ChatGPT in higher education: A semiotics investigation between cultural explosion and encyclopedic knowledge

Generative Artificial Intelligence, and particularly ChatGPT, today represents a crucial moment in the evolution of knowledge production and dissemination in education, echoing what Juri Lotman describes as a "cultural explosion." As AI-generated texts flood academic and creative spaces, the question arises today is: how does this affect research methodologies and pedagogical frameworks? This paper explores the transformative role of ChatGPT in higher education, positioning it as both a disruptive force and an innovative collaborator in the knowledge-making process. Through the perspective of semiotics and Umberto Eco's "encyclopedic model", ChatGPT's functioning mirrors human interpretative processes-drawing upon a vast corpora of texts, identifying patterns, and generating plausible continuations within cultural discourse. However, unlike human scholars, ChatGPT lacks intentionality, challenging traditional epistemological models that rely on authorial agency and context-dependent inference. This research investigates how ChatGPT's generative capacities align with the rhizomatic structure of knowledge, where meaning is not linear but formed through a dynamic network of associations. Yet, today in higher education ChatGPT redefines the role of teachers and learners, transforming classrooms into dialogic spaces where GenAI acts as a semiotic mediator rather than a mere tool. By facilitating inferential learning-where students engage critically with AI-generated outputs-teachers can cultivate deeper meta-cognitive awareness. To investigate how students engage with ChatGPT as a semiotic mediator in education, this study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative analysis with a quantitative survey. The qualitative phase explores students' perceptions of AI's role in learning through a semiotic investigation, examining its impact on meaning-making, epistemological challenges, and pedagogical transformation. The quantitative phase consists of a survey conducted among university students across different departments (N=20), assessing ChatGPT usage patterns, trust levels, critical evaluation behaviors, and concerns regarding misinformation and institutional regulation. The survey findings reveal that while students frequently use ChatGPT for learning and academic purposes, they exhibit a balanced approach of trust and skepticism-engaging in critical cross-checking of AI-generated content. Despite recognizing ChatGPT's efficacy in simplifying complex topics, students do not widely use it for deep cognitive engagement or reflective academic discussions. Concerns over bias and misinformation remain significant, and while many acknowledge the need for institutional guidelines, there is also a prevailing optimism about GenAI's future role in education. These findings suggest that ChatGPT is perceived not as a replacement for traditional learning structures, but as a tool requiring critical literacy and careful mediation. This paper argues that rather than replacing human intellectual labor, ChatGPT nowadays amplifies the cultural explosion by accelerating the translation of knowledge, making higher education both more accessible and more complex than ever before.