Dear Students, As we continue our work in Critical Thinking and Becoming an Intellectual, I want to remind you of something essential: becoming an intellectual is not about sounding smart. It is about learning how to think carefully, question honestly, read deeply, argue fairly, and revise your views when better evidence appears. That skill is becoming more important every month. We are living in a moment when artificial intelligence, social media, synthetic images, algorithmic feeds, and information overload are reshaping how people learn, argue, believe, and decide. The 2026 Stanford AI Index reports that generative AI is now widely used in education and that AI capability continues to accelerate, making human judgment more—not less—important. Pew Research Center’s 2026 report on teens and AI also shows that many students are already using AI tools for schoolwork, while still facing uncertainty about what counts as learning, what counts as cheating, and what counts as responsible use. This is why your development as thinkers matters so much. A serious intellectual does not simply collect information. A serious intellectual asks: What is the claim? What is the evidence? What assumptions are being made? What might be missing? Who benefits if I believe this? What would change my mind? These questions are not academic decorations. They are survival tools for the modern world. Recent research is also warning us about the danger of mental outsourcing. RAND reported in March 2026 that student use of AI for homework rose during 2025, while many students also worried that AI use may harm their critical thinking. Microsoft Research’s 2025 work on generative AI and critical thinking found that confidence in AI can be associated with reduced critical thinking effort, while greater self-confidence is associated with more critical engagement. The lesson is not “never use AI.” The lesson is: do not let any tool think for you before you have learned how to think for yourself. Our standard will be higher than convenience.

In case you missed this.

Tomorrow evening, we'll hold another session. So much to talk about in regards to critical thinking, intellectualism and more. Hope to see you there.

Next week the Israeli Forum for Intelligence Studies (IFIS) will hold its monthly online meeting, with Dr. Charles M. Russo, PhD, Lecturer in Columbia Southern University. Dr Russo will present "Analytic Integrity Under Pressure: Lessons from the Iran Conflict for Intelligence Analysis" 🗓️ Monday, March 30, at 11 am EST / 17 pm CET https://huji.zoom.us/j/85125143086?pwd=AYx7Ilr0XocIfDShWtqbEaefd2REis.1 Become a friend of IFIS here https://www.ifis.co.il/

Something new is coming. Over the next two weeks, I’ll be publishing a four-part series for my Substack subscribers focused on critical thinking, intelligence analysis, analytic integrity, and the growing pressure that AI, misinformation, and information overload are placing on sound judgment. This series is built for those who care about disciplined reasoning in serious work—educators, analysts, leaders, students, and professionals who understand that speed is not wisdom and access to information is not the same as understanding. The essays will tackle four timely issues:how AI may be making bad analysis easier,why verification has become one of the most important skills of our time,why critical thinking is increasingly a civic and national security necessity,and why analytic integrity remains the trait we cannot afford to lose. I have long argued that clear thinking is not a luxury. It is a professional obligation and, increasingly, a public necessity. If that resonates with you, I invite you to subscribe and follow the series as it rolls out. We do not need more noise.We need more disciplined thought. #CriticalThinking #IntelligenceAnalysis #AI #Leadership #Education #AnalyticIntegrity #Substack #Misinformation #NationalSecurity https://drcharlesmrusso.substack.com/