This paper investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in higher education to enhance academic writing skills, emphasizing the crucial role of faculty intervention. Through a comprehensive literature review and qualitative analysis, we explore the landscape of AI tools in academic writing. We focus on specific affordances such as real-time feedback, grammar correction, and stylistic suggestions, highlighting their potential to improve writing quality, confidence, and language acquisition, particularly for students who speak multiple languages that are in most cases not the language of learning and teaching. Furthermore, we critically examine challenges and ethical issues posed by these tools, including over-reliance, potential academic dishonesty, and the risk of stifling critical thinking. To address these issues, we discuss the importance of the role of faculty in ensuring ethical and effective AI use in academic writing. We propose a number of intervention strategies for faculty to encourage responsible use of AI, which include among others, incorporating AI tools into curricula with clear ethical guidelines, providing training workshops, fostering critical reflection on AI-generated feedback, and emphasizing AI as a supplement to traditional instruction. Our findings highlight the complex relationship between AI tools and faculty expertise, suggesting that a collaborative approach is crucial for harnessing AI's full potential while mitigating risks. This study offers valuable insights for educators navigating the constantly changing landscape of AI in education, aiming to create a supportive and effective learning environment for higher education students both in South Africa and globally.

Keywords: AI tools, academic writing, higher education, faculty intervention, writing development.