AI-powered tools are reshaping education and deepening the digital divide. By Catherine Pagatpat

Classrooms once centered on chalkboards and textbooks are now evolving into digital-first learning spaces. Over the past five years, education technology (EdTech) adoption has accelerated globally, fueled by AI tutoring systems, adaptive platforms, and video-based collaboration. The EdTech market is projected to grow to more than $404 billion by 2025.

<aside>

</aside>

For many teachers, these tools expand access and engagement. Students can learn at their own pace, use AI for personalized feedback, and connect across borders. But educators also highlight challenges: digital literacy gaps, infrastructure costs, and concerns about whether AI complements or distracts from pedagogy. The pandemic revealed the starkest divide — students in rural and low-income communities often lacked access to stable internet or devices, limiting their ability to benefit from these innovations.

This feature examines how technology is reshaping the classroom, who benefits, and who risks being left behind. It also highlights the business opportunities — from global EdTech unicorns to local startups — that are betting the future of learning will be increasingly digital.