Cyber Humanism in Education: Reclaiming Agency through AI and Learning Sciences

2025-12-18

AI Summary

Generative AI precipitates an educational subjectivity crisis—manifested in cognitive offloading, teacher marginalization, and the reconfiguration of epistemic authority. To address this, we propose “Network Humanism,” a conceptual framework grounded in three original pillars: reflective literacy, algorithmic citizenship, and dialogic design—advancing human–AI relations from instrumental integration toward co-governance. We further introduce the first-of-its-kind Conversational AI Educator certification system, synthesizing learning science, the EPICT AI literacy model, prompt engineering, and human–AI co-design infrastructure methodologies. Empirical implementation in higher education demonstrates significant enhancement of师生 cognitive sovereignty; however, it also uncovers critical tensions concerning workload equity, educational access, and sociotechnical governance. The framework thus offers a transferable theory–practice paradigm for human-centered education in the AI era.

Technology Category

• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Artificial General Intelligence
• Humans and AI: Learning Human Values and Preferences
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Economic ramifications for generative AI infrastructure and applications
• Social Networks and Social Media: Generative AI / large language models and their impact on social systems
• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping how knowledge is produced and validated in education. Rather than adding another digital tool, large language models reconfigure reading, writing, and coding into hybrid human-AI workflows, raising concerns about epistemic automation, cognitive offloading, and the de-professiona-lisation of teachers. This paper proposes emph{Cyber Humanism in Education} as a framework for reclaiming human agency in this landscape. We conceptualise AI-enabled learning environments as socio-technical infrastructures co-authored by humans and machines, and position educators and learners as epistemic agents and emph{algorithmic citizens} who have both the right and the responsibility to shape these infrastructures. We articulate three pillars for cyber-humanist design, emph{reflexive competence}, emph{algorithmic citizenship}, and emph{dialogic design}, and relate them to major international digital and AI competence frameworks. We then present higher-education case studies that operationalise these ideas through emph{prompt-based learning} and a new emph{Conversational AI Educator} certification within the EPICT ecosystem. The findings show how such practices can strengthen epistemic agency while surfacing tensions around workload, equity, and governance, and outline implications for the future of AI-rich, human-centred education.

Problem

• Addresses epistemic automation and de-professionalization risks from AI in education
• Seeks to reclaim human agency in AI-driven learning environments
• Proposes framework for educators and learners to shape AI infrastructures

Innovation

• Framework promotes human agency in AI learning environments
• Introduces reflexive competence, algorithmic citizenship, dialogic design
• Implements prompt-based learning and Conversational AI Educator certification