OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 Conference

Generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping the educational landscape, beyond teaching and learning. Unlike earlier waves of education technology, much of GenAI is freely accessible and largely used beyond institutional control due to its intuitiveness and versatility. The OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 analyses emerging research that suggests GenAI can support learning when guided by clear teaching principles. However, if designed or used without pedagogical guidance, outsourcing tasks to GenAI simply enhances performance with no real learning gains. The Outlook highlights the benefits of GenAI as a tutor, partner and assistant, and synthesises experts’ evidence and insights on the design criteria that make it work for education.

The OECD Digital Education Outlook 2023 provides a comparative, thematic analysis of how countries shape or could shape their digital ecosystem. 

Student information systems (or Education Management Information System - EMIS), learning management systems, digital assessment platforms, study and careers guidance: what are the different components of countries’ digital education ecosystem? How and to what extent do countries leverage teachers’ digital competences and the latest opportunities offered by artificial intelligence (AI)? How can countries make the most of their digital ecosystem so that it is trustworthy, useful, effective, and equitable? How do and can countries allow for digital education to continue to improve and innovate education? 

This discussion paper on AI in education was jointly developed by the OECD and Education International initially as an input to discussions in the International Summit of the Teaching Profession 2023. The use of artificial intelligence and digital technology as part of teaching and learning is thus the focus of the text. The text was then refined through country, expert and stakeholder consultations and reviewed by the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) governing board members as well as the Education International members. It aims to facilitate collaboration between education authorities and the teaching profession and inspire further discussions and guidelines on the use of AI in education.