<p>Against the global emergence of artificial intelligence, human-AI collaboration has become an inevitable trend for future development and serves as a vital support for the innovative practices of higher vocational college teachers. However, existing research has inadequately explored the relationship between human-AI collaboration and the innovative behavior of them. Based on 390 questionnaires completed by higher vocational college teachers, this study adopts the perspective of Knowledge Management Theory frameworks to explore the influencing mechanism of human-AI collaboration on the innovative behavior of vocational college teachers by constructing a chain mediation model with moderation. The results show that human-AI collaboration positively and significantly predicts vocational college teachers’ innovative behavior. Knowledge sharing and work engagement mediate this relationship independently and also serve as sequential mediators in a chain mediation model. Regarding moderation, creative self-efficacy strengthens the positive linkage between knowledge sharing and innovative behavior among vocational college teachers. Based on the above findings, this study puts forward several suggestions regarding strengthening human-AI collaboration, promoting knowledge sharing and work engagement, and enhancing creative self-efficacy.</p>