From objective reason to instrumental rationality: a global systematic review of epistemological challenges in AI development

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative technology impacting decision-making, social interactions, and knowledge structures. However, the shift from objective to instrumental rationality in AI design poses serious epistemological challenges for humans, both as agents and bearers of value, and impacts knowledge equity. Studies on AI from an epistemological perspective are still rare, as most research emphasizes social, cultural, and religious impacts. This study aims to systematically review epistemological critiques of AI, analyze the relationship between technological rationality and human agency, and formulate ethical policy recommendations for epistemically just global AI governance. Using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach based on PRISMA, a search was conducted in Web of Science and ScienceDirect for English-language empirical articles (2015–2025). Of the 572 initial articles, 67 met the criteria and were analyzed using NVivo 14 with MMAT quality assessment. The results show that critiques of AI are shifting from technical aspects to structural issues such as systemic bias, the loss of human agency, and epistemic injustice. Literature trends highlight epistemic injustice, transparency, and global power relations. This study synthesizes critical, feminist, and postcolonial approaches, and emphasizes the integration of local knowledge values, the right to explanation, and epistemic agency in AI design and policy.