According to the World Economic Forum’s June 2026 report, Shaping the Future of Learning: Education Readiness for the Age of AI, AI is spreading rapidly across education from the bottom up, driven by students and teachers. However, the broader education ecosystem—including policies, curricula and assessment frameworks—is struggling to keep pace. The report identifies this growing misalignment as one of the most pressing challenges facing education today.
While AI offers significant opportunities, the report also cautions that its unchecked use may affect foundational elements of education, including cognitive development, learner agency, critical thinking, and trust in learning outcomes. Importantly, it argues that the challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in shortcomings in the learning environments and systems designed around it.
Recent research underscores these gaps. In the 2025 AI in Education survey conducted by PSB Insights and Microsoft, 76% of school and institutional leaders worldwide agreed that AI literacy should be a fundamental component of every student’s learning. Yet according to UNESCO, fewer than 10% of schools and universities globally have established formal policies or guidelines governing the use of generative AI.
At the same time, workforce expectations are changing rapidly. LinkedIn’s 2025 Work Change Report projects that 70% of the skills required for most jobs will change by 2030, while the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates a net increase of approximately 78 million jobs by the end of the decade. Together, these trends point to a growing consensus on the importance of AI education, while exposing a significant gap between recognition and readiness.
As governments, educators and institutions work to close this gap, the conversation is shifting from simply increasing AI adoption toward understanding how AI should be used in education. UNESCO’s 2025 report, Beyond the Loop, describes education as “a relational act between people, rooted in language, context, curiosity, and care.” It argues that teachers and learners should not be viewed merely as users of AI systems, but as active participants who define and shape learning itself. Similarly, insights from Harvard Business Impact emphasize that AI should stimulate student thinking rather than replace human intellect.
Together, these perspectives point to a common conclusion: the value of AI in education ultimately depends on the capabilities, judgment and leadership of educators. This ultimately shows that the educational impact of AI depends not on how much it is used, but on the capability and judgment of educators.
Korea’s AI Education Transformation Begins with Educators
Korea’s AI education strategy in 2025 has focused not on replacing teachers, but on empowering them to do better. In August 2025, Korea’s Ministry of Education and the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) announced at the AI and Digital Education Innovation Conference that they would continue to expand teacher training programs and share best practices in classroom innovation. Their approach places educator capacity—not technology itself—at the center of AI-powered educational transformation.
This direction was further reinforced in November 2025 through the government’s national strategy, AI Talent Development for All. The initiative includes strengthening AI competencies among both pre-service and in-service teachers, revising K–12 curricula, and expanding the nation’s AI education infrastructure. Rather than positioning AI as a substitute for educators, the strategy focuses on strengthening the foundations of teaching and learning by investing in educators and curriculum development.
Responsible AI use has also emerged as a key priority. In December 2025, the Ministry of Education launched the AI Talent Development Task Force, placing AI ethics in education at the forefront of its agenda. The ministry subsequently introduced guidelines for AI use in performance-based assessments. Instead of imposing blanket restrictions, the guidelines outline principles for appropriate use, source attribution and pre-assessment instruction, while encouraging greater emphasis on classroom engagement and learning processes. This reflects a broader shift in assessment—from evaluating final outputs to assessing how students think, learn and engage throughout the learning journey. Critical thinking, judgment and other uniquely human capabilities remain at the heart of educational outcomes.
Taken together, Korea’s policy direction demonstrates that the true value of AI in education lies not in the technology itself, but in its ability to strengthen teacher capacity, reinforce the core of teaching and learning while cultivating the human capabilities that matter most.
A Global Community for Educators launches in Korea: Supporting Educators in the AI Era
To support this mission, Microsoft is bringing its global educator initiative, Microsoft Elevate for Educators, to Korea. Already embraced by educators worldwide, the program connects participants with a global community, professional credentials and practical resources that support educational innovation and responsible AI integration.
Today, the Elevate community includes more than 43,000 educators worldwide, offering a dynamic space for them to learn from one another, share practices, and collaborate across borders. Participants can learn alongside peers and industry experts, build confidence through guided professional pathways, and access research, toolkits and guidance that support the safe and effective integration of technology into teaching and learning.
