Educators embrace AI, but integration gaps threaten long-term impact

Futuresource Consulting is set to release a landmark EdTech AI bulletin report in June, exploring the usage and deployment of AI in 2025 classrooms. 

Futuresource Consulting will release its latest education bulletin next month, entitled AI in Education: 2025 Progress and Possibility. Authored by a team led by Senior Research Analyst Iryna Kazanchuk, the upcoming report will provide insight into how AI has entered classrooms at scale in 2025, and what challenges, tensions and opportunities lie ahead for both K-12 and higher education sectors. 

Drawn from in-depth interviews with educators, policy stakeholders and technology vendors, the bulletin tracks AI’s accelerating momentum across global education. From lesson planning and reporting tools in schools, to generative curriculum design and administrative automation in universities, AI has moved beyond the hype. It is now shaping the daily reality of teaching and learning. 

Adoption rising, but friction persists 

AI use has surged across the education sphere, particularly in higher education where institutions are embedding generative tools into LMS platforms and student services. AI tools can assist teachers with a variety of administrative tasks, saving critical time that can be redirected to the important task of teaching. In K-12 settings, teachers increasingly rely on AI to help with formative assessments, generate customised content and reduce the growing burden of administrative tasks. 

But integration hasn’t been seamless. The Futuresource bulletin will explore how lack of training, algorithmic bias and widening resource gaps between schools are increasing the danger of leaving parts of the education system behind. Compounding the issue, many teachers using AI tools do not feel confident integrating them effectively, often navigating these tools without proper training. 

Infrastructure and inequity 

The report also addresses the infrastructure and funding pressures affecting AI adoption. In many K-12 schools, EdTech budgets are increasingly stretched, and the rise of BYOD models is shifting investment priorities away from centralised computing and toward lightweight AV and connectivity solutions. 

Meanwhile, higher education institutions continue to act as incubators for innovation. AI-enhanced administrative tools, student support bots and smart classroom systems are being deployed. These tools are expected to have an impact far beyond improving efficiencies, expanding into most areas of an institution’s operations.  However, this innovation gap risks deepening inequality between institutions with access to more advanced EdTech and those without. 

A call for guidance and governance 

“While institutions explore the possibilities of AI, the question remains as to how well institutions can implement these technologies, and whether they have the right support systems in place,” says Kazanchuk. “Without consistent training, ethical oversight and clear national strategies, adoption will remain fragmented, and students will experience unequal benefits.” 

The bulletin will explore the urgent need for standardised guidance, alongside case studies from both K-12 and higher education, showing early success stories and common pitfalls. Topics will include: 

• The AI-enabled PC market for education 
• Cost of ownership and sustainability 
• Regulatory readiness and institutional response 
• Front-line perspectives from teachers, IT leads and EdTech providers 

Set to publish in June 2025, AI in Education: 2025 Progress and Possibility will offer actionable insights for vendors, policymakers and institutional decision-makers navigating the fast-changing intersection of pedagogy and artificial intelligence. 

About Futuresource Consulting 

Futuresource Consulting, established in the 1980s, is a leading research and consulting firm specialising in global market analysis, forecasts and strategic insights. With a deep understanding of emerging trends and technologies, Futuresource helps businesses navigate complex markets and make informed decisions. 

To learn more about our research into the education technology space, please contact ben.thrussell@futuresource-hq.com. 

Press Contact: Nicola Finn, Marketing Manager, Futuresource Consulting, nicola.finn@futuresource-hq.com