Postsecondary teachers

Stay informed about changes and innovations in their field

AI can monitor publications, conferences, and developments in a field, synthesize key findings, and deliver personalized updates. The information gathering and synthesis aspects are highly automatable, though critical evaluation remains human-led.

BLS evidence: Teachers must 'Stay informed about changes and innovations in their field' and 'tasks also may include collaborating with their colleagues and attending conferences.'

Develop instructional plans and course syllabi that meet institutional standards

AI can generate comprehensive syllabi from learning objectives, institutional templates, and subject matter guidelines with minimal human input. Faculty review and customization remain necessary but the drafting labor is largely automatable.

BLS evidence: Postsecondary teachers 'Develop an instructional plan (known as a course outline or syllabus) for the course(s) they teach and ensure that it meets college and department standards.'

Plan lessons and assignments for courses

AI can generate lesson plans, assignments, and rubrics aligned to learning objectives with high quality. Instructors review and adjust for their teaching style and student needs, but the initial creation is largely automatable.

BLS evidence: The duties section lists 'Plan lessons and assignments' as a typical responsibility.

Assess students' progress by grading assignments, papers, exams, and other work

AI can grade objective assessments fully and provide substantive feedback on essays and assignments. Complex subjective evaluation and edge cases require human judgment, but 50-70% of grading labor across typical course portfolios is automatable.

BLS evidence: The duties section explicitly states teachers 'Assess students' progress by grading assignments, papers, exams, and other work.'

Apply for grants to fund research projects

AI can draft grant proposals from research plans, format to funder requirements, and optimize language for competitiveness. However, formulating fundable research questions, budgeting, and strategic positioning require significant human expertise and judgment.

BLS evidence: At large institutions, professors may 'apply for grants to fund their research' as part of their responsibilities.

Work with colleagues to develop or modify curriculum for degree programs

AI can draft curriculum structures, map learning outcomes, and suggest course sequences from institutional data and disciplinary standards. However, negotiating among colleagues, balancing departmental politics, and making strategic program decisions require human collaboration.

BLS evidence: Postsecondary teachers 'Work with colleagues to develop or modify the curriculum for a degree or certificate program involving in-person, online, or hybrid delivery of course material.'

Advise students about course selection and academic goals

AI can provide course recommendations based on requirements and student records, but advising involves understanding individual circumstances, career aspirations, personal challenges, and building mentoring relationships that require human empathy and judgment.

BLS evidence: Teachers 'Advise students about which courses to take and how to achieve their goals' is listed as a typical duty.

Conduct original research and publish scholarly findings

AI can assist with literature review, data analysis, and draft sections, but original research requires formulating novel questions, designing methodologies, interpreting ambiguous results, and making scholarly judgments that remain fundamentally human activities.

BLS evidence: The page states professors 'conduct research or experiments, publish original research' and 'Tenured professors must document their analyses or critical reviews and publish their research findings.'

Supervise graduate teaching assistants

Supervision requires observing teaching performance, providing developmental feedback, managing interpersonal issues, and mentoring—activities requiring physical presence, emotional intelligence, and real-time human judgment in educational contexts.

BLS evidence: At large institutions, professors may 'supervise graduate teaching assistants' as part of their duties.

Teach courses in their subject area

Teaching requires real-time adaptation to student comprehension, managing classroom dynamics, fostering discussion, and building rapport—all requiring physical presence and nuanced human judgment that AI cannot replicate in a live educational setting.

BLS evidence: The duties section lists 'Teach courses in their subject area' as a primary responsibility, and the page states professors may teach classes of various sizes.

Serve on academic or administrative committees

Committee service involves deliberation, negotiation, institutional politics, building consensus, and making governance decisions that require physical presence, relationship management, and human judgment in organizational contexts.

BLS evidence: Teachers 'Serve on academic or administrative committees, as needed' and 'Tenured professors...may be expected to serve on college and university committees.'