Having been in Ed Tech for quite a while (1990s), and having witnessed a few Ed Tech failures firsthand, I asked AI to compile a list after seeing Ben Williamson’s on LinkedIn. After all, many solutions may be “fake gold” or “false gold” that many are selling as a real innovation.
This list isn’t all of it but should give AI advocates pause. LAUSD should probably stick to no tech.
Some notable edtech failures from the past 30 years:
| Year | Title | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | LAUSD AI Chatbot “Ed” | AI-powered chatbot for student assistance failed after the company behind it collapsed | $3 million |
| 2023 | BYJU’S Downfall | Indian edtech giant’s value plummeted due to financial mismanagement and aggressive sales tactics | $22 billion valuation loss |
| 2020 | Summit Learning Platform Concerns | Personalized learning platform criticized for data privacy issues and lack of evidence of effectiveness | Undisclosed |
| 2019 | AltSchool Failure | Ambitious micro-school network with personalized learning failed to scale and pivoted to software | $170+ million invested |
| 2017 | Edmodo Data Privacy Issues | Educational social network faced legal action over data collection practices | $6 million settlement |
| 2014 | inBloom Shutdown | Data analytics platform for student information closed due to privacy concerns | $100 million |
| 2014 | LAUSD iPad Program | Large-scale iPad deployment in Los Angeles schools failed due to poor planning and execution | $1.3 billion |
| 2012-2019 | MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) | High-profile online learning initiatives faced low completion rates and monetization challenges | Hundreds of millions invested |
| 2010-2015 | Interactive Whiteboards | Widely adopted but often underutilized due to lack of teacher training and support | Billions across school districts |
| 2007-2014 | One Laptop Per Child | Initiative to provide low-cost laptops to children in developing countries fell short of goals | Hundreds of millions |
| 2005-2010 | Second Life in Education | Virtual world platform failed to gain traction in educational settings despite initial hype | Millions in institutional investments |
| 2000-2005 | E-learning Standards (e.g., SCORM) | Attempts to create universal standards for e-learning content interoperability had limited success | Millions in development costs |
| 1990s | Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) | Early attempts at personalized learning software failed to show significant improvements in student outcomes | Billions across various initiatives |
| 1980s-1990s | Channel One News | Controversial TV news program for schools criticized for commercializing education | $250 million per year in ad revenue |
These failures often stem from issues such as overhyped promises, lack of evidence-based implementation, privacy concerns, and insufficient focus on pedagogical needs.