Enhancing Transformative Thinking

The LDI enhances transformative thinking by cultivating curiosity and creativity in order to imagine new solutions and drive meaningful change.

Enhancing Transformative Thinking

Three questions help clarify why it is critical for organizations and communities to enhance transformative thinking today: 

  • Why must organizations strengthen transformative thinking now?
  • What human capabilities support curiosity, creativity, and independent judgment?
  • How can leaders use AI to drive innovation without weakening human thinking?
Category 1: Understanding the Transformative Thinking Challenge

Question

Why must organizations strengthen transformative thinking now?

These reports examine how reliance on generative AI may affect critical thinking, independent judgment, learning, memory, and the cognitive effort people apply to their work.

Sources

Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University

The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking

April 2025

Surveys 319 knowledge workers and finds that greater confidence in AI is associated with less critical-thinking effort, reinforcing the importance of verification, reflection, and independent judgment.

Open research paper 

RAND

More Students Use AI for Homework and Believe It Harms Critical Thinking

March 17, 2026

Reports that many students who use AI for schoolwork are concerned about its effects on their ability to think critically and develop knowledge independently.

Search the RAND website 

Tankelevitch et al.

Understanding, Protecting, and Augmenting Human Cognition with Generative AI

August 28, 2025

Synthesizes research on how generative AI affects metacognition, memory, critical thinking, and creativity while examining how technology can strengthen rather than diminish human thought.

Open research paper 

Lau et al.

Understanding Critical Thinking in Generative Artificial Intelligence Use

December 13, 2025

Develops and validates a framework focused on verification, motivation, reflection, responsible AI use, and the ability to judge the accuracy of AI-generated information.

Open research paper 

Category 2: Developing Human Creativity and Judgment

Question

What human capabilities support curiosity, creativity, and independent judgment?

These publications identify the human capabilities needed to question assumptions, evaluate information, generate original ideas, adapt to uncertainty, and develop solutions technology alone cannot produce.

Sources

Wang et al.

The Role of Human Creativity in the Presence of AI Creativity Tools at Work

February 7, 2025

Finds that AI can serve as a creative springboard, but human critique and editorial judgment remain essential for identifying errors and developing effective creative solutions.

Open research paper 

Liu, Schwarzenbach and Shi

Human Resilience in the AI Era: What Machines Cannot Replace

October 29, 2025

Defines resilience across psychological, social, and organizational dimensions and explains how these capabilities can preserve human agency in AI-mediated environments.

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Harvard Business Review

Soft Skills Matter Now More Than Ever, According to New Research

August 26, 2025

Explains why collaboration, adaptability, judgment, and other foundational human capabilities are becoming more valuable as technology reshapes technical work.

Read the HBR article 

Associated Press

The Skills People Still Perform Better Than AI, According to Workplace Experts

June 11, 2026

Highlights empathy, relationship building, critical thinking, ethical judgment, and contextual decision-making as durable human capabilities in AI-enabled workplaces.

Read the AP article 

Category 3: Using AI to Advance Innovation and Change

Question

How can leaders use AI to drive innovation without weakening human thinking?

These publications explore how leaders can combine AI with human creativity, critical thinking, experimentation, ethical reflection, and inclusive decision-making to generate new solutions and guide meaningful change.

Sources

Harvard Business Review

How Gen AI Could Transform Learning and Development

September 23, 2025

Explores how AI can support personalized development while increasing the importance of problem framing, collaboration, experimentation, creativity, and human-centered learning.

Read the HBR article 

World Economic Forum

Future of Jobs Report 2025: The Jobs of the Future and the Skills You Need to Get Them

January 8, 2025

Highlights creative thinking, curiosity, lifelong learning, resilience, flexibility, leadership, and analytical thinking as increasingly important workforce capabilities.

Read the article 

World Economic Forum

Future of Jobs Report 2025: 78 Million New Opportunities, but Urgent Upskilling Needed

January 7, 2025

Emphasizes that creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, collaboration, and cognitive skills will grow in importance alongside AI and technical literacy.

Read the article 

UNESCO

Digital Policy, Capacities and Inclusion

2025

Connects innovation with institutional capacity, ethical reflection, human rights, inclusive digital transformation, and the development of solutions responsive to societal needs.

Open the UNESCO resource