South Korea has pulled the plug on its $850 million AI textbook project just four months after its launch. The decision came in response to technical issues, student frustration, privacy concerns, and increased workloads. Originally mandatory, the digital textbooks are now optional, and the number of schools using them has halved within a single semester. Critics argue the project was rushed, with too little time for testing and development – especially problematic for materials aimed at children.
Compared to other international efforts to integrate technology into education, South Korea’s initiative failed unusually quickly and at a high cost. The debate over AI’s role in learning is also fueled by studies suggesting that using AI may reduce brain activity during the learning process.