The shift from search engines to generative AI is more than a technical upgrade; it is a fundamental metaphorical transformation. We are moving from "Knowledge as Journey" — a process defined by exploration, friction, and serendipity — to "Knowledge as Pedagogical Exchange," where the destination is provided instantly. This article argues that because generative AI's core logic is instructional (question, synthesis, response), it must be treated as an active agent of teaching rather than a neutral retrieval tool. The disappearance of the epistemic journey — the cognitive space between question and answer where exploratory learning occurs — raises urgent questions about curriculum design, synthesis bias, and the evolving responsibility of universities. The article is the third in a series arguing that AI should not be understood as a tool applied to education, but as an educational construct in its own right — one that emerged from, and now reshapes, human learning.
A. Cecchi (Mon,) studied this question.