Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) models have demonstrated capabilities for producing remarkably human-like text, images, and speech. This has fueled enthusiasm for applying these technologies in academic contexts to enhance research, teaching, and knowledge creation potentially. However, integrating emerging generative AI requires thoughtful evaluation to ensure responsible and ethical adoption while upholding academic integrity. This extended abstract provides a balanced perspective on the promise and perils of deploying generative AI within academia and human resource development (HRD). It proposes a framework grounded in incremental integration, continuous evaluation, and human oversight for assessing appropriate applications in scholarship and learning.