AI as a Thinking Partner

Overview

Artificial Intelligence is more than a tool for automation—it can be a powerful collaborator in the thinking process itself. This hands-on, interdisciplinary course moves far beyond basic prompting to explore how we can engage Large Language Models (LLMs) as genuine thinking partners.

You will learn a structured framework for dialogue that treats AI not as an oracle, but as a proactive sounding board, a devil's advocate, and a creative instigator. We will cover core techniques such as Socratic questioning, iterative refinement, perspective-switching, and intellectual scaffolding.

Through practical exercises and real-world projects, you'll apply these methods to areas like brainstorming research questions, deconstructing complex problems, refining written arguments, and exploring ethical dilemmas.

Syllabus

• Shift from AI as an information tool to a cognitive collaborator.
• Use structured dialogue patterns to guide productive AI thinking sessions.
• Break ambiguous challenges into parts with AI to explore pathways.
• Leverage AI for divergent brainstorming and rigorous argument stress-testing.
• Identify both AI's limitations and your own biases in reasoning.
• Integrate AI into personal workflows for writing, research, and strategy.
• Understand when to trust AI contributions and when human judgment reigns.

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Subjects

Artificial Intelligence