South Korea is set to establish future-oriented learning spaces across the nation where students will actively engage with artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems and create outputs. This year, the Ministry of Education will invest 16.7 billion won to build “AI Convergence Education Rooms” in 118 elementary, middle, high, and special schools, aiming to foster an educational environment that goes beyond mere AI theory to its practical application within regular subjects.
On Wednesday, the ministry announced the final selection of 118 schools eligible for support under the “2026 AI Convergence Education Room” program, beginning construction and operational support on October 29. The initiative aligns with the “AI Talent Development Plan for All” launched last year and seeks to create a convergence education environment that prepares students for the AI era.
Schools were chosen through a comprehensive evaluation, considering factors such as curriculum alignment, clarity of space utilization plans, operational capacity, sustainability of convergence education, and potential for outcome dissemination. Construction of the AI Convergence Education Rooms is scheduled to be completed by the second half of this year, with full-scale operation to follow.
Among the selected institutions, 35 are elementary schools, 32 middle schools, 47 high schools, and 4 special schools. Regionally, Seoul tops the list with 19 schools, followed by Gyeonggi with 18, Gyeongnam with 11, and Incheon, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk each with 8.
These AI Convergence Education Rooms will focus on activity-based learning, allowing students to independently explore and solve problems, departing from traditional lecture-centered classrooms. The spaces will encourage cross-disciplinary exploration, integrating science, mathematics, and information technology, and will support AI-driven data analysis, design, production activities, and collaborative project-based learning.
Examples of project-based classes may include developing solutions for fire trucks equipped with robotic arms to navigate hazardous environments or creating environmental monitoring devices to protect vulnerable populations during extreme weather events such as heat waves.
“The AI Convergence Education Room initiative aims to innovate educational spaces and provide students with future-oriented learning experiences,” the Ministry of Education said. “We will continue to support schools in enhancing students’ creative problem-solving capabilities.”