BALANCING AI'S PUSH WITH HUMAN VALUE: THE CASE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has caused a significant disruption to the higher education sector by increasing the efficiency of pedagogy, hastening research activities, and advancing automation processes. However, this rapid development has given rise to considerable ‘Professional Friction’ driven by faculty apprehension related to job replacement, deskilling, and a threat to academic integrity. The present conceptual investigation examines the interface between GenAI technological advancement and the value of the human professor with the aim of developing a framework for harmonization. The article introduces a unique conceptual model: The Balanced Scale Model, which consists of three integral parts: AI’s Push - a worldwide drive for adaptive learning and technological acceleration, Professional Friction - the devaluation of the professor’s role and expertise, and Institutional Mediators - strategic initiatives to bridge the gap between GenAI and academia. The research indicates that a paradigm shift is required to transition from viewing GenAI as a replacement for the educator to viewing GenAI as a part to be synthesized with the educational community. The use of institutional mediators transforms the professor’s role to a ‘Human Architect.’ This allows the professor to break free from routine and mechanical tasks to focus on high-value human activities that GenAI cannot accomplish, such as ethical mentoring, thematic research, and the curation of complex learning experiences. This model provides a strategic pathway for administrators and researchers to manage GenAI-related anxiety to ensure a balanced future where GenAI enhances and improves the ‘human element’ of higher education.