Combinations of Generative Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in K-12 and Higher Education: A Review

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics constitute two major technological fields frequently integrated into education. Both of them provide advantages to educational settings, stemming from approaches integrating them at all educational levels. The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence and the growing popularity of related tools have accelerated the integration of AI into education. An aspect of interest is to explore the combination of AI with robotics in education, aiming to benefit from the advantages of both technological schemes. This paper reviews work regarding the combination of generative Artificial Intelligence and robotics in K-12 and higher education. Scopus was used to search for relevant work. Fifty-four relevant papers were retrieved and analyzed after an exhaustive search. Trends in this combination are highlighted, taking into consideration learning, teaching, robot functionality and capabilities of generative AI tools, teaching subjects, sample size, and educational levels. Five main types of generative AI and robotics combinations are discerned. The overall combination benefits and challenges are analyzed. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no other review discussing this subject in this specific context.