Russia Is Building a “Digital” Geography Textbook Powered by AI
Russian educators are developing a new unified geography textbook that blends artificial intelligence, interactive maps, and smartphone-based visuals—signaling a shift away from paper-only learning.
Russia is developing a new single, standardized geography textbook for students in grades 5 through 11, with a strong focus on digital tools and artificial intelligence. According to the Russian Geographical Society, the project is designed to rethink how geography is taught—using technology to make the subject more visual, interactive, and closely tied to real-world data.
The digital textbook will include so-called “live” photographs that students can explore using a smartphone, along with interactive digital maps. Developers say the goal is to make geography less abstract and more tangible, helping students better understand real landscapes, regions, and social processes. The curriculum also emphasizes an in-depth study of different aspects of life across Russia.
Teaching Students to Work With AI
The new textbook will include assignments that explicitly involve artificial intelligence. Alongside the core material, schools will receive supporting resources such as teacher guides, digital workbooks, outline maps, and atlases.
Developers expect the new geography textbook to be introduced in schools in 2028.
The project reflects a broader shift already underway in Russian education. Digital tools and AI are increasingly used by teachers to prepare lesson plans and reports, while students rely on them to search for information and learn how to analyze it.
Education experts involved in the project argue that the key challenge is not banning AI in classrooms, but integrating it thoughtfully. Used correctly, they say, AI can make lessons more engaging and help students move beyond static textbooks—learning geography not just from printed pages, but through data, visualization, and interaction.
If the rollout succeeds, the new geography textbook could become a blueprint for how traditional school subjects are rebuilt for a digital-first classroom—where AI is treated not as a shortcut, but as part of the learning process itself.
