When COVID-19 forced school closures around the world for two years, many countries shifted to online and digital learning tools. But now that the pandemic is over and schools have reopened, the initial excitement and promise of edtech appear to have fizzled out. The focus was on emergency remote teaching rather than long-term systemic change. In this regard, the pandemic represents a missed opportunity to transform education systems. The advent of AI might now provide a second chance to achieve these transformations.​

According to the World Bank, 70% of children in developing countries, even before the pandemic, fail to achieve minimum proficiency in literacy and math, primarily due to inadequate access to quality education and a shortage of teachers. Since the pandemic, disparities in digital access between different socioeconomic groups have further compounded this issue.

The targets set out in UN SDG4 to bring quality education for all were supposed to encourage stakeholders to work together. So, when XPRIZE Foundation announced it would launch a global competition to address illiteracy in 2014, the global education community buzzed with excitement. Will technology finally help solve one of the world’s most intractable problems? After all, the first XPRIZE in 1996 — the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE — for the first company to safely bring a piloted spacecraft into space twice and back to Earth spurred today’s commercial spaceflight industry, inspiring the launch of companies such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX.

The $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE, funded by Elon Musk, challenged companies to develop open-source, scalable software that would allow out-of-school children to master basic reading, writing, and arithmetic on their own. It attracted 198 teams from 40 countries. Five finalists competed in remote Tanzania in a fifteen-month field test, offering their solutions to 2,700+ students in 170 villages in a randomized controlled trial that ultimately yielded a pair of joint-winners in 2019 — Enuma and onebillion. The results of the competition proved that technology can indeed allow children to learn on their own and, based on the outcomes from the five finalists, the quality of the learning application mattered a great deal.

Unfortunately, the wait for edtech to transform education continues. The COVID-19 pandemic should have been the burning platform that forced governments to finally embrace technology as a tool to transform their education systems. What should have been a perfect storm moment for edtech became a missed opportunity.

This “failure to launch” boils down to several reasons: unequal access to technology and internet connectivity, as well as a digital divide that exacerbated educational inequalities. Education ministries across the world missed the opportunity to integrate edtech into traditional curricula, as well as to adequately train and support their teachers, falling into the old trap of an overreliance on existing educational structures without reimagining pedagogy.

The advent of AI has now given us a second chance for educational transformation. Take Korea, for example. Early last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho announced a strategic shift in the national education system by integrating AI technology into all public classrooms. His plan involves replacing traditional paper-based textbooks with digital devices and an AI-powered learning system, enabling students to access personalized, one-on-one AI tutoring.

Beginning in March 2025, Korea’s new policy will first impact third and fourth-grade elementary students, as well as first-year middle and high school students. Other grades will follow suit in 2026 and 2027. The 2025 rollout will introduce digital textbooks in four key subjects: mathematics, English, informatics, and Korean language, specifically tailored for students with learning disabilities. By 2028, additional subjects will be added.

AI and digital tools are democratizing education, extending learning opportunities beyond traditional classrooms.

Teachers will leverage AI tutors to deliver customized content tailored to each student’s academic needs, enhancing the learning experience. Parents will also benefit, gaining access to customized dashboards that track their children’s progress and performance, complete with AI-generated comments and evaluations.

Despite consistently ranking in the top 10 of PISA scores, Korea wants to use AI technology to maintain its competitive edge while addressing educational inequality by offering the best learning tools to all students, instead of only allowing wealthier families to access them. AI and digital tools are democratizing education, extending learning opportunities beyond traditional classrooms.

Online resources, e-books, educational apps, and open-access courses are bridging geographical and economic gaps, providing students with unprecedented access to a wealth of information and expertise. For AI to fulfil its promise in education and help us to achieve UN SDG4, however, it must do the following to overcome the challenges of the past:

1. Bridging the Digital Divide — Students in under-resourced areas can access high-quality educational content, personalized tutoring, and adaptive learning tools that adjust to their individual needs and pace. These technologies can compensate for the lack of experienced teachers or advanced learning materials, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, can achieve academic success. Additionally, AI can facilitate remote learning and collaboration, connecting students and educators across the globe, and fostering a more inclusive, equitable educational environment.
2. Enhancing Teacher Training — By analyzing individual teaching practices and student outcomes, AI can identify areas where teachers might need improvement and suggest targeted resources or training modules. AI-powered platforms can also simulate classroom scenarios, allowing teachers to practice and refine their strategies in a risk-free environment. Furthermore, AI can facilitate continuous learning by providing real-time feedback and access to a global repository of best practices, helping educators stay current with the latest teaching methodologies and innovations.
3. Creating More Inclusive and Accessible Learning Environments — Through adaptive learning technologies, AI can adjust the pace, content, and delivery methods based on individual student needs, ensuring that everyone can engage with the material effectively. AI can also provide real-time translations, speech-to-text capabilities, and other assistive technologies, making education more accessible to non-native speakers and students with hearing or visual impairments. By offering these personalized supports, AI helps to level the playing field, fostering an educational environment where every student can succeed.

We are at a pivotal moment where embracing digital tools and AI in education can ignite a transformative educational revolution. The potential benefits — ranging from personalized learning experiences and increased accessibility to improved teacher efficiency and early intervention mechanisms — are vast and promising.

Let us leverage the latest AI and digital technologies thoughtfully and inclusively to create an equitable education system that nurtures the talents and potential of every student, thereby laying the foundation for a brighter future for generations to come.