Some parents are concerned about the South Korean government's intentions to introduce tablets with AI-powered textbooks into classrooms, according to The Financial Times.
The tablets are set to be released next year, and by 2028, teachers are expected to use AI textbooks for all courses except music, art, physical education, and ethics. The government hasn't revealed many details about how it will all operate, other than the fact that the material will be tailored to different learning rates, and teachers will use dashboards to monitor how kids are performing.
In response, over 50,000 parents have signed a petition urging the government to prioritize pupils' general well-being over new technology: "We, as parents, are already encountering many issues at unprecedented levels arising from [our children's] exposure to digital devices."
Lee Sun-youn, mother of two, told the Financial Times, "I am worried that too much usage of digital devices could negatively affect their brain development, concentration span and ability to solve problems — they already use smartphones and tablets too much."