In a significant move underscoring its dedication to artificial intelligence education, Microsoft Corporation revealed a series of new commitments at the White House’s AI Education Task Force meeting.

During the event, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the company’s intent to support the Presidential AI Challenge, reflecting Microsoft’s proactive stance in advancing AI educational initiatives.

The announcements at the White House meeting today further amplify Microsoft’s strategic role in shaping the future of AI learning and its integration into the educational sphere.

Black Tech Street (BTS) is bringing transformative AI innovation education to Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District with the help of microchip maker NVIDIA. The partnership aims to help Tulsa become a national model for tech-driven economic empowerment and community advancement.

NVIDIA, the world’s most valuable company, will collaborate with the organization to lead efforts in integrating cutting-edge technologies, according to The Black Wall Street Times.

“NVIDIA is powering the AI revolution—likely the most impactful leap in human history,” Tyrance Billingsley II, founder and CEO of Black Tech Street, said. “To have them standing with us in Greenwood, committing to help our community harness and lead this revolution, means more than I can articulate. This is a game-changing win for Black Wall Street.”

Advancing tech in Tulsa

As a member of Tulsa’s Tech Hub coalition (led by Tulsa Innovation Labs), Black Tech Street has played a significant role in the city’s designation as a Tech Hub for Autonomous Systems by the US Economic Development Administration.

The coalition recently secured $51 million in federal funding, with $10.6 million allocated to create a Greenwood AI Center of Excellence, led by Black Tech Street. Black Tech Street and NVIDIA will partner with the Tech Hub and local community organizations through this collaboration.

The State of Oklahoma will also be a part of this partnership, as it will train up to 10,000 learners. Training will be delivered through educational institutions and community partners.

Goals of the partnership

The partnership has three main goals: expanding AI education, boosting Tulsa’s economy, and positioning the city as a national hub for AI innovation. By offering advanced training programs through local institutions, the initiative will give Tulsa’s wider community access to in-demand AI skills. In turn, this will help create high-paying jobs and establish Tulsa—through Greenwood—as both a model and a testing ground for AI development.

NVIDIA will commit to the partnership by hiring local entrepreneurs, technologists, and students for NVIDIA’s training and certification programs. The company will also collaborate with Black Tech Street to secure federal, state, and philanthropic funding for research and talent development. Additionally, NVIDIA will connect Tulsa startups with its Inception program and global startup ecosystem to help accelerate local growth.

“This partnership will generate economic impact for years to come. NVIDIA and Black Tech Street are setting the stage for new jobs for Tulsans and opening doors of opportunity for our community,” Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said.

Image: Mike Creef

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive digital tools is reshaping the foundations of modern education, demanding urgent strategic reform to prepare Generation Alpha for a technology-driven future.

Researchers have mapped this educational shift in a study titled “Education Strategy for the Net Generation”, published in Information. The paper calls for a complete overhaul of conventional teaching practices, outlining a new pedagogical model to align learning with the dynamic realities of the digital and generative AI eras.

The shift from digital to generative pedagogy

The research positions the evolution of education within a broad historical and technological framework, explaining how learning models must keep pace with societal and digital transformations. The authors describe how the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 4.0, combined with the rise of generative AI (GAI), large language models (LLMs), and immersive technologies like AR, VR, and IoT, has ushered education into a new era – Education 5.0.

Education 4.0, driven largely by digital pedagogy and the integration of online platforms, was sufficient for the early 21st century but no longer meets the needs of learners shaped by hyper-connectivity and intelligent systems. Generation Alpha, those born between 2010 and 2024, are fundamentally different from previous generations, acquiring information in complex, dynamic ways and demanding new teaching approaches that merge human intelligence with advanced technological tools. According to the authors, Education 5.0 is not just an incremental improvement; it represents a paradigm shift toward generative pedagogy, a hybrid system combining symbolic cognitive methods with AI-powered connectionist approaches.

This new framework emphasizes personalized learning paths, real-time feedback loops, and collaborative, interdisciplinary environments. Teachers, once positioned as transmitters of knowledge, must now act as mentors and interpreters, guiding students through the complexities of human–machine interaction. The model calls for cultivating not only cognitive skills but also emotional and ethical intelligence, ensuring that students remain critically aware and human-centered in a digital landscape increasingly mediated by AI.

Personalization, feedback, and collaboration in Education 5.0

Generative pedagogy harnesses the power of AI, machine learning, and big data to enhance the learning process. Adaptive platforms analyze student performance and behavior to create individualized learning experiences, ensuring that content delivery aligns with personal learning styles and needs. This hyper-personalization marks a significant departure from the one-size-fits-all approach that defined traditional education.

Real-time feedback has also emerged as a defining characteristic of Education 5.0. AI-powered systems, such as chatbots and smart tutors, are capable of instantly assessing student progress, providing immediate insights, and adjusting learning pathways in response to performance metrics. By integrating sensor technologies like eye-tracking and facial recognition, these systems can measure engagement and attention, offering educators actionable data to refine teaching methods and optimize outcomes.

Collaboration, a cornerstone of contemporary pedagogy, is also being transformed. The research highlights how digital platforms now enable interactive and collaborative learning spaces that transcend geographical barriers. These systems facilitate group discussions, joint projects, and peer-to-peer learning, fostering an environment where knowledge creation becomes a shared, participatory process. The integration of immersive technologies, such as extended reality and virtual environments, further supports active learning and deep engagement, ensuring students are not passive recipients of information but active co-creators of knowledge.

A case study within the research demonstrates how these concepts can be practically applied. In a vocational robotics program, students engaged in immersive digital classrooms that combined traditional teaching methods with VR-enhanced learning modules. The results were compelling: the experimental group outperformed the control group in task completion, demonstrated higher levels of motivation, and achieved better retention of complex concepts. This evidence reinforces the potential of generative pedagogy to enhance both technical proficiency and critical thinking in real-world educational settings.

Challenges, implications, and the road ahead

The study acknowledges significant resistance within educational institutions. Many educators remain skeptical, echoing earlier skepticism during the advent of digital tools, while others express concern over the reliability and ethical implications of AI systems. The rapid pace of technological evolution has also created a gap between industry capabilities and classroom realities, with schools often lagging behind in adopting and integrating cutting-edge innovations.

The authors argue that this resistance underscores the need for a balanced, critically informed approach to integrating AI into education. Generative AI, while powerful, is not infallible. It can produce errors, perpetuate biases, and generate misleading outputs, making critical engagement an essential component of modern learning. Students must be taught to treat AI as a partner rather than an unquestioned authority, applying rigorous sensemaking and analytical skills to every interaction.

The paper calls for redefining teachers’ roles in a hybrid human–machine learning environment. They will no longer be the sole arbiters of knowledge but will function as co-navigators, helping students critically navigate AI-mediated information ecosystems. This shift requires educators to adopt reflective practices and maintain a commitment to pedagogical integrity, ensuring that technology enhances rather than diminishes the human essence of education.