Reconfiguring Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Critical Theoretical Inquiry into Pedagogy, Knowledge, and Human Agency

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  • Oumaima AlyassiniCadi Ayyad University image/svg+xml
  • Fatima Zahra TouzaniCadi Ayyad University image/svg+xml
  • Rachid Iseksioui ORCIDCadi Ayyad University image/svg+xml
PDF (backup copy)Official version on IMISTDOI
Journal
Confluence Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (e-ISSN 3085-5411)
Issue
Vol. 2 No. 4 (2026): Artificial Intelligence in Education
Section
Articles
Pages
1-20
Published
30 October 2026
DOI
https://doi.org/10.34874/PRSM.cjms-vol2iss4.10720
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Copyright (c) 2026 Oumaima Alyassini, Fatima Zahra Touzani, Rachid Iseksioui

Abstract

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational systems has generated both enthusiasm and unease, often framed through instrumental narratives of efficiency, personalization, and innovation. However, such perspectives risk overlooking the deeper epistemological, pedagogical, and political transformations that AI introduces into the field of education. This article offers a critical theoretical examination of the future of education in the age of AI, arguing that AI is not merely a technological enhancement but a restructuring force that redefines the conditions of knowledge production, learner subjectivity, pedagogical authority, and institutional governance. Drawing on contemporary scholarship in educational theory, critical data studies, and digital sociology, the article interrogates how AI reconfigures key educational concepts such as learning, assessment, literacy, and expertise. It further examines the tensions between personalization and standardization, automation and human agency, and datafication and ethical responsibility. While acknowledging the transformative potential of AI in expanding access and supporting adaptive learning, the article contends that its uncritical adoption risks reinforcing technocratic models of education, algorithmic inequality, and epistemic dependency. The study concludes by articulating a set of human-centered principles for AI integration, grounded in critical pedagogy, ethical reflexivity, and the preservation of education as a space of intellectual and social formation rather than mere performance optimization.

Keywords

AI LiteracyArtificial IntelligenceCritical PedagogyUniversity StudentsDataficationDigital SociologyEducational Theory

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