AI's Grip on Epistemic Dependence

Researchers have found that relying on artificial intelligence (AI) for learning can either be beneficial or detrimental to students' understanding and judgment of knowledge. While AI can provide helpful explanations and feedback, excessive reliance on it can hinder critical thinking skills and lead to a lack of epistemic agency - the ability to question, verify, and take responsibility for one's own knowledge claims. The study identifies four potential pitfalls: over-reliance on AI authority, opaque synthesis, frictionless delegation, and institutionalised dependence, which can affect students' understanding, uncertainty tolerance, and epistemic justice.