An Assessment of Human–AI Interaction Capability in the Generative AI Era: The Influence of Critical Thinking

(1) Background: In the era of generative AI (GenAI), assessing AI literacy is essential for understanding how effectively non-expert users can interact with AI. However, existing assessment tools primarily focus on users' understanding of AI principles or rely on self-reported scales, neglecting critical thinking and actual interaction capabilities. To address this gap, this study aims to design and validate evaluation indicators targeting the behavioral process of human-GenAI interactions and analyze the impact of critical thinking. (2) Methods: Grounded in information literacy and critical thinking frameworks, this study operationalized human-AI interaction capabilities into behavioral indicators and rubrics through observation, surveys, and pilot studies. Data were collected from 121 undergraduates completing two real-world tasks with GenAI, and their interaction processes were documented and evaluated. (3) Results: The indicators showed acceptable inter-rater and internal consistency reliability. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed a three-dimensional structure. Further analysis showed that interaction capabilities varied across gender, academic background, AIGC use frequency, critical thinking disposition levels, and question chain logic. (4) Conclusions: The developed evaluation indicators are reliable and valid. Further analysis reveals that a high critical thinking disposition can offset the disadvantage of lower usage frequency. This highlights the significance of critical thinking in enhancing human-GenAI interaction capabilities.