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The Transformation of Epistemic Agency and Governance in Higher Education Through Large Language Models: Toward a future of organized immaturity

Why and how does the use of large language models (LLMs) transform epistemic agency and epistemic governance in higher education (HE), and why can this transformation usher organized immaturity as a new organizing principle for HE? Asking these questions now matters because (i) the profound impact of LLMs on epistemic agency and governance in HE has not been adequately scrutinized by theorists of organizations and HE to date and (ii) LLMs represent an epistemic technology that fundamentally alters who produces k…

By the Truvace desk2 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-1191· cite & verify
The Transformation of Epistemic Agency and Governance in Higher Education Through Large Language Models: Toward a future of organized immaturity
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In brief

This peer-reviewed theory paper from October 2025 asks why and how large language models transform epistemic agency and epistemic governance in higher education. It argues LLMs function as an epistemic technology that changes who produces knowledge and how research and education operate, driven by Big EdTech and subsequent institutional adoption that rewrites governance rules in favor of industry actors.

The stakes are framed as a move toward organized immaturity as a new organizing principle for higher education, eroding the Humboldtian ideal of academic freedom and integrated research-education for democratic deliberation. What remains uncertain is the empirical extent and variation of this transformation across institutions, which the authors note has not been adequately scrutinized to date and requires further research and immediate corrective action.

Main points

  1. Paper frames LLMs as an epistemic technology that alters who produces knowledge, how it is produced through research, disseminated through education, and what kind of knowledge is produced.
  2. Transformation is driven first by Big EdTech activities and second by institutional responses that adopt and legitimize LLMs.
  3. Authors argue epistemic agency shifts from active production to consumption, with governance rules rewritten to favor Big EdTech.
  4. This shift is theorized to usher in organized immaturity as a new organizing principle, undermining the Humboldtian ideal of integrating research, education, and academic freedom.

The problem

Widespread adoption and legitimization of LLMs in higher education research and education rewrites epistemic governance to favor Big EdTech, turning epistemic agents into epistemic consumers and undermining academic freedom and holistic knowledge needed for democratic deliberation.

The rundown

The analysis centers on higher education as both a research and teaching institution, arguing LLMs change knowledge production, dissemination, and type. The mechanism described is two-stage: Big EdTech firms drive deployment, then universities legitimize use, which collectively rewrites governance rules.

The authors link this to a normative shift away from the Humboldtian model that ties intellectual development of reason and holistic knowledge to social deliberation in democracies. They call for corrective action to enlarge control over epistemic agency and governance and outline future research avenues.

Sources

  1. Peer-reviewedOrganization Studies2025-10-15

The debate