‘Resistance is futile?’: identity tensions and principled selectivity in AI-integrated teaching

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has reshaped teaching practices and raised important questions about teacher identity. While existing research has largely focused on technology adoption and pedagogical implementation, less is known about how experienced academics negotiate their professional identities in AI-mediated teaching contexts. This study employed a semester-long, prospective qualitative design involving three rounds of semi-structured interviews with two experienced higher education academics. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three interrelated identity tensions: pedagogy versus platform, educator versus facilitator, and care versus compliance. Rather than adopting or resisting AI, participants demonstrated a pattern of principled selectivity, making context-sensitive decisions guided by pedagogical values, ethical considerations, and professional judgement. The findings suggest that teacher identity is continually negotiated within AI-mediated teaching contexts and that principled selectivity offers a conceptual lens for understanding educators’ professional agency amid ongoing technological change.