The Human Cost Behind AI-Created Teaching Materials: A Closer Look

Dr. Talia Hussain’s perspective sheds a critical light on a dilemma often overlooked in the AI versus human labor debate in academia. While students may feel shortchanged when AI generates course content, the underlying structural issues fueling this shift deserve our attention. Fixed and zero-hours contracts, undercompensated prep time, and hiring freezes create a system where educators have little incentive—let alone time—to develop quality materials that can be reused. AI tools like ChatGPT become both a symptom and a partial solution to this resource crunch. Instead of demonizing AI’s role in education, perhaps the conversation should pivot to how institutions can fairly value and support the labor behind course creation. If we want quality teaching materials, we must also address the precarious realities of the educators who produce them. Innovation isn’t just about AI-powered shortcuts; it’s about rethinking incentives and investments so that both humans and machines have a fair shot at contributing to education’s future. Source: Why university lecturers are turning to AI in classes