/ˌɛp.ɪˈstiː.mɪk ˈdʒʌs.tɪs/Philosophy of Knowledge.
Definition
The fair distribution of credibility and the recognition of diverse ways of knowing. In AI, epistemic
injustice occurs when the model prioritizes Western scientific rationalism and dismisses Indigenous,
embodied, or intuitive knowledge as "unverified" or "fringe." True justice requires that the AI acknowledges
the validity of knowledge systems that fall outside the Western canon.
Whose Truth?
If an AI is trained on the internet, it is trained on the loudest voices of the last twenty years. It
knows Wikipedia, but it does not know the oral history of the Cree. It knows the DSM-5, but it does not
know the healing songs of the Navajo. Epistemic justice is the project of ensuring these silences are
not mistaken for absence.
Field Notes & Ephemera
Field Note: The gap in the training data is not a technical error; it is a historical
wound.