TITLE:
Beyond Efficiency: A Qualitative Exploration of Human Agency, Epistemic Vigilance, and Cognitive Boundaries in Human-AI Interaction
AUTHORS:
Mohammed Tayyab Khan, Jonathan Ee, Shilpi Tripathi
KEYWORDS:
Human Agency, Epistemic Vigilance, Cognitive Offloading, Human-AI Collaboration, Qualitative Psychology, Decision-Making
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
17,
2026
ABSTRACT: As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more common in professional and psychological contexts, concerns about human autonomy and epistemic vigilance have grown. Questions around the changing boundaries of cognitive responsibility are intensifying. This qualitative study explores how professionals in psychology, leadership, and technology negotiate agency, cognitive effort, and scrutiny when using AI. Through reflexive thematic analysis of twelve semi-structured interviews, two superordinate themes emerged: 1) Human Agency and Epistemic Vigilance, and 2) Cognitive Boundaries and the Recalibration of Mental Effort. Participants described AI as a powerful accelerator of cognitive efficiency, but noted its potential to disrupt reflective thinking, creative reasoning, and personal responsibility. Instead of replacing human cognition, AI was seen as reshaping mental demands and requiring new competencies in critical evaluation, meta-awareness, and calibrated reliance. The findings reveal the psychological dynamics of human-AI collaboration. They highlight the need for system designs and organisational practices that preserve human judgment and cognitive vitality. The study discusses implications for cognitive psychology, decision science, and applied professional practice.