EDUTech 2025 Recap: Innovation, AI, and the Real Question Schools Should Be Asking

Through the lens of a brand strategist.

Walking through this year’s EDUTech Conference in Sydney, one thing was loud and clear, AI has officially entered the education chat. It was the theme, the hook, the headline. Every speaker, every software demo, every stand leaned hard into “AI-powered” solutions.

But among the hype, a simple, strategic question kept surfacing:

Where do you actually start?

Because unless your school or education organisation has a clear approach, and someone to drive it, even the smartest systems will fall short of their potential.

AI Is Everywhere, But Purpose Needs to Lead

There’s no doubt that AI is reshaping the education landscape. But there’s a danger here. In the rush to “innovate,” too many schools are trying to solve experience problems with tools.

Let’s be honest, no piece of software can fix a broken system. You can automate communication, but if the message is off, you’re just doing the wrong thing faster.

The reality is, unless a school has a dedicated facilitator to introduce, integrate, and teach these systems to staff and students, the potential of AI will never be fully realised. The tools are powerful, but only if they’re supporting a clearly defined experience that your school is intentionally delivering.

More Features Doesn’t Mean More Impact

In education, more isn’t always better. In fact, the more features you bolt on without purpose, the more you risk diluting the focus and slowing down adoption.

The best question any school can ask before introducing new platforms isn’t:

“What can this do?”
It’s:
“How do we need this part of our school experience to run?”

This question becomes your filter. It reveals what you need, what you don’t, and what will only serve as a distraction. Because not every bell and whistle is built for your school’s reality, and most of the time, they end up unused.

Experience First. Technology Second.

At Bl_nk, we believe tech is only powerful when it enhances clarity, efficiency, and human connection. That’s why before we recommend a platform or system, we look at the brand experience first.

Right now, we’re auditing the enrolment journey for one of our partner schools, not from a tech perspective, but from a human one. What do parents and students feel from the first click to the first day? Where is it frictionless? Where is it falling short on delivering the school’s values?

Because at the end of the day, a school’s brand is not what it says, it’s what it delivers.
Reputation is earned through experience, not written statements.

Before You Introduce AI, Ask This:

Use these prompts to guide your tech adoption decisions:

• What experience are we trying to improve (enrolment, communication, wellbeing, learning)?
• What do we want that experience to feel like?
• Who needs to be involved in delivering that experience consistently?
• Do we have the systems, culture and leadership in place to support this, before the tech is introduced?

If you don’t have clarity on these, AI won’t solve the problem. It’ll just surface it faster.

Final Thoughts from the Expo Floor

There’s no denying the enthusiasm in the room at EDUTech. And there should be. There are some incredible tools out there with real potential to elevate faculty, student, and parent experiences.

But as schools, we can’t afford to let tech lead the conversation. Strategy comes first. Experience comes first. People come first.

As we walked the floor, we weren’t shopping for bells and whistles. We were seeking alignment.

We knew the experience we were trying to enhance. We asked smart questions. We stayed open to the solution.

Because the best technology won’t save a disconnected school. But a clear, consistent brand experience? That changes everything.

Book a Strategy Call
Take the B.A.S.E Framework Quiz and discover where your brand may be lacking…