Building future-ready classrooms for students and teachers

With generative AI rapidly reshaping industries, educators are wrestling with pivotal questions: How do we guide students in using AI responsibly so that it doesn’t take away from the joy of learning? What is the best way to infuse AI into my own workflow so I can devote more time to the craft of teaching? And how can we equip students to thrive in a world that’s evolving faster than traditional educational systems have been able to keep pace?

As the role of generative AI in education is being shaped, Adobe is championing the idea that rather than replacing thinking, AI tools can accelerate ideation and thinking, enhance creativity and support deeper engagement. They can help take learning to the next level with responsibly developed generative AI that is designed to be used in classrooms.

Adobe is partnering with the state of California to prepare an AI-ready workforce for the future by expanding access to Adobe AI tools and AI literacy resources — making it easier to develop skills that will be needed in the transition from the classroom to the workforce.

Adobe’s commitment to classroom-ready AI

The future of innovation starts with access — to tools, to skills and to opportunity. To be able to navigate and succeed in an AI-driven world, both students and teachers will need access to AI education and AI-powered tools like Adobe’s world-class, classroom-ready, AI-powered products like Adobe Express, an easy-to-use content creation app, and Adobe Firefly, Adobe’s family of commercially safe generative AI models that have been built for classroom use. These tools are lowering the barriers to entry for creativity and expression.

We must ensure that critical AI tools aren’t limited to the hands of a few, but that every student, in every school, is equipped to thrive in the future. With this agreement, Adobe will be building upon its long-standing commitment to education by ensuring that both students and educators across Grades 9-12 and higher education institutes in California are prepared to use AI tools throughout the learning journey — whether they are creating, ideating or studying.

AI skills will be important in every industry, not just technology fields, and preparing Californians to enter the modern workforce means creating an essential foundation for students and educators to know how AI works, how to use this technology responsibly, and how to navigate an AI-powered world.

Using AI to bring learning to the next level

Earlier this year, Adobe and Advanis released the Creativity with AI in Education 2025 Report, which offers valuable insights into how fostering creativity and AI in the classroom can enhance academic achievement, career readiness and personal growth. The report found that integrating creativity with AI is not just a supplement for classroom activities, it’s an essential instructional practice and learned skill for empowering the next generation to succeed.

In fact, the study found that 91 percent of educators observed enhanced learning when their students utilize creative AI. They attributed this improvement to students engaging more deeply with content through creative thinking activities and real-world projects that are integrated into the curriculum. Becoming well-versed in AI will also have implications for career prospects in the future. The report notes that 86 percent of educators believe that teaching students how to use generative AI for creative or multimedia projects will improve their chances of securing jobs as more employers require these skills.

Teachers as the bridge to opportunity

We also know that equipping educators at all levels is just as important as equipping students. When we invest in teachers, we invest in every student they will ever reach. That’s why we’re investing in professional development, certifications, and AI literacy content to help educators lead the way in responsible AI use. For example, Adobe's global skilling initiatives expand the Adobe Digital Academy to equip 30 million teachers and learners with the AI literacy, content creation, and digital marketing skills they need to thrive in the modern workforce.

Educators are the bridge to opportunity, and when they’re empowered the entire classroom benefits. When teachers know how to leverage this technology responsibly, they can create engaging lesson plans, build deeper knowledge within their curricula, and automate tasks so they can spend more time engaging directly with students. We need to ensure that teachers and schools are not only ready, but equipped, to prioritize AI tools and curricula as part of the learning and development process — whether through providing credentialing and training or even advanced certification programs through which governments and industry can partner together in certifying teachers who can teach AI skills on a deeper level.

By empowering both students and educators with AI skills and knowledge, Adobe is proud to take a critical step toward building an innovative workforce that thrives in the digital world of today and tomorrow.