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Join hosts Alex Sarlin, Ben Kornell, Michael Horn and Dhawal Shah as they break down major moves in online learning, AI, and higher education shaping the end of 2025.
✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:00:00] Coursera and Udemy announce a $2.5B all-stock merger forming a 175M-learner platform
[00:00:30] Michael Horn on Coursera’s growing leverage over university partners
[00:02:08] Ben Kornell explores Coursera’s potential to become a global university
[00:05:40] Dhawal Shah explains the financial motivations behind the merger
[00:09:54] Michael Horn compares the deal to the 2U–edX acquisition
[00:11:54] The hosts discuss channel power and aggregation in edtech
[00:16:49] Debate on Coursera’s acquisition strategy and platform future
[00:21:43] Dhawal Shah on why these businesses may perform better as private companies
[00:22:33] Ben Kornell outlines Coursera’s two paths: efficiency or AI-led reinvention
[00:30:24] Gaps in online learning around mentorship and advanced skills
[00:35:29] OpenAI’s latest release and rising competition with Google Gemini
[00:38:55] Why content and IP still matter in the AI era
[00:48:36] Purdue introduces an AI competency requirement for graduates
Plus, special guests:
[00:52:54] Isabelle Hau, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, on human-centered and social AI in education
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This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.
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