- Community: Through the Elevate community, educators and schools can embark on a guided learning journey designed to support continuous professional development. Educators can begin by creating an account and completing their first training, advancing from Explorer to Expert and Fellow recognition, while schools can progress from Pathfinder School to Showcase School and ultimately Beacon School status, joining a global network that exchanges insights and fosters educational excellence.
- Credentials: Educators can also earn professional credentials through free learning pathways jointly developed by Microsoft and ISTE+ASCD and aligned with the OECD AI Literacy Framework (AILit). In 2026, Microsoft will also introduce a new Instructional Technology Credential Pathway, further expanding opportunities for educators to develop expertise in AI-enabled teaching and learning.
Launching the Korean AI Literacy Credential Program with Seoul National University
To help build AI literacy capacity in Korea, Microsoft is partnering with the Center for Future Education Innovation at Seoul National University to design and launch a Korean AI Literacy Credential Program for changemakers, and K–12 educators.
Built upon the AI literacy curriculum jointly developed by Microsoft and ISTE+ASCD and aligned with the OECD AI Literacy Framework, the educator program has been localized and enhanced by Seoul National University to reflect Korea’s educational context and needs. The curriculum is organized around four core learning goals: engaging with AI, creating with AI, managing with AI, and designing with AI.
Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate jointly issued by Seoul National University and Microsoft. The program for nonprofit professionals is already offered through the Seoul National University Institute of Education and Training, while the K–12 educator pathway will open in September 2026.
Expanding Access to AI Education Through Local Partnerships
Beyond professional development for educators, Microsoft is working with local partners to expand access to AI learning opportunities for students and communities across Korea. In Gangwon Province’s former coal-mining communities, Microsoft partnered with social venture JUMP and the Gangwon Regional Office of Education to launch ‘Hour of AI X Empowering Local Futures’, introducing students to AI through hands-on, experiential learning designed to spark curiosity and build AI literacy skills.
From December 2025 through January 2026, more than 2,000 students and teachers from 26 schools participated. Microsoft employees volunteered as mentors, helping students explore AI responsibly while building confidence, curiosity and awareness of future career opportunities.
The initiative has since expanded through collaboration with the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education. In May and June of 2026, university student mentors from JUMP and Microsoft employees delivered in-person learning experiences to 2,855 students from 57 elementary, middle and high schools across the city. Microsoft plans to continue expanding these partnerships to additional communities across Korea, helping ensure that more students and educators are equipped with AI literacy and future-ready skills.
Educators as Architects of Education in the AI Era
AI is advancing rapidly across education systems worldwide. Yet research from international organizations and academic institutions increasingly points to the same conclusion: technology alone does not transform education. The future of learning depends on educators who can guide students with responsibility, creativity, critical thinking and care.
Microsoft Elevate for Educators is designed to provide educators and school leaders with access to a global community, credentials, and skilling opportunities to confidently integrate AI into teaching and learning, so they can focus more on what matters most— fostering human capabilities such as critical thinking and creativity that remain essential in an AI-enabled world.
Through this initiative, Microsoft aims to support Korean educators and schools connect with the global community and grow as architects of education in the age of AI.
Apply Now: 2026-2027 Microsoft Elevate for Educators Expert Track
Educators already using Microsoft tools and AI to transform their classrooms can now apply to join the Microsoft Elevate for Educators. Applications for the Expert track are now open through July 31, 2026, and results will be announced in late September 2026.
*Before you begin: Create accounts for both Microsoft Learn and Microsoft Elevate, and ensure that your display names match exactly across both platforms.
- For educators: For educators, complete Explorer (Basic, available year-round), pursue the Expert learning pathway (via either the General or AI track), and Apply for Educator Expert recognition.
- For schools: For schools, begin as a Pathfinder School and Apply for Showcase School recognition.
Join the Microsoft Elevate for Educators community and become part of a global network of educators helping shape the future of learning in the age of AI.