Three years after the generative AI boom began, most AI consumer startups still make money by selling to businesses rather than individual consumers. This is one of the primary outcomes of TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event in early December, where venture capitalists discussed why most consumer AI startups still lack staying power. “A lot of early AI applications around video, audio, and photo were super cool, but then Sora and Nano Banana came out, and the Chinese open-sourced their video models. And so, a lot of those opportunities disappeared," said Chi-Hua Chien, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Goodwater Capital. “I think we’re right on the cusp of the equivalent of mobile of the 2009-2010 era,” Chien said. That period was the birth of massive mobile-first consumer businesses like Uber and Airbnb. Startups and incumbent tech companies highlighted the idea of a new personal device that could replace smartphones. OpenAI and Apple’s former design chief, Jonny Ive, are working on what’s rumored to be a “screenless,” pocket-sized device. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are controlled by a wristband that detects subtle gestures. Meanwhile, some startups are trying, with often disappointing results, to introduce a pin, pendant, or ring that uses AI in a way different from how smartphones do.
OpenAI announced its first certified course, titled AI Foundations, as part of its OpenAI Certifications and the OpenAI Jobs Platform initiatives – the latter in collaboration with Indeed and Upwork. This course is designed to help users learn core, practical AI skills that apply across roles and industries. It intends to be a hands-on, real-world training experience in using today's AI tools. The course is available within ChatGPT, a single environment where the bot acts as a tutor, providing practice questions and a feedback loop in context. There is also a version of this class for K-12 teachers, ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers, available on Coursera. This class is designed to help educators build AI expertise and put it to work in the classroom and administrative tasks. It will be brought directly into the ChatGPT environment in early 2026. OpenAI stated that its goal is to certify 10 million Americans by 2030. The company said that AI Foundations is launching through pilot programs with firms such as Walmart, John Deere, Lowe’s, Boston Consulting Group, Hearst, Russell Reynolds Associates, Upwork, Elevance Health, Accenture, and the Office of the Governor of Delaware. "Coursera, ETS, and Credly by Pearson will help ensure our courses and certifications meet high standards for learning design, psychometric rigor, and real-world impact, allowing learners to earn high-value and portable evidence of their skill development." "We are also piloting certifications with Arizona State University and the California State University system staff, faculty, and students to create pathways for students to hone their AI skills and showcase them to employers as they enter the job market."
Google incorporated its latest model, Gemini 3, into Stitch, its experimental AI-powered design tool. This implementation leads to higher-quality UI generation. Additionally, Google introduced another experimental feature called “Prototypes,” which allows users to stitