The rise of AI is not merely a technological shift; it signals a deep reconfiguration of how we connect with and relate to others. It provides new opportunities for humans and technology to collaborate in ways that extend the traditional boundaries of teamwork in higher education. This necessitates reconsideration of AI’s potential to be a teammate in team settings. This study employed a mixed-method approach, combining pre-and-post surveys and follow-up interviews to explore student’s readiness to engage with AI in a team. Participants consisted of 137 students from a large Australian university across four disciplines. This paper explores two research questions relating to student readiness to collaborate with AI as a teammate and student views of AI as a tool or a teammate. Preliminary findings revealed that students are ready to engage, but view AI as a tool. However, there are some early indications of its potential to be a teammate and thus this paper contributes to a relational perspective of AI and teamwork in the field of higher education.