The textbook “English: English for Change” is designed to support English language learning for high school students in the context of the Indonesian Independent Curriculum. This study evaluates the textbook’s effectiveness in fostering independent learning through qualitative content analysis and explores the potential integration of AI-enhanced technologies to address existing gaps. The findings reveal that the textbook demonstrates strengths, such as implementing a genre-based approach that supports progressive learning and themes relevant to students’ contexts and twenty-first-century competencies. However, it also exhibits weaknesses, including insufficient explicit scaffolding, monotony in exercise variation, limited multimedia integration, and an under-addressed role of teacher facilitation. To enhance the textbook’s effectiveness, this study recommends incorporating AI-driven adaptive learning tools, interactive multimedia features, automated feedback systems, and structured teacher support programs to provide personalized learning experiences, improve student engagement, and overcome practical challenges such as infrastructural limitations and digital divides. These enhancements align with the evolving educational landscape by promoting independent, active, and technology-integrated learning while acknowledging potential implementation barriers.