South Korea is taking a pioneering step by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into digital textbooks for primary schools, becoming the first country to adopt the technology so widely.
The measure will be implemented in the coming months, starting with students in grades 3, 4, 7 and 10, in the subjects of mathematics, English, technology and Korean, with a focus on special education. The project will continue to expand progressively until 2028, covering other subjects such as history and science.
To make the project possible, the South Korean government has invested around 70 million dollars in modernising digital infrastructure, training teachers and developing new educational materials.
The strategy follows the “High-Tech, High-Touch” concept, which seeks to use AI as a tool to support teaching, allowing teachers to focus on developing students’ critical thinking and creativity.
Although innovative, the initiative has generated controversy. Parents and experts are raising concerns about the privacy of student data and the potential impacts of digitalization on children’s cognitive development. In response, the South Korean Ministry of Education has assured that strict measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the technology’s implementation.
With this commitment, South Korea seeks not only to improve personalized learning, but also to ease the pressure on its highly competitive education system. In the coming years, the evolution of this transformation will be crucial to assess the impacts of AI on global education and its potential to shape the future of education worldwide.
(By Rafael Langa)
