Abstract

The penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) is dramatically transforming higher education, yet the effects of its pervasive adoption remain inconclusive. Drawing on self-determination theory, this study examines the double-edged effects of teacher–AI collaboration on work engagement, using psychological availability and work alienation as competing psychological mechanisms. We further examine digital competency as a boundary condition. Using three-wave time-lagged survey data collected from 468 university teachers in China, this study tested the proposed moderated mediation model through confirmatory factor analysis, hierarchical regression, and bootstrapping with 5000 resamples. The results showed that teacher–AI collaboration was positively related to work engagement. Psychological availability mediated the positive pathway from teacher–AI collaboration to work engagement, whereas work alienation mediated a negative pathway. The indirect effect via psychological availability was positive and significant, whereas the indirect effect via work alienation was negative and significant. Digital competency strengthened the positive relationship between teacher–AI collaboration and psychological availability and weakened the positive relationship between teacher–AI collaboration and work alienation, thereby amplifying the beneficial pathway and buffering the detrimental pathway. The findings offer actionable insights for university administrators to navigate digital transformation in higher education.

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