The Future of Education
The Death of the Academic Author? How AI Is Redefining Who Thinks, Who Writes, and Who Evaluates
Luciano Henrique Trindade, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo, Brazil (Brazil)
Lincon Lopes, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo, Brazil (Brazil)
Abstract
The rise of generative Artificial Intelligence marks an unprecedented shift in scientific knowledge production, challenging long-held assumptions about authorship, originality, peer review, and epistemic responsibility. This article examines the potential "death of the academic author" in the context of the expanding agency of algorithmic systems in writing, critical reading, and scholarly evaluation. Drawing on an interdisciplinary theoretical review and documentary analysis, it discusses distributed cognition, algorithmic agency, discursive shallowing, digital inequalities, and the evolving role of researchers. The central argument is that the real risk is not machines thinking for us, but our growing willingness to relinquish the responsibility of thinking with them. The study proposes ethical, pedagogical, and methodological guidelines for the responsible use of AI, aiming to preserve the public mission of science, strengthen conscious authorship, and foster fairer and more transparent academic assessment processes.
