AI in education, sustainability, and the future of work: An integrative review of industry 5.0, education 5.0, and work 5.0

Industry 5.0, Education 5.0, and Work 5.0 are often discussed in silos; this integrative review shows how they cohere into a human-centric, sustainability-aligned model of AI-enabled transformation. This study reviews 200 records (62 included) from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and policy portals (EC, UNESCO, ILO, WEF) to examine how these three domains intersect as a unified paradigm. Using an integrative literature review with quality appraisal of empirical studies and policy reports, we identify three cross-domain themes: (1) human-AI collaboration that reorients automation from substitution to augmentation, (2) skills development pathways led by Education 5.0 that bridge education, industry, and labor, and (3) sustainability as a unifying normative anchor across ecological, social, and economic dimensions. Findings show benefits (ergonomics, curriculum-industry alignment, green jobs) and risks (deskilling, inequality, rebound effects). The framework contributes by clarifying shared mediators (skills, ethics, sustainability), surfacing contradictions (automation vs. inclusion), and proposing governance conditions for human-centric outcomes. Major implications include aligning innovation policy, curriculum reform, and labour protections under SDG-coherent strategies, and piloting metrics that capture well-being, equity, and productivity.