Starring MIT, EdTechX Summit, AI and more: ETIH rolls out the biggest education technology news stories of the week
From headline-making AI research to major funding rounds and EdTechX Summit debates, this week delivered another round of standout stories in education technology. Below are the ten most-read ETIH articles, ranked from ten to one. AI once again dominates the agenda — but not without new questions around ethics, memory, and creativity.
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10. EdTechX Summit: How can we use AI responsibly in education?
In at number 10, experts gathered at the EdTechX Summit in London to debate how artificial intelligence can be implemented responsibly and ethically in schools.
Speakers from the Department for Education, UCL, Mindstone, and Cooley LLP emphasized the need for better hardware access, smarter legal frameworks, and clear teacher guidance. While all agreed AI could improve efficiency and unlock teaching time, concerns about widening digital divides and unregulated use remain.
→ Read the full article
9. Acorn raises $12.3M to reshape workforce development with AI-driven learning and performance tools
Next up is Vancouver-based Acorn, which secured $12.3 million in Series A funding to expand its performance learning platform internationally.
Acorn’s new “Capabilities AI” automates the mapping of employee skills to business objectives, offering personalized development plans at scale. The company is positioning itself as an alternative to legacy LMS tools by integrating AI across the learning-performance pipeline.
→ Full funding story here
8. EdTech provider Efekta launches largest global AI tutoring trial for English learners in Latin America
In at number 8, Efekta launched a massive AI-powered tutoring program across Latin America, giving up to four million students access to adaptive English language tools.
The rollout includes Classroom AI (for lesson prep and grading) and Addi, an AI tutor offering personalized English instruction. The initiative builds on success in Brazil, where Efekta’s platform improved English scores by 32 percent.
→ Explore the rollout
7. Multiverse names MongoDB’s Head of EMEA Donn D’Arcy as its new Chief Revenue Officer
In seventh place, apprenticeship platform Multiverse appointed Donn D’Arcy as Chief Revenue Officer to support its mission to become the AI workforce training partner for enterprises.
D’Arcy joins from MongoDB, where he scaled revenue to $700M ARR. His arrival follows the recent appointment of CFO Jillian Gillespie and Multiverse’s announcement of 15,000 new AI apprenticeships.
→ Read the full appointment news
6. AI-powered EdTech firm Knowunity secures €27 million in Series B funding round headed up by XAnge
At number six, German EdTech startup Knowunity raised €27 million to fuel growth in the U.S. and Asia.
The platform combines AI with student-generated content to offer personalized feedback, learning plans, and exam prep. It’s currently used by over 20 million students in 15 countries. CEO Benedict Kurz says the goal is to deliver “a personal, AI-based learning companion” to one billion students.
5. South Korea announces global postdoctoral fellowship on AI, science and technology, recruiting 400 researchers
Halfway through the list, South Korea unveiled its InnoCORE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, backed by a $222 million investment.
The program aims to recruit 400 global researchers across fields including bio-embodied AI, aerospace, drug discovery, and hydrogen technology, offering competitive salaries and partnerships with firms like Samsung and institutions like MIT.
→ Read the full fellowship details
4. EdTechX Summit in London: Looking beyond the AI avatar for language learning
At number 4, another EdTechX panel explored what’s next for AI in language education — and why avatars aren’t the whole answer.
Panelists from eTeacher, Novakid, Promova, and Efekta debated the strengths and limits of current AI tools. While avatars can support practice, personalization and real-time feedback are still best delivered through blended or role-play scenarios, not gimmicks.
→ See the full session breakdown
3. EdTechX Summit: How is technology changing educational content and publishing?
Breaking into the top three, this panel session focused on how AI and digital tools are reshaping education publishing.
Leaders from Nelson, BibliU, and the British Council argued that legacy publishers must innovate to survive. AI is already reducing content creation costs, but panelists stressed that editorial expertise, accuracy, and learner trust still matter.
2. U.S. News & World Report unveils 2025–2026 Best Global Universities rankings, evaluating 2,250+ institutions
Taking second place this week, U.S. News & World Report released its latest Best Global Universities rankings, covering over 2,250 institutions across 100+ countries.
Harvard tops the list, followed by MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge. China leads overall by number of ranked institutions (397), signaling the continued rise of global research competition.
1. MIT study shows ChatGPT reshapes student brain function and reduces creativity when used from the start
And in at number one, a striking MIT study has revealed how using ChatGPT too early in a writing task can impair brain connectivity and creativity.
The research tracked students’ brain activity using EEG and found that starting with generative AI weakened memory encoding and semantic processing. The best cognitive outcomes occurred when students drafted independently before revising with AI.
