The deep penetration of artificial intelligence technology has reshaped the higher education ecosystem and posed disruptive challenges to the role of teachers in private universities. This article is based on the positioning of application-oriented talent cultivation and the characteristics of faculty development in private universities. Using theoretical analysis methods such as literature research, it systematically explores the practical motivations, core challenges, transformation directions, and implementation paths of the role transformation of private university teachers in the era of artificial intelligence. Research has found that the transformation of the role of teachers in private universities is the result of multiple drivers, including technological changes, policy guidance, institutional development, and talent cultivation needs. The core obstacles are manifested as cognitive biases in roles, lack of digital literacy, rigid teaching models, and insufficient institutional support; The transformation requires a four-dimensional transition from "knowledge disseminator" to "learning guide", "curriculum implementer" to "resource integration and developer", "single educator" to "industry education integration collaborator", and "performance evaluator" to "comprehensive literacy enabler"; Building a four-dimensional collaborative implementation path of "updating concepts, enhancing capabilities, empowering practices, and ensuring support" can effectively solve the transformation problem. This study enriches the theoretical system of the integration of artificial intelligence and higher education, as well as the construction of faculty in private universities. It provides practical guidance for optimizing the faculty training system and clarifying the transformation direction of teachers in private universities, helping them enhance their core competitiveness and better serve the strategy of cultivating applied talents.

Wenbin Wang, Min Liu. Research on the Transformation Path of Teachers' Roles in Private Universities in the Era of Artificial Intelligence. International Journal of New Developments in Education (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 12: 81-87. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDE.2025.071212.

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