Abstract
The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence is transforming university educational practices, as more and more students are turning to language models to resolve doubts, understand concepts, or receive feedback, partially displacing traditional dialogue with professors and peers. This raises an epistemological question: do these interactions promote knowledge construction or merely facilitate information management? From a philosophical perspective, this paper examines the extent to which the responses of artificial intelligence systems can be considered knowledge. While their capacity to process and organize information is undeniable, this work argues that their contributions lack the levels of justification, contextualization, and social relevance that characterize human knowledge. In this context, two forms of knowledge appear to coexist: one validated by the subject’s consciousness and experience, and another of a synthetic and probabilistic nature, generated by algorithms. The latter produces real effects without reflective mediation, forcing us to revise our conceptions of intelligence, learning, and language at a historical moment when the latter is no longer the exclusive domain of humankind. The analysis is based on a dialogue between the classical conceptions of truth and justification of Plato and Aristotle, and the modern perspectives of Popper, Kuhn, and Lakatos. From this contrast, the epistemological limits of generative systems and their influence on the construction and legitimation of academic knowledge are examined.
Presenters
Rodrigo GutiérrezStudent, Master, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile José Luis Carrasco
Professor and Researcher, Departamento de Electrónica e Informática, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Bío-Bío, Chile
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Human-Centered AI Transformations
KEYWORDS
Epistemology, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Tutors, Higher Education
