The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Promoting Information Independence and Critical Thinking Among Final Year Students

The presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education has transformed how students access, evaluate, and manage academic information. This article examines the impact of AI use on information self-reliance and critical thinking skills among students of the Faculty of Sharia at UIN Imam Bonjol Padang. Using a quantitative approach with 120 purposively selected respondents, the study assessed six key indicators related to students’ interaction with AI technologies. The findings reveal that although tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are actively utilized to support academic work, their use remains moderate. AI is considered effective in organizing information, but it does not necessarily enhance critical thinking skills. Correlation and regression tests show a positive and significant relationship between AI usage intensity and students’ critical thinking autonomy, with a contribution of 16.9%. These results underscore the importance of integrating critical information literacy in AI use, and highlight the strategic role of academic libraries as value-based digital literacy facilitators in Islamic higher education settings.