The gap between school curricula and the real skills required in today's labor market remains one of the main challenges for global educational policy. Against this backdrop, the educational technology (EdTech) market is rapidly growing: analysts estimate its volume could reach $437.5 billion by 2033. Personalized learning and artificial intelligence-based tools, which help adapt material to a student's level and partially relieve the teacher's workload, are cited as the main growth drivers.
However, the advent of AI textbooks, VR classrooms, and neurointerfaces does not mean that education will automatically improve. The implementation of innovations gives rise to new practical and ethical questions.
AI Textbooks: From Mandatory to Supplementary
Attempts to simply replace traditional textbooks with algorithms face serious difficulties. A prime example is the experience of South Korea, which was among the first to launch a large-scale experiment with AI textbooks in 2023. By 2025, the reform had to be revised: the materials were moved from mandatory to supplementary. The project faced criticism due to technical glitches, content errors, data security risks, and, paradoxically, an increased workload for teachers who had to master new tools. As a result, the proportion of schools actually using such textbooks nearly halved.
A more sustainable model appears to be one where AI is integrated not as a replacement for textbooks, but as a new skill. In 2025, Estonia launched the AI Leap pilot project for high school students and educators. Students were provided with an application adapted to the national curriculum: it does not provide ready-made answers but teaches them to break down tasks into steps and formulate conclusions independently. Simultaneously, a support program was developed for teachers, granting them access to advanced language models and creating professional communities for sharing experiences in using AI in lessons.
VR Simulations and Robots: The Line Between Utility and Spectacle
Virtual reality technologies in schools are most effective as simulators for situations that are difficult or expensive to replicate in a regular classroom.
However, the line between a useful tool and an expensive decoration is very thin. A telling case occurred at Altus, a private school in San Diego, which in 2026 purchased two Ameca humanoid robots costing $500,000, positioning them as "partners" in learning. The very first sessions revealed the rawness of the technology: the robot interrupted students, spoke too quickly, required commands to be repeated, and the children themselves most often described their interaction with it as "creepy."
A robot in the classroom can indeed capture students' attention or help navigate through assignments. But if it doesn't perform functions that can be implemented more cheaply and easily through a regular AI service or a human teacher, its educational value remains highly questionable. The same applies to VR: the technology only makes sense when it provides a unique experience unavailable in a standard lesson.
Neurointerfaces and the Future Role of the Teacher
One of the most debated areas is the use of neurointerfaces to track students' attention, fatigue, or cognitive load. This data can be useful if it helps a child better understand their own characteristics and optimize the learning process. However, it becomes dangerous if it turns into a tool for total control or assessment of discipline by the administration.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence and related technologies will not replace teachers, but they will change their role: from being the sole source of knowledge, the educator transforms into a mentor who teaches how to work with information, verify facts, and use technologies. The future of schools depends not on the number of AI services, VR headsets, or sensors purchased, but on clear rules for their use, the digital literacy of educators, and ethical frameworks that will primarily protect the interests of students.
