![[2602.15259] Knowing Isn't Understanding: Re-grounding Generative Proactivity with Epistemic and Behavioral Insight](https://arxiv.org/static/browse/0.3.4/images/arxiv-logo-fb.png){kind=logo}
[2602.15259] Knowing Isn't Understanding: Re-grounding Generative Proactivity with Epistemic and Behavioral Insight
Summary
This paper discusses the limitations of generative AI agents that equate understanding with resolving explicit queries, highlighting the need for epistemic and behavioral grounding in proactive AI interactions.
Why It Matters
As generative AI becomes more integrated into daily tasks, understanding the nuances of user interaction is crucial. This research emphasizes the importance of addressing unknown unknowns and ensuring that AI interventions are meaningful and responsible, which is vital for fostering effective human-AI partnerships.
Key Takeaways
- Generative AI often misinterprets understanding as merely answering explicit queries.
- Proactivity in AI should address epistemic incompleteness, engaging with unknown unknowns.
- Unconstrained proactive interventions can overwhelm users and misdirect attention.
- AI agents require principled behavioral constraints to ensure responsible engagement.
- Theories of ignorance and proactive behavior can guide the design of more effective AI systems.
Computer Science > Computers and Society arXiv:2602.15259 (cs) [Submitted on 16 Feb 2026] Title:Knowing Isn't Understanding: Re-grounding Generative Proactivity with Epistemic and Behavioral Insight Authors:Kirandeep Kaur, Xingda Lyu, Chirag Shah View a PDF of the paper titled Knowing Isn't Understanding: Re-grounding Generative Proactivity with Epistemic and Behavioral Insight, by Kirandeep Kaur and 2 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Generative AI agents equate understanding with resolving explicit queries, an assumption that confines interaction to what users can articulate. This assumption breaks down when users themselves lack awareness of what is missing, risky, or worth considering. In such conditions, proactivity is not merely an efficiency enhancement, but an epistemic necessity. We refer to this condition as epistemic incompleteness: where progress depends on engaging with unknown unknowns for effective partnership. Existing approaches to proactivity remain narrowly anticipatory, extrapolating from past behavior and presuming that goals are already well defined, thereby failing to support users meaningfully. However, surfacing possibilities beyond a user's current awareness is not inherently beneficial. Unconstrained proactive interventions can misdirect attention, overwhelm users, or introduce harm. Proactive agents, therefore, require behavioral grounding: principled constraints on when, how, and to what extent an agent should intervene. We ad...
