Guy Bate, Thematic Lead in AI, University of Auckland Business School
Chair, AI in Education Technology Stewardship Group (EdTechNZ)
At a recent panel session for the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), I had the pleasure of interviewing three inspiring young entrepreneurs — Anthony Grant, Amelie Parker, and Fiona Goodsite — who, as graduates, are already shaping the future of AI in education and business. Whether creating tools to streamline their own ventures or designing learning platforms that foster inclusion, they are showing us what becomes possible when creativity, purpose, and technology come together. You can read my related ASCILITE TELall Blog post here.
A new generation of builders is emerging
These young professionals didn’t wait for perfect systems. They began with real needs — overloaded schedules, language barriers, limited support — and built their own solutions. Fiona and Amelie developed TutBob, a platform designed to support diverse learners, including those who are neurodiverse, and to translate educational materials into First Nations languages. Notably, TutBob recently joined EdTechNZ, highlighting how Australian EdTechs doing business in Aotearoa New Zealand are seeing value in becoming members from Day 1 to help them navigate the local market with greater confidence and connectedness. Meanwhile, Anthony is developing his own custom AI agents to automate tasks spanning finance and marketing across his own multiple online ventures.
These are not isolated efforts. They reflect a broader shift: recent students and emerging young leaders are becoming active agents in their learning and working environments, using AI as a tool for invention, inclusion, and empowerment.
For educators and edtech developers, this is an exciting opportunity. How might we better support this maker mindset? What if our tools and systems were designed not just for delivering content, but for nurturing capability?
Inclusion and creativity can scale through good design
What stood out from the panel wasn’t just the technical skill. It was the deep commitment to equity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness. AI made that possible, not by replacing the educator, but by expanding what’s possible within the learning experience.
For our EdTechNZ community, this is where our work becomes most meaningful. The next generation of educational tools can be more than efficient. They can be inclusive, customisable, and expressive. When we centre student voices in design, we don’t just meet needs, we uncover new possibilities.
What we can build together
The shift from passive consumption to active creation is already happening in classrooms, clubs, and side projects, and as edtech leaders we have a powerful opportunity to accelerate that momentum. The path ahead is full of promise, especially when we choose to walk it alongside our learners. This means inviting students into the design process not just as testers but as co-creators, and supporting flexible classrooms where AI tools are explored, challenged, and improved through collaboration and iteration.
Building a future worth learning in
If these young entrepreneurs taught us anything, it’s that the future of education is not being written somewhere else. It’s being prototyped right now: in classrooms, hall of residence, and digital spaces. They are ready to build. Let’s be just as ready to support, collaborate, and grow with them.
The role of educators and edtech developers has never been more important, or more hopeful!
Bio:
Guy is Thematic Lead for Artificial Intelligence, Director of the Master of Business Development (MBusDev) programme, and Professional Teaching Fellow in Strategy and Innovation at the University of Auckland Business School. With two decades of international industry experience in health technology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, Guy has held leadership roles in strategy, business transformation, and new product development.
A passionate advocate for the transformative power of AI in teaching and learning, Guy is a frequent speaker and workshop facilitator for both academic and practitioner audiences. He focuses on using AI to enhance student engagement, facilitate personalised learning, and foster self-directed development.
Guy holds PhD degrees in both Management and Biomedicine and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology in the UK (FRSB), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE), and a Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand (MInstD). He chairs the AI in Education Technology Stewardship Group for EdTechNZ, and also serves on the Committee for ASCILITE’s Business Education Special Interest Group and on the Advisory board for Grow Tourism, an NZ-based digital learning provider.