AI Tutors, MOOCs and Money: Dr. Anne Trumbore Explains What’s Really Driving EdTech

Dr. Anne Trumbore, Chief Digital Learning Officer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, joins The Business Talk podcast to discuss her acclaimed book ‘The Teacher in the Machine: A Human History of Education Technology’, published by Princeton University Press. Drawing on pioneering roles at Coursera, NovoEd, Stanford Online, and as the founding leader of Wharton Online at the University of Pennsylvania, she traces how promises about “revolutionary” education technology have barely changed in over 60 years, even as financial forces have reshaped higher education from a public good into a private investment. Reflecting on the rise of MOOCs and today’s AI tools, Dr. Trumbore explains why simply giving people access to digital content has failed to democratize education, especially for learners facing structural barriers, and why meaningful learning still depends on time-intensive, human-to-human interaction. She also shares a forward-looking vision for using technology to better understand how learning happens, strengthen human connection at scale, and support teachers and students, rather than attempting to replace them with machines. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music incorporated in this video is the intellectual property of its respective developer and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Notwithstanding that it is a free-to-use version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy, and Deepak Bhatt do not own, and expressly do not claim, any rights, title, or interest in or to this music. B. Dr. Anne Trumbore shared insightful perspectives from her acclaimed book, ‘The Teacher in the Machine: A Human History of Education Technology’, during her engaging conversation on the Business Talk podcast. The uploaded video contains copyrighted content, so changing any graphics, music, or on-screen appearance of the author or host is not allowed.