By Stefano Brusoni
The Education Technology (EdTech) sector has been expanding steadily for years. Industry estimates suggest the market could grow by roughly 40% over the next five years to exceed $20 billion, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) playing a pivotal role. AI-driven solutions already in wide use include language-learning apps such as Duolingo and collaborative platforms like Brainly, which apply machine learning to analyze student responses and improve learning outcomes.
Computers will not and should not replace skilled human teachers. The greatest value of AI lies in augmenting educators—providing differentiated, individualized learning tools and methods that support instruction. Educators can deploy AI to automate routine tasks, scale content delivery, generate timely feedback, and monitor learners’ progress to identify areas needing targeted intervention.
To fully realize these benefits, however, a cultural shift in schools and organizations is required. AI-powered tools must be implemented in ways that empower instructors to tailor learning to students’ needs. Only by understanding how to integrate technology effectively can institutions address the practical challenges faced by both teachers and learners.
Facilitating Online Learning
For much of the past decade, online learning environments were often uninspiring and primarily focused on content delivery. In the early 2010s, corporate online courses saw dropout rates ranging from 40% to 80%, well above typical retention in traditional classrooms. Those high attrition figures reflected decentralized, low-engagement designs that failed to reproduce the dynamic interactions of in-person settings.
Today’s platforms are intentionally designed to support differentiated and personalized learning experiences that sustain engagement. AI contributes not only by delivering content but also by providing meaningful, actionable feedback to students and instructors. Advances in machine learning make it possible to anonymize and analyze learning data, revealing how learners acquire skills and adapt their thinking over time.
By aggregating and leveraging these insights, online providers can refine curricula, improve course design, and better guide learners’ journeys. The result is improved retention and more effective learning outcomes, since platforms can adapt to individual progress and recommend the right next steps for each student.
Upskilling and Talent Development
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored both the feasibility of teaching and learning online and the critical need for continuous talent development within organizations. The labor market disruptions of recent years, including high rates of turnover and the phenomenon commonly referred to as the Great Resignation, have made upskilling and reskilling urgent priorities for HR leaders.
Many employees—particularly millennials and younger workers—place a high value on learning and development opportunities. As more tech-native Gen Z and millennial professionals enter the workforce, organizations must adopt scalable online learning solutions to help employees remain competitive and engaged.
In corporate settings, AI and machine learning enable organizations to design personalized, lifelong learning paths. Customized journeys help teams build shared vocabularies and collaborative habits that translate directly to workplace performance. Integrated platforms can align learning with real projects, promote continuous development, and improve employee satisfaction and retention by offering clear growth pathways.
Enabling a Globalized World
Globalization and the digital era have reshaped expectations about access to education. International frameworks have long stressed inclusive, equitable learning as fundamental to sustainable development, and AI’s capacity for personalization can support better learning outcomes while expanding access for remote and underserved learners.
AI tools such as chatbots provide round-the-clock interaction and immediate feedback, making support available across time zones. Machine learning techniques are also being explored to automate grading, streamline assessments, and provide consistent feedback at scale—reducing administrative burden and accelerating learning cycles.
Multinational organizations stand to gain from unified digital learning platforms that reduce information silos and align diverse teams around common competencies and tools. In distributed or hybrid work environments, such platforms help teams apply what they learn directly to shared tasks, enabling organizations to scale capabilities while respecting individual strengths and differences. The aim of AI in workplace education is not to homogenize employees, but to enable each person to contribute their unique talents more effectively.
The recent surge in EdTech has been accelerated by the pandemic, which demonstrated the viability of remote and hybrid learning models. AI continues to reshape how we teach, interact, and exchange knowledge across academic and corporate settings. Moving forward, it is our responsibility to refine and build on the approaches that have proven effective—balancing technological innovation with thoughtful implementation.
About the Author
Dr. Stefano Brusoni is Chief Strategy Officer and co‑founder of Sparkademy. He has served as a Professor of Technology and Innovation Management at D-MTEC since 2011 and was previously an Associate Professor of Applied Economics at Bocconi University. He earned his PhD in Science and Technology Policy Studies from the University of Sussex’s Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) in 2002 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship there. His research examines barriers to innovation and organizational change and has informed both academic publications and the founding of companies such as Spark Works and Sparkademy.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media hub focused on the shift in education toward digital curriculum.