How the Identity of Teachers Shifts in Generative Artificial Intelligence Teaching and Learning Environments

Since ChatGPT's 2022 launch, generative AI's influence on education has garnered global scholarly attention. It is regarded as a tool for personalized, interdisciplinary, and efficient learning, yet concerns about dehumanization and disruption of traditional roles persist. This study analyzes teacher identity transformation amid AI integration, based on relevant theories and secondary data. Structural changes include a triadic relationship among teachers, students, and AI as a meaning mediator. Frameworks by Gee and Watson reveal a threefold shift: from knowledge transmitters to tech-integrated educators, identity negotiators, and ethical guides. While AI fosters innovation, it also causes identity dissonance, technostress, and pedagogical autonomy challenges. Moreover, the digital divide and unequal access to AI training deepen professional inequality, particularly in under-resourced contexts. These dynamics suggest that teacher identity is being redefined in situated and complex ways. The paper concludes by calling for institutional support and reflective training to ensure that AI enhances rather than undermines the humanistic and ethical foundations of teaching. Teacher identity must be actively constructed, supported, and sustained in this context.