LinkedIn co-founder claims AI should be taught at colleges, Nearly 30% of South Korean schools have adopted AI-powered textbooks, showcasing a national push toward digital education. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman urges colleges to integrate AI into curricula and assessments to stay relevant in evolving educational landscapes.

According to reports, South Korea is implementing AI in regular classrooms as part of its aggressive efforts to transform traditional education. Nearly 30% of South Korean schools, ranging from elementary to high school, have already implemented AI-powered digital textbooks since March, according to Nikkei Asia, marking a significant shift in the way that pupils learn.

This week’s APEC education ministers’ summit, which was held in South Korea for the first time in nine years, featured the proposal. Using the platform, the nation showcased its digital transformation in schools, especially the introduction of AI-based math and English textbooks for specific grade levels nationwide.

Andeok Elementary School in Jeju, which was selected by the government last year as a model for digital-first learning, provided a preview of this change. In a fourth-grade arithmetic session, kids worked through problems on tablets while their scribbled solutions were shown in real time on a digital board. A clear image of how AI is being utilised to make lessons more interactive and responsive was provided by the class, which was attended by international dignitaries.

Nevertheless, there have been challenges associated with South Korea’s quick adoption. Among the urgent issues the nation must confront are regional disparities in digital access and the requirement to upskill educators.

A analogous debate is developing in higher education around the world as South Korea concentrates on integrating AI in early education. Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn, brought up an issue that many educators are now starting to address: AI is here to stay, and colleges must change.

In an interview on his podcast “Possible,” Hoffman stated that as more students use generative AI tools to finish their projects, the conventional format of college exams—particularly essays—is no longer dependable. He thinks universities should reconsider how learning is evaluated and think about incorporating AI into the evaluation process itself rather than opposing it.

Hoffman proposed that AI might be used as a co-examiner in future exams or that they might even shift more toward oral exams, which need a deeper level of comprehension. He pointed out that while AI-generated essays are frequently generic, teachers could use them as models for students to follow, encouraging them to set greater goals.

Avoiding AI in the classroom, he added, just postpones the inevitable. You can’t “ignore the new tool,” Hoffman said, adding that giving kids the skills they need to collaborate with AI will be essential to their future employment. He cautioned that unless they aggressively embrace change, many colleges risk slipping behind as they continue to use antiquated teaching techniques.