Navigating the AI Era: Structural Challenges, Governance, and Development Pathways for K–12 Digital Textbooks

Driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence technology, digital textbooks in primary and secondary schools are evolving from the digitization of paper textbooks and rich-media interactive formats toward intelligent interactive learning systems. This paper provides a systematic analysis of the practical challenges and strategic opportunities facing digital textbooks in the age of AI. Three major development bottlenecks are identified in K–12 digital textbooks: regulatory approval difficulties, disconnection from classroom practice, and a fragmented industry ecosystem. We should also be cautious about risks caused by AI, such as the dissolution of authority, superficial cognition, the "digitization" of people, the "dehumanization" of education, as well as unclear copyrights and data security issues. Driven by AI, digital textbook functionality must advance to encompass adaptive learning, interdisciplinary inquiry, and intelligent assessment. Based on this analysis, this paper proposes three key pathways for AI-empowered K–12 digital textbooks. First, AI should reinforce the technical foundation by integrating big data, cloud computing, and adaptive system capabilities. Second, AI should enable content adaptation, transforming digital textbooks from standardized content providers into personalized learning service platforms. Third, AI should drive functional upgrades, establishing personalized learning systems for students and intelligent teaching support for educators. The paper further proposes a future direction characterized by the principle of "Keeping Integrity and Innovation" (shou zheng ding xin). For “Keeping Integrity”, the priorities include implementing national governance responsibilities, upholding educational values, serving national strategies, and preserving disciplinary rigor. For innovation, institutional reform is essential—establishing governance mechanisms suited to the distinctive nature of digital textbooks, advancing a comprehensive regulatory framework, and cultivating specialized talent—alongside ecosystem restructuring through sustained public investment, collaborative development communities, enhanced teacher digital competency, and improved quality monitoring. Ultimately, this study envisions a smart education service model centered on intelligent digital textbooks, deeply integrating teaching, learning, management, assessment, and research, with the aim of reshaping the educational landscape and the publishing industry to support the building of both a strong educational nation and a leading publishing sector.