Epistemic Fragility in the Age of Generative AI: How AI-Assisted Learning Reshapes Students’ Understanding of Knowledge and Truth

The advent of generative artificial intelligence systems within educational frameworks has catalyzed a profound transformation in students’ comprehension of knowledge, veracity, and epistemic authority.This study examines the theme of epistemic sensitivity—the declining skill of students to thoughtfully critiquesources, back up their opinions, and exhibit intellectual humility when encountering confident, coherent AIcreated content. Utilizing empirical research, philosophical paradigms, and classroom ethnographic studies,we analyze three mechanisms through which AI-enhanced learning undermines epistemic agency: the deterioration of justification standards due to automation bias, the redirection of human epistemic authority towards algorithmic proxies, and the absorption of an implicit curriculum that favors certainty over ambiguityand expedience over contemplation. We reveal that the vulnerability in our understanding extends past trivial instructional challenges and constitutes a notable danger to fostering critical analysis, intellectual humility,and democratic participation. We advocate for a framework of epistemic resilience—anchored in reflectivepedagogy, critical AI literacy, and the reinstatement of teacher authority—to mitigate these challenges. Ourconclusions carry significant ramifications for curriculum development, assessment methodologies, educatorprofessional growth, and institutional policies regarding AI incorporation in educational settings.