The economics of academic labor in Higher Education Mediated by Generative Artificial Intelligence: reconfiguring teaching time.

Abstract

The integration of generative artificial intelligence into higher education has been studied, to a large extent, from pedagogical and instrumental perspectives; however, its influence on the organization of academic work remains an insufficiently explored dimension. Based on the systematization of an experience conducted across three university courses, this study examines the reconfiguration of instructional time, cognitive load, and professional agency in settings mediated by artificial intelligence. The findings reveal an approximate 84% reduction in the time devoted to instructional design, accompanied by a shift in effort toward tasks of a more strategic and reflective nature. Rather than replacing the work of faculty, the results suggest that artificial intelligence modifies the conditions under which academic work is performed.