AI Textbooks Facing Downgrade to 'Educational Materials'... Publishers Considering Legal Action

Ministry of Education "Will Request Reconsideration"
Publisher A "Received Commitment as Textbook"
Publisher B "Did Not Expect Efficiency Compared to Investment"

Confusion in the education sector is intensifying as a bill that downgrades AI (artificial intelligence) digital textbooks, which were scheduled to be introduced in schools next year, to 'educational materials' has passed the National Assembly. Publishers who passed the government’s certification review are considering lawsuits, claiming that the intent of the government’s policy guidance has been undermined.

A representative from Publisher A of the AI digital textbook stated in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 27th, "We are also considering legal action," adding, "When we first started this project, we were repeatedly assured by the Ministry of Education that the textbooks would be officially selected as textbooks." They further added, "If it had been considered educational materials, none of the publishers would have started this project."

According to the amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed by the National Assembly the day before, the AI digital textbooks promoted by the government will be defined not as textbooks but as educational materials that can be used at the discretion of the school principal after deliberation by the school operation committee.

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As a result, a series of lawsuits from publishers who have invested tens to hundreds of billions of won over the past year to enter the textbook certification process are expected. If the bill is amended, AI digital textbooks will no longer be mandatorily designated by each school but can be chosen at the discretion of the school principal, which may lead to a decrease in adoption rates.

However, the Ministry of Education intends to block the amendment through a request for reconsideration. Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, stated at a press conference the day before, "Applying this retroactively to AI digital textbooks that have already passed certification, stripping them of their status as textbooks and defining them as educational materials, may violate the constitutional principle of protection of trust," adding, "As the minister in charge, I plan to recommend a request for reconsideration."

There have been criticisms within the education sector that the government rushed the policy. A representative from Publisher B said, "I am worried that it will no longer be able to serve as a textbook," and added, "I wish they had taken more time to develop it because we don’t know how it can be applied in the educational environment."

A representative from Publisher C also explained, "We cannot predict the efficiency relative to the investment," and said, "We are still considering whether to participate in the project next year."

Regarding this, Deputy Prime Minister Lee emphasized again, "The opposition party has continuously stressed the need to slow down," but added, "Regardless of the National Assembly’s law, we plan to maintain the textbook status during a one-year pilot period."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.