Artificial intelligence encounters of the generative kind: Rethinking knowledge,ethics,and research

Abstract

This editorial introduces a special issue featuring 31 contributions that explore the intersections between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and adjacent fields, including education, healthcare, library and information science, organizational development, psychology, agriculture, and cultural studies. These represent a wide range of theoretical, methodological, applied, and socially engaged perspectives, organized into five thematic sections: (1) libraries, archives, and information professionals; (2) users; (3) researchers and implications for training researchers; (4) education and learning; and (5) organizations, other implementations and development. In addition to summarizing the key insights of the included articles, I reflect on my unexpected journey into AI-related research and conferences to provide additional comments. This special issue also forms part of that ongoing engagement. My reflections are structured into six overarching themes: (1) the main contributions of the articles in this special issue; (2) trust, adoption, and the transformation of human–AI ecosystems; (3) AI in education; (4) AI and literacies; (5) ethics, hallucinations, and academic integrity; and (6) perspectives for future research on AI. As a conclusion, I outline four possible scenarios for AI's near future: regulated and human-centered AI ecosystems; localized AI for development and inclusion; embedded AI in learning and knowledge; and unregulated acceleration and social fragmentation. These reflections aim to provide a guide to the special issue and can be helpful for researchers, practitioners, and institutions navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape.