by Chief Financial Officer Chia-Hua (Phyllis) Chen Last month I talked about the infrastructure cost trap. Since then, I’ve had more conversations with early-stage AI EdTech founders, and another theme keeps coming up. It’s what I call the growth mirage. Here’s the scene: a founder is thrilled because their DAU and MAU are climbing fast. The…
by Chief Operating Officer Tzu-Ying (Kimberley) Chen Working at the intersection of technology and education means facing both excitement and complexity. AI has the potential to make learning more personalized, accessible, and engaging — but turning that vision into reality isn’t without challenges. Over time, three issues tend to appear again and again, and they…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn In a recent New York Times opinion piece, Clay Shirky outlines the challenges universities face as generative AI reshapes academic work. Traditional safeguards against plagiarism no longer suffice; students can critique AI output with AI itself, and detectors remain unreliable. To preserve learning, Shirky suggests reviving older practices: in-class blue book exams,…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn South Korea once aimed for an AI-driven education revolution, but that vision has stumbled amid controversy, politics, and skepticism. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and Education Minister Lee Juho promised that AI-supported digital textbooks would transform classrooms, personalizing lessons in math, English, and computer science. The technology was meant to reduce…
by BrainStream Chief Marketing Officer Ya-Hui (Laura) Kao Exciting news for the interactive tech industry: on July 7, 2025, B.C. officially announced that the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (IDMTC) will increase from 17.5% to 25% and become permanent, effective September 1, 2025. 📄 Official announcement: B.C. Government 📊 Industry source: Creative BC This initiative aims to…
by Chief Financial Officer Chia-Hua (Phyllis) Chen AI has lowered the barrier to entry in education tech—but it’s also quietly raised the bar for sustainability. In recent months, I’ve spoken with multiple early-stage AI EdTech founders. There’s a common thread: infrastructure is treated as a technical concern, not a strategic one. That’s a mistake. The Hidden…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn As educators begin to acknowledge that AI is not going away, they are looking for ways to incorporate AI as a study tool rather than just a way to find answers. An article on Ars Technica describes a new ChatGPT feature called study mode: Study Mode isn’t a new ChatGPT…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn A new report from Common Sense Media looks at how American teens ages 13 to 17 are engaging with AI companions, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens conducted in April and May 2025. Notably, a third of teens reported using AI companions for social interaction and relationship support. Source:…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn In a provocative column from The New York Times (July 3, 2025), David Brooks highlights the growing cognitive risks of over-relying on AI tools for thinking and writing. Citing new research by M.I.T.’s Nataliya Kosmyna, Brooks explores how students who used large language models (LLMs) to generate essays retained less knowledge, showed…
by BrainStream CEO Steve Alcorn In an era where free AI tools like ChatGPT tempt students to shortcut genuine learning, BrainStream stands apart by turning AI from a threat into an accountability ally. Unlike generic AI tutors that freely roam the internet for answers, BrainStream restricts itself to your school’s chosen course materials—ensuring students truly…
