AI Is Not the Problem Rethinking Academic Publishing in the Age of AI

In this talk, we challenge the dominant narrative that Artificial Intelligence is degrading academic quality. Instead, we argue that AI is exposing long-standing structural issues in academic publishing—such as publish-or-perish pressures, repetitive research cultures, and the prioritisation of quantity over meaningful scholarly contribution. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, this presentation explores how it reveals deeper questions about originality, peer review, and the purpose of knowledge production in universities. We ask: What happens when AI can generate research outputs faster than academic systems can meaningfully evaluate them? And how should universities respond? This is a critical reflection on the future of scholarship, academic integrity, and the evolving role of universities in the AI era. #Hashtags #AIinHigherEducation #AcademicPublishing #GenerativeAI #AgenticAI #ResearchEthics #HigherEducation #PostgraduateResearch #AcademicIntegrity #Universities #Scholarship #KnowledgeProduction #FutureOfEducation #DigitalScholarship #SouthAfricanUniversities #ResearchCommunity