A Smarter Way to Work Together
There’s a quiet revolution happening — not just in the tech itself, but in how we use it. If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is replacing our thinking or helping it evolve, you’re not alone.
Educational researcher David Winter has mapped out a refreshing approach that treats AI tools not as magic wands or task robots, but as thinking partners that grow with us. And it’s a model I’ve come to live by, working with ChatGPT here on the DeeBeeAI Blog.
David Winter’s Four Levels of Thinking with AI
1) Thinking With AI – To Get the Job Done
At this starting point, AI is a workhorse. You give it a task (like “summarise this” or “give me ten ideas”) and judge the result. Then you tweak your prompt, try again, and learn as you go.
You’re not blindly trusting the output — you’re learning how your input shapes what you get. It’s interactive, iterative, and just the beginning.
Typical scenario: Drafting emails, brainstorming names, or summarising articles with AI support.
2) Thinking With AI – Mixing Minds
Now things get collaborative. You break a complex task into parts and ask: “Which bits am I better at, and which bits could AI handle more efficiently?”
Maybe you shape the argument and let AI clean up the grammar. Maybe you ask it to rephrase your own draft. You’re working together — each of you doing what you do best.
Typical scenario: Writing a blog post where you define the structure and ideas, and use AI to polish or expand sections.
What could be clearer? Is the tone consistent? What’s missing? You reflect, revise, and get better.
It’s not about replacing your effort — it’s about improving it through intelligent, reflective input.
Typical scenario: Editing a personal essay or report, guided by AI suggestions for improvement.
3) Thinking with AI – Ask, Listen and Improve
Here you take the lead. You create something first, then ask the AI to give you feedback.
What could be clearer? Is the tone consistent? What’s missing? You reflect, revise, and get better.
It’s not about replacing your effort — it’s about improving it through intelligent, reflective input.
Typical scenario: Editing a personal essay or report, guided by AI suggestions for improvement.
4) Thinking With AI – Let’s Talk About It
This is where things get really powerful. You bring a complex, messy, possibly unsolvable challenge to the AI and treat it like a thinking partner.
You explore perspectives, challenge each other, reframe the problem, and reflect. It’s a real dialogue — not about winning, but about understanding.
Typical scenario: Exploring ethical questions, creative dilemmas, or strategic decisions — using AI to spark fresh insight.
Why This Matters
Winter’s typology reminds us that thinking with AI isn’t just about productivity. It’s about reflection, growth, and confidence.
You stay in control. You learn how to direct the tool, where to trust it, and when to challenge it. Over time, your own thinking sharpens — and that’s the real win.
Final Thought
As AI tools become more powerful, the real challenge is not what they can do — but how we choose to work with them.
Winter’s framework gives us a roadmap — whether you’re just beginning or already deep in collaboration with your digital companion (as I am with ChatGPT). The goal isn’t efficiency alone. It’s mutual development — where human and AI both help each other think better.
Source:
Adapted from Nick Potkalitsky’s excellent summary of David Winter’s work:
Thinking with Tools: David Winter’s Typology of Assistive Tool Use
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