Abstract
<jats:p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education by reshaping how learners acquire, process, and apply knowledge. Rather than viewing AI as inherently beneficial or harmful, this chapter conceptualizes AI as a mechanism of cognitive redistribution that reallocates cognitive processes between learners and intelligent systems. Drawing on the Extended Mind Theory, Cognitive Offloading, Cognitive Load Theory, metacognition, Self-Regulated Learning, and neuroplasticity, the chapter develops five theoretical propositions explaining how AI influences cognitive engagement, effortful processing, critical thinking, higher-order learning, and long-term neurological development. It argues that educational outcomes depend primarily on patterns of human–AI interaction and instructional design rather than AI itself. The chapter concludes that AI should function as a cognitive scaffold that supports, rather than substitutes for, meaningful cognitive engagement and offers implications for educators and future research.</jats:p>