From Academic Freedom To Algorithmic Agency: Knowledge Governance In Ai-Enhanced Education

Abstract

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational systems is reshaping how knowledge is produced, curated, and transmitted. This paper examines the evolving dynamics of knowledge governance in AI-enhanced education, focusing on the tension between traditional ideals of academic freedom and the emerging concept of algorithmic agency. Through a multidisciplinary lens combining educational theory, data ethics, and digital sociology, the study explores how algorithmic decision-making—embedded in adaptive learning systems, automated assessment tools, and data-driven administrative processes—redefines authority and autonomy within academic institutions. The analysis highlights both the emancipatory potential of AI in democratizing access to learning and the risks of epistemic enclosure through opaque algorithmic governance. Ultimately, the paper argues for a reconfiguration of educational policy and practice that safeguards human judgment and collective deliberation while embracing the generative capacities of AI. This framework for ethical knowledge governance underscores the need to balance innovation with accountability in the era of algorithmically mediated education.

Keywords:    Academic freedom; algorithmic agency; knowledge governance; AI in education; educational ethics; digital pedagogy; epistemic justice.