect and augment human thought. Fifty-six researchers, designers, and thinkers from across disciplines as well as industry and academia, along with 34 papers and portfolios, seeded a day of discussion, ideation, and community-building. We synthesize this material here to begin mapping the space of research and design opportunities and to catalyze a multidisciplinary community around this pressing area of research.
Study at a glance
  • Question: How will generative AI change human cognition, and how can tools protect and augment human thought?
  • Setting and data: CHI 2025 workshop with 56 researchers, designers, and thinkers from academia and industry, and 34 papers and portfolios.
  • Method: Synthesis of workshop discussions, ideation, and submitted papers and portfolios.
Why it matters

Generative AI radically expands automation in work and education, posing risks and opportunities for human cognition. New theories, metrics, and tools are needed to understand how AI affects human thought and to protect and augment it.

Key findings
  • Across 34 papers examined by 56 cross-disciplinary experts, generative AI radically expands automation in education, posing both risks and opportunities for human cognition.
  • Generative AI use affects fundamental dimensions of human thought, including metacognition, critical thinking, memory, and creativity.
  • Generative AI systems can be designed to both protect and augment human thought across everyday tasks.

Summary drafted with AI from the paper’s abstract and may contain errors. See the full paper for details.

What is the application?
Teaching – Instructional Materials,
Teaching – Professional Learning,
Learning – Student Support
Who is the user?
Student
Who age?
Post-Secondary,
Adult
Why use AI?
Outcomes – Social Emotional,
Outcomes – Durable Skills
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