🤖 Getting specific about “AI literacy & Skills." AI in Higher Ed.

Hello 👋

The term “AI Literacy” now stretches from everyday AI awareness to highly technical, industry-specific skills, and many conversations aren’t always making that distinction. The HolonIQ by QS chart on AI augmentation potential by industry makes that nuance visible: the skills people will need to work with AI in healthcare or logistics may be very different from those in education or finance. OpenAI’s recent collaboration with AARP, for instance, focuses narrowly on digital confidence for older adults, teaching practical safety and communication skills. TD SYNNEX is working on the other end of the spectrum, helping its tech partners and apprentices build applied AI and data science capability across vendor networks. Amazon has been scaling employer-aligned training programs that help workers use AI tools directly in their jobs. Together, these examples show why there is more demand for nuance in the discussion about “AI literacy” and skills and how strategy should consider context.

🎓 AI in Higher Education 

The landscape for AI in Post Secondary Education is evolving, and some institutions are moving in phases - first strengthening data infrastructure and digital capability, then building leadership and faculty readiness to use AI responsibly and at scale. On this foundation, some universities are turning to AI to better understand shifting learner expectations and market dynamics, using data-driven insights to refine marketing, recruitment, and enrollment strategies.

Within teaching and learning, adaptive platforms and dynamic assessments are making instruction more responsive and evidence-based. And beyond degrees, AI is extending the reach of lifelong learning through virtual internships, career-matching tools, and alumni engagement platforms, connecting learners to opportunity well beyond graduation.

HolonIQ’s Market Map unpacks this evolving space, exploring the key stakeholders, both institutions and organizations. If you aren't already a customer, request a Demo today for access to HolonIQ's market data, analysis, and briefings.

⭐ AI & Digital Innovation Spotlight

🧑‍🏫 McGraw-Hill is launching a new AI-powered enterprise offering for higher education institutions, supporting faculty and administrators with tools to create personalized learning for students 

🤝 Classover is partnering with Litespace to provide AI-driven recruitment solutions in education, supporting more efficient teacher hiring and long-term workforce development.

🤖 Azerbaijan is developing an AI chatbot for students, trained on all textbooks to provide support in core subjects, under its Digital School project.

🤝 Policy & Partnerships

🧑‍💻 Kazakhstan announced plans to build a specialized research university for AI and train up to 1M citizens in digital skills over the next 5 years.

🎓 South Korea is mandating basic AI education across 9 regional universities and plans to invest 4 trillion won by 2030 to boost employment rates and expand international education pathways.

🤖 Pakistan is launching a pilot project to introduce AI in federal schools, beginning with Grade 8 students, by deploying AI-powered solutions for teaching the national curriculum, with plans to expand to 100,000 schools.

💪 Power Moves & Funding

📚 MyEdSpace, a UK-based online education platform, raised $15M to expand its operations and roll out AI-powered learning tools.

✍️ Chalkie, a UK-based lesson planner, raised $1.3M to assist in the development of its AI-powered lesson plan generation platform.

✨ AlphaBEST Education, a US-based provider of after-school and summer programs, has acquired iCAMP, a STEM enrichment and summer camp provider, to strengthen its STEM programs.

🎓 SNVA EduTech, an Indian online education and counseling platform, acquired Edureka, Veranda Higher Education, and Six Phrase from Veranda Learning to expand its global education offerings.