AI is no longer just a content conversation
To no surprise, AI was everywhere at EDUtech.
What was more interesting was the way the conversation is starting to mature. The better discussions were not simply about using AI to generate content. They were about how organisations manage AI safely, use it consistently and connect it to real workflows.
In L&D we know that AI can clearly help with content analysis, early drafting, scenario generation, translation, quality assurance, accessibility checking, feedback and rapid prototyping.
But AI is not a learning strategy on its own.
A tool can generate content, but it cannot decide whether the learning is fit for purpose. It can summarise information, but it does not always understand organisational risk, legal nuance, culture, learner context or what a person actually needs to do differently on the job.
That is why the real opportunity is not just “AI generated elearning”. It is better learning design workflows supported by AI, with the right human judgement, governance and quality assurance around them.
This links closely to the way we think about AI risk and ethics in organisational culture. AI adoption is not just a technology rollout. It is a capability, governance and behaviour change challenge.
Immersive learning is becoming more practical
Immersive learning also had a presence at EDUtech, with vendors and start-ups focused on VR, AR, 3D learning, simulation, robotics and avatar-based experiences.
The exhibitor list included organisations such as edgedVR, Rayner Digital Labs, Makers Empire, Bambu Lab and Motum Simulation, pointing to use cases across VR learning, 3D content, design, robotics, simulation and applied practice.
All extremely valuable when people need to practice decisions or behaviours in a safe environment. That could include safety, leadership, customer conversations, emergency response, technical skills, compliance, risk identification or field-based work.
But again, the technology is not the point. A VR experience is only useful if it helps the learner practice something meaningful. A simulation is only useful if the decisions, consequences and feedback are well designed. A 3D environment is only useful if it adds something that a simpler format could not achieve.
The best immersive learning experiences are not impressive because they are immersive. They are impressive because they allow people to practice something that would otherwise be difficult, risky, or expensive to do in real life. EDUtech gave us plenty of examples of real use cases to keep us grounded.
Vibe coding is exciting, but it still needs discipline
The Google for Education sessions at EDUtech included a focus on using Gemini Canvas to build targeted digital tools, including the idea of moving from “I wish I had a tool for this” to “I just created a tool for this.”
That is a very interesting idea for elearning.
For learning teams, vibe coding can help create prototypes, simple decision tools, calculators, custom interactions, small web based activities and even lightweight simulations. It can make the early stages of digital learning development faster and more creative.
But there is a catch. A prototype is not the same as a finished learning product.
If a learning activity is going to be used inside an LMS, rolled out to hundreds or thousands of learners, maintained over time, tracked for completion or used in a compliance environment, it still needs proper review. That includes accessibility, quality assurance, browser testing, security, version control, data handling and documentation.
That is why we see vibe coding as an accelerator, not a shortcut.
It can help move faster, but someone still needs to understand the learning design, the technology and the risks.
We have explored this further in our article on vibe coding and elearning, particularly the maintenance issue. AI can help create code, but organisations still need to know how that code will be supported later.
Not just, can we build it? Can we maintain it?
Microlearning and video still matter, but only when they are designed properly
There was plenty of interest at EDUtech in shorter, more flexible and more engaging learning formats.
We already see this in most organisations. People are busy. Attention is limited. Long, dense training programs are not always the answer. The blueprint for success with microlearning seems well-understood. It’s not about grabbing a super-long course and chopping it into smaller pieces in Rise.
It should support one task, one decision, one behaviour or one moment of need. It is useful because it is targeted, not just because it is short. This can easily be forgotten when we’re designing to a ‘project scope’ rather than something ‘learner-driven’. And new tools/platforms support this understanding.
The same can be said for video. A bit of a grey area for L&D as often blends in with changes and comms. Video can be excellent for explaining a process, introducing a story, showing a behaviour or making content feel more human. The format should follow the learning need.
AI governance and workforce transformation
One of the more interesting discussions for us at EDUtech was around AI governance.
There were plenty of conversations about AI tools, content generation and productivity, but the bigger question is becoming less about whether organisations are using AI and more about how that AI use is being understood, managed and scaled.
Airia was a useful example of this shift. Their platform is positioned around helping organisations manage AI tools, models and agents with greater visibility, security and control. We had the chance to get under the hood through a laptop open session, which made the discussion more practical than theoretical.
The platform itself was interesting, but the broader takeaway was even more relevant to learning and development.
AI governance is quickly becoming part of the workforce transformation conversation.
Many organisations are already working with a mix of AI tools, whether formally approved, quietly piloted, or used informally by different teams. One area might be using Microsoft Copilot. Another might be experimenting with ChatGPT. Others may be testing Gemini, Claude, specialist AI products, or agent based tools connected to business workflows.
That experimentation can be valuable. It is often where new ideas, efficiencies and use cases begin. But it can also create a fragmented environment where organisations have limited visibility over which tools are being used, what information is being entered, how outputs are being reviewed, and how AI supported decisions are being managed.
This is where the idea of AI sprawl becomes useful.
It is not simply about having too many tools. It is about the growing gap between AI adoption and organisational oversight. As AI moves from individual productivity tools into workflow automation, content production, customer service, analysis, reporting and decision support, the governance questions become harder to ignore.
From what we saw, Airia appears to be aimed at that problem. Rather than being just another AI tool for one use case, it seems to sit above the AI environment and give organisations a way to manage tools, models, agents, data connections, risk classifications, usage and accountability in a more structured way.
For learning and development teams, that raises an important point.
AI governance will not only be solved through technology, policy or procurement. Those things matter, but they do not automatically create confident, consistent or responsible behaviour across a workforce.
This is where learning has a role.
Not necessarily in the form of another generic “AI awareness” module, although there may still be a place for that. The more interesting opportunity is around practical, role based learning that helps people understand how AI fits into their work.
Different teams will have different questions.
A marketing team may be thinking about brand, copyright, content review and approval pathways. A customer service team may be thinking about privacy, customer data, approved responses and escalation. A compliance team may be thinking about auditability, evidence and risk controls. Leaders may be thinking about productivity, adoption, change readiness and where human judgement still needs to sit.
The learning challenge is not to make everyone an AI expert. It is to help people build enough confidence and judgement to use AI well within the context of their role.
Final thoughts...
EDUtech sits at an interesting intersection. It is where the education sector and technology come together.
For us, that made the event valuable on two levels. It was useful to hear where the broader conversations are heading academically, particularly around AI, learning design, digital capability and the future of education. But it was just as useful to spend time on the exhibitor floor, seeing the tools, platforms and practical use cases that are starting to support those conversations.
The more valuable moments were not just in the big themes, but in the grounded examples. Seeing platforms opened up, asking questions, comparing use cases and understanding how different tools might work in real organisational environments gave the event a practical edge.
From a learning and development perspective, there was plenty to take away. The conversations around AI governance, digital learning platforms, and workforce transformation all connect strongly to the work many organisations are already trying to do. They also reinforce that technology on its own is rarely the full answer. The value comes from how it is applied, how people are supported to use it, and how it fits into a broader learning strategy.
For Lucid, events like this are a useful reminder that the elearning and digital learning space is continuing to shift. New tools are emerging, but so are new expectations around learner experience, governance, accessibility, data, content creation and measurable impact.
These are only some of our highlights from EDUtech, but that is usually the point of attending events like this. You always come away with something. Sometimes it is a new idea, sometimes it is a better understanding of where the market is heading, and sometimes it is a practical conversation on the expo floor that helps you see a familiar challenge in a different way.
Anyway…That’s our take on it. And the vivid fireworks display was an unexpected bonus. :)
