How generative AI may influence the nature and future of the teaching career: a case study of Gen Z foreign language teachers

Recent advances in AI tools have triggered concerns about the future of teaching careers and their replacement with such advanced systems. Though there is a growing deluge of literature on the use of AI in Education, there seems to be a paucity of research on how different forms of AI, especially generative AI, may influence the teaching profession itself. The present study, by focusing on Gen Z teachers as the most probable group of teachers accustomed to living with and using advanced technologies, explores this group’s use of generative AI and their voices and concerns about their job and its future. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, which were then analyzed using content analysis in MAXQDA. The results showed that the participants used ChatGPT for different purposes including generating content, meeting learners’ needs, evaluation, idea generation, and enhancing their professional knowledge. Regarding their professional future, they mostly believed that human teachers can still be involved in setting up, managing, and controlling advanced teaching systems and that they can find ways to cope with the new changes.