What is the problem with generative artificial intelligence in higher education?–a critical analysis of educator responsibility in the Swedish policy landscape

Abstract

The widespread integration of Generative AI (GenAI) tools in higher education has compelled universities to develop policies for responsible GenAI use. As educators play a pivotal role in enacting policy in teaching and assessment practices, we conducted a policy study to critically examine how educator responsibility is articulated in this evolving landscape. Approaching policy discursively, we drew on Bacchi’s what’s-the-problem-represented-to-be approach and examined problems and assumptions represented in policy solutions targeting educators. Through the analysis of 37 policy documents collected nationwide from 14 out of a total of 18 Swedish universities, the study identified three overarching themes of problematisations. Specifically, we found represented problems pertaining to (i) threats to educational practices, (ii) concerns that higher education is falling behind, and (iii) the obscure role of GenAI in higher education. Underpinned by assumptions of the inevitability and solutionist nature of GenAI, and educators’ roles in addressing challenges associated with GenAI use, we identify that policies frame educator responsibility as multidimensional, under revision and key in safeguarding educational values. The study contributes insights on potential discursive shifts regarding educator responsibility in light of GenAI and highlights the need for careful deliberation concerning GenAI-mediated responsibility in higher education governance.