How generative AI is quietly undermining the social purpose of student teamwork in higher education
Dr Folashade Akinmolayan Taiwo argues that while most debates about generative AI in higher education focus on academic integrity and assessment security, a quieter but significant shift is occurring in student teamwork. AI tools are eroding the social core of group work — the spontaneous collaboration, negotiation, and interpersonal skill-building that teamwork is meant to foster. As students increasingly rely on AI for individual contributions rather than engaging with peers, the 'real-world' skills that group assignments are designed to build (communication, collaboration, conflict resolution) are being undermined. The piece calls for educators to rethink how teamwork is designed and assessed in the age of AI.
Key quotes
In debates about generative AI in higher education much of the focus has centred on academic integrity, assessment security, and efficiency. But there is a quieter, less visible shift underway, one that goes to the heart of what group work in universities is supposed to achieve.
Student teamwork has long been treated as a proxy for 'real-world' skills. Employers consistently emphasise the importance of communication, collaboration...
The very thing that makes group work valuable — the messy, human process of negotiating ideas, resolving disagreements, and building shared understanding — is being quietly bypassed.
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