Beyond Work - AI and Educational Labour - 2024 Vol. 33 (3) 17-21

Oct 15, 2026

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The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education has prompted reflection on the nature of work and labour among teachers and students. The essay distinguishes work as broader, often unpaid educational contributions, from labour as economic, wage-based activity. It evaluates AI’s ability to perform instructional tasks, noting risks of replacing parts of teaching while stressing limits in creating authentic educational experiences. The analysis considers future roles and socio-economic dynamics as AI reshapes schooling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Work and Labour

Education and Schooling

Beyond Work: AI and Educational Labour A journal of educational research and practice 2024 Vol. 33 (3) 17−21 [https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked](https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked) Michael Mindzak* Faculty of Education, Brock University Abstract The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education has prompted significant reflection on the nature of work and labour among teachers and students. This essay examines the implications of AI on educational labour, highlighting the distinction between work, encompassing unpaid and broader educational contributions, and labour, defined by economic metrics. AI’s capability to perform educational tasks raises concerns about its potential to replace certain aspects of teaching while emphasizing its limitations in fostering genuine educational experiences. The discussion explores how AI may transform schooling and education, reshaping roles and responsibilities, and addressing broader socio-economic and technological dynamics. Ultimately, this analysis considers the future of work in education amidst the evolving presence of AI. Keywords: Educational labour , work and labour dichotomy, post-work society , AI and educational reform * [mmindzak@brocku.ca](mmindzak@brocku.ca) Since the end of 2022, the explosion of technological tools, innovations , and commentaries on the previously obscure topic of artificial intelligence (AI) has been nothing short of exceptional. This is true in perhaps most areas and industries—including, of course, education. Today, it appears as though all educators and education workers are increasingly intertwined and , indeed, entangled by the emergence and implications of AI in schools, classrooms, and learning across the globe. Whether AI will continue as an evolution or whether it will be a profound revolution is yet to be seen. Yet, prognostications of all kinds continue to discuss and debate our vision of a future with AI in educational circles. Educational reforms, more often than not, are a delicate dance between numerous goals, values , and interests (Cuban, 2001; Manzer, 1994) , all of which ebb and flow over time. The AI revolution will no doubt fit into this larger framework—albeit in ways that cannot be readily predicted or foreseen. In light of these permutations, it may be valuable to reflect, examine, and evaluate what exactly it is about AI that is so important—and perhaps why it requires so much work. This essay then focuses on the implications of AI in education as it pertains to how we think about our work in the contemporary period and beyond. Work and Labour The concept of work has existed throughout human history in various forms and definitions (Zwolinski, 2023) . Generally, work can be described as human activities that are purposeful—productive or reproductive actions that an individual engages in at any given time (Standing, 1999) . Conversely, labour is more narrowly defined as tasks of primarily economic means, specifically wages or paid employment (Standing, 2009) . Work—particularly that which is unpaid or unrecognized—tends to be undervalued (especially by a metric of economic performance) , while labour is more formally recognized (Beck, 2000; Jackson, 2010) . What exactly constitutes the work and labour of both teachers and students remains ambiguous at best. Teachers’ work encompasses a broader range of activities, including both paid and unpaid efforts that contribute to students, schools, the educational environment , and broader communities. These efforts often go beyond contractual obligations embedded in the paid employment relationship (the job) . Teachers know this, as do the labour organizations that represent them, and thus often engage in both work and labour as part of their defined and undefined roles and responsibilities. Hence, the difficulty in (re)defining teachers’work arises from the need to capture the broad, multifaceted, and dynamic nature of the role , which e

FAQs

How does the essay distinguish work from labour in education?

Work is framed as broader, often unpaid contributions to learning and educational life, while labour is defined through economic metrics such as wages and paid employment.

What concerns does the essay raise about AI in teaching?

AI’s capability to handle educational tasks may replace parts of teaching, but it is argued to have limitations in fostering genuine educational experiences.

How does the essay relate education to schooling?

Education is treated as the broader lifelong accumulation of formal and informal learning, whereas schooling refers to structured, institutional learning under standardized conditions.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Blitz