["Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Volume 42, Issue 3, June 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\n\nBackground\nOver the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been both transformative and disruptive, impacting various facets of English teaching and learning. AI chatbots, in particular, have opened up new possibilities for interactive language instruction and personalised language learning. However, little is known about how AI chatbots can empower critical thinking (CT), particularly among English majors.\n\n\nObjectives\nTo address this gap, this study used a sample of 40 English majors from a university in Macau as research participants.\n\n\nMethods\nThe sample participated in semi‐structured individual interviews, and the study employed qualitative thematic analysis to analyse the data.\n\n\nResults and Conclusions\nResults suggested that teacher guidance and guidelines as well as independent thinking were two possible precursors to AI chatbot‐empowered CT. The results also indicated that contrastive analysis, critical evaluation, collaborative critique, context‐specific applications of AI chatbots, and exposure to multiple perspectives were mechanisms for AI chatbot‐empowered CT. Integrating these findings with extant scholarship, this study constructed a framework for AI chatbot‐empowered CT, providing insights on how AI chatbots can foster students' CT. This framework contributes to the growing discourse on AI in education and constitutes a valuable reference for both researchers and practitioners seeking to integrate AI chatbots into the classroom for CT cultivation purposes.\n\n"]