The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools into higher education has prompted urgent reflection on what constitutes academic excellence. This provocation essay challenges the conventional notion that excellence is defined solely by outputs such as grades, publication counts, or linguistic proficiency. Drawing on a wide range of recent studies, it explores how AI can both enhance and erode the quality of academic achievement. On the one hand, AI offers transformative support for writing, personalized learning, and cognitive efficiency. On the other hand, it raises concerns about authorship, critical thinking, academic integrity, and equitable access. By reviewing evidence from diverse educational contexts, the paper argues that the impact of AI depends not on the technology itself, but on how academic institutions redefine excellence in light of it. A conceptual framework is proposed to illustrate how AI’s influence is mediated by student motivation, AI literacy, and institutional ethics. The essay concludes that academic excellence in the AI era must prioritize critical engagement, ethical use, and higher-order thinking, rather than traditional performance metrics.