PARTNER INTERACTION BETWEEN TEACHER AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF RELOCATION AND DISTANCE LEARNING

Abstract

The presented academic paper is comprehensively devoted to the theoretical substantiation and practical implementation of the concept of partner interaction between the teacher and artificial intelligence (AI) under the specific and challenging conditions of relocation and distance learning caused by the ongoing systemic crises in the Ukrainian higher educationsector. The research explicitly addresses and analyzes the key contradiction arising between the transformative potential of AI as a powerful tool for supporting educational resilience and the simultaneous risks associated with its uncontrolled use, particularly in the context of declining academic integrity, the potential erosion of critical thinking skills, and the diminution of pedagogical autonomy. The authors substantiate the urgent necessity of rethinking the functional role of AI – shifting the paradigm from viewing it merely as an auxiliary technical tool to recognizing it as a full-fledged epistemic partner – within the framework of a humanistically oriented educational process. Significant attention in the course of the research is focused on the normative and strategic context of the digital transformation of Kherson State University, a higher education institution that is currently functioning under the complex conditions of relocation, the partial occupation of the region, and the fully distance-based organization of the educational process. The study provides a detailed analysis of the university's internal policies regarding the use of AI, as well as the specific provisions of the Digitalization Strategy (2023–2027), which collectively create the necessary institutional basis for forming an ethical, safe, and pedagogically appropriate «teacher-AI» partnership. Furthermore, the article presents the results of an empirical study that covers professional characteristics, the current level of digital competence, and the frequency of AI use by the academic staff of KSU. A positive correlation between the level of digital preparation of educators and the depth of AI integration into their educational activities has been established. However, the study also revealed the dominance of pragmatic motives for AI application (such as time optimization and the automation of routine tasks), which is often accompanied by a lack of deep ethical reflection and potential risks of thinking routinization. Based on the systematization of existing practices of AI use in higher education, four distinct modalities of partnership are outlined: administrative, tutorial, evaluative, and epistemic, along with the associated pedagogical opportunities and threats. The authors conclude on the necessity of implementing a «Pedagogy First» strategy, which involves targeted institutional investments in teacher professional development, the fostering of critical AI literacy, the updating of learning task designs, and the formation of a resilient ethical culture of interaction with generative models.