The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has continued to pose a challenge to critical thinking among students. The study assessed the effect of artificial intelligence usage on critical thinking skills among undergraduates of Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi. It specifically determined the level of awareness of artificial intelligence tools among the students, examined the forms of artificial intelligence tools used, analyzed the influence of artificial intelligence usage on critical thinking abilities, and evaluated the overall effects of AI on critical thinking skills. The study adopted a mixed-methods survey research design, utilizing a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions as instruments for data collection.

Data were collected from 392 respondents and analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. Findings revealed high awareness of AI tools (81.6%), primarily through informal sources such as peers and social media, with predominant usage of tools like ChatGPT (38.3%), Grammarly (21.2%), and QuillBot (11.5%) at frequent rates exceeding 60%. While many students perceived AI as enhancing topic understanding, idea generation, and creativity, a notable proportion reported reduced personal reasoning, diminished thinking effort, and long-term weakening of thinking skills (40.8%). The study concludes that AI in spite its benefits encouraged the culture of laziness and impedes critical thinking culture among students.

Based on these findings, the study recommends the development of institutional policies on responsible AI use, integration of compulsory AI-literacy modules, redesign of assessments to prioritize independent reasoning, and organization of critical thinking workshops as key measures to mitigate cognitive offloading and preserve critical thinking skills among undergraduate students at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi.