Over the last year, there’s been an explosion of EdTech startups integrating generative AI. From note-taking helpers to auto-generated flashcards and chatbot tutors, the trend is clear: we’re using AI to make traditional study processes more efficient.
That’s a solid start. But it’s also a trap.
The Pattern: Digitalizing the Physical
Most tools today follow the same script:
Take what students already do manually (summarize, highlight, quiz).
Automate it with AI.
Package it into an app.
This mirrors what the first wave of EdTech did — turning classrooms into Zoom calls and notebooks into PDFs. It brought scale, not transformation.
Now we’re doing the same, just faster and flashier.
Why That’s Not Enough
Digitizing a physical workflow is like putting a motor on a horse-drawn carriage. You’ll go faster, but you’re still stuck in the old paradigm.
GenAI gives us the chance to rethink learning from the ground up:
What if studying wasn’t about rewatching and annotating lectures, but about having real-time, adaptive conversations with the content?
What if AI didn’t just summarize your notes, but guided your learning path based on how your brain works?
What if we stopped translating the old playbook, and wrote a new one?
The Real Shift: AI-First Learning Systems
The most exciting EdTech products of the next 3 years won’t be “smarter tools.” They’ll be new systems of learning.
Here’s what that means:
Agentic learning flows: Learners don’t just consume — they interact, get tested, redirected, and supported dynamically. AI doesn’t assist; it orchestrates.
Memory-enhancing design: Instead of passive reading, learners engage in optimized cycles of recall, synthesis, and spaced repetition — personalized in real time.
Intentional micro-interactions: Every touchpoint is optimized for retention and engagement — not just content delivery.
Outcomes as core logic: AI tracks what works, what sticks, and what doesn’t — turning every session into a feedback loop.
What You Should Do (If You’re Building)
If you're a university, a company, or an innovator in learning — stop thinking “How can we automate what we already do?” and start asking:
“If AI had designed this from scratch, what would it look like?”
That’s the mindset shift. That’s where differentiation lives.
Why SceneSnap is AI-First
At SceneSnap, we didn’t start by replicating classrooms. We started by asking what the optimal learning experience looks like in a world where AI isn’t the assistant — it’s the architect.
That’s why:
We don’t just transcribe — we transform content into structured, interactive flows.
We don’t just answer questions — we detect knowledge gaps before learners even know they exist.
We don’t just layer AI on top — we design every user interaction around what AI makes possible.
SceneSnap isn’t an AI upgrade to yesterday’s study process. It’s a blueprint for what’s next.
Everyone is building faster horses. It’s time to build the car.
Nicolás Avelar CEO & Co-Founder, SceneSnap