ETIH’s most-read stories this week: Claude expands in higher ed, Microsoft’s $4B AI pledge, and Anthropic heads to court
From federal courtrooms to space gardens and STEM rallies in Oldham, the past week in edtech covered just about everything. As generative AI continues to expand into enterprise learning, national research, and school leadership, other trends, like platform consolidation and immersive microgravity training, continue to capture attention.
Here are the top 10 most-read EdTech Innovation Hub stories this week:
10. Salta Group adopts D2L Brightspace to streamline digital learning across professional and online education
In at number 10, Benelux-based education provider Salta Group has chosen D2L Brightspace as its single learning management system (LMS) across both Professional and Online Education divisions.
The shift follows years of platform fragmentation across Salta’s 25+ training organizations. With more than one million learners annually, the move to Brightspace aims to enhance consistency, streamline content creation with Creator+, and optimize the student journey.
9. University of Manchester and Brian Cox lead UK STEM education drive in Oldham schools and colleges
Next up, Professor Brian Cox and the University of Manchester returned to Oldham for a two-day STEM push under the “Great Horizons” banner.
Events included school visits, teacher CPD, and a student Q&A at Oldham Sixth Form College. Cox emphasized the region’s rich history and potential for a 21st-century STEM renaissance, while civic leaders highlighted the need to embed career awareness across school and college pathways.
8. Microsoft launches Microsoft Elevate and the AI Economy Institute, pledges $4bn for educators
AI returns at number 8, as Microsoft launches Microsoft Elevate and the AI Economy Institute, pledging $4 billion in cash and technology for K–12 schools, colleges, and nonprofit organizations.
The new initiatives include support for 20 million AI credentials, global policy advocacy, and academic research into how AI is transforming learning, productivity, and labor markets. Microsoft calls it a strategy to “help people thrive alongside smarter machines.”
7. Huddersfield Business School enters tenth round of Help to Grow management program for SME leaders
At number 7, Huddersfield Business School confirmed new intakes for its Help to Grow management course, a hybrid program for small business leaders in Kirklees and beyond.
The 12-week course includes mentoring, leadership coaching, and strategy development. With over 150 graduates already and its own awards program, Help to Grow is becoming a standout model for university-business collaboration.
6. Carlsberg Group sees first cohort of graduates from Multiverse-powered data apprenticeship programme
Breaking into the top half of the list, Carlsberg Group has celebrated its first graduating class of 26 data apprentices in a program powered by Multiverse.
The initiative delivered real-world case studies and upskilling across departments, from HR to commercial supply chains. Multiverse, led by Euan Blair, is also behind a national push to train 15,000 AI apprentices over two years.
5. PowerSchool names Antonio Pietri as new CEO, replacing Hardeep Gulati in October
At number 5, PowerSchool announced that Antonio Pietri will take over as CEO in October 2025, following the decade-long tenure of Hardeep Gulati.
The announcement follows a period of expansion, acquisitions, and a recent cybersecurity breach. PowerSchool’s investors say Pietri’s software background aligns with its next phase of AI-led product growth and global reach.
4. US court backs Anthropic in AI copyright case, but pirated books issue heads to trial
Legal questions around AI model training took center stage at number 4. A U.S. court ruled that Anthropic’s use of legally purchased books to train Claude qualifies as fair use, but the company will still face trial in December over alleged use of pirated content.
The case may set major precedents for copyright, content licensing, and how AI developers train large language models. Anthropic says it remains confident in its case and welcomes clarity from the courts.
3. Aurelia Institute expands MIT-born space research and education programs beyond academia
Coming in at number 3, Aurelia Institute is building out its space education programs — with microgravity missions, orbital habitat design, and open-source STEM outreach all born from MIT’s Space Exploration Initiative.
The nonprofit, co-founded by Ariel Ekblaw, now runs annual flights that double as workforce development tools. Projects like TESSERAE are being spun out into companies, and Aurelia is positioning space as both a frontier and a testbed for future-proof technologies.
2. Anthropic expands Claude’s role in higher education and national research with new university tools and federal lab deployment
At number 2, Claude continues its expansion across the education and government sectors. Anthropic has announced Canvas LTI integration, university partnerships (including Northumbria and University of San Francisco), and a wider rollout at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The company says Claude’s safe and private deployment model makes it ideal for higher ed and scientific research. Students can now use Claude directly in their learning environments, while 10,000+ researchers at LLNL are deploying it on projects from nuclear deterrence to fusion energy.
1. Honor Education secures $38 million in Series A funding to support digital learning experiences
And in at number 1 this week: Honor Education raised $38 million in Series A funding to expand its AI capabilities and scale its enterprise learning platform.
Honor is used by clients like Netflix, Pinterest, and Moderna and is known for its collaborative, cohort-based approach to learning. With completion rates of 85 percent and growing demand in healthcare, higher ed, and corporate sectors, the platform is aiming to push personalization beyond static video content.
RTIH AI in Retail Awards
Our sister title, RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries.
As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.
With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.
Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.
Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.
