What's AI for Academics: Making Sense of Change in the Academic World of Work

While the United Kingdom's government is ambitiously aiming to become an international tech superpower, AI integration and its socioeconomic impact remain a big debate among its policymakers and the public (GOV.UK. CDEI, 2024). With growing concerns about AI usage and relative risks in a range of sectors, this chapter discusses them in academia, where higher education institutions (HEIs) are also preparing for this steep learning curve. The chapter goes beyond the discussion on AI in essay writing and detecting plagiarism, and it brings forward its alignment and fitness to HEIs’ academic, business, and corporate agendas (Carnegie & Tuck, 2010). This chapter advances the discussion on academic workforce considerations such as aging and well-being, HR considerations, such as job design and workloads, and graduates’ work readiness. Based on profound change management theories, the chapter concludes with recommendations for AI integration into the academic world of work.