[2603.19634] MetaCues: Enabling Critical Engagement with Generative AI for Information Seeking and Sensemaking

Computer Science > Human-Computer Interaction arXiv:2603.19634 (cs) [Submitted on 20 Mar 2026] Title:MetaCues: Enabling Critical Engagement with Generative AI for Information Seeking and Sensemaking Authors:Anjali Singh, Karan Taneja, Zhitong Guan, Soo Young Rieh View a PDF of the paper titled MetaCues: Enabling Critical Engagement with Generative AI for Information Seeking and Sensemaking, by Anjali Singh and 2 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Generative AI (GenAI) search tools are increasingly used for information seeking, yet their design tends to encourage cognitive offloading, which may lead to passive engagement, selective attention, and informational homogenization. Effective use requires metacognitive engagement to craft good prompts, verify AI outputs, and critically engage with information. We developed MetaCues, a novel GenAI-based interactive tool for information seeking that delivers metacognitive cues alongside AI responses and a note-taking interface to guide users' search and associated learning. Through an online study (N = 146), we compared MetaCues to a baseline tool without cues, across two broad search topics that required participants to explore diverse perspectives in order to make informed judgments. Preliminary findings regarding participants' search behavior show that MetaCues leads to increased confidence in attitudinal judgments about the search topic as well as broader inquiry, with the latter effect emerging primarily for th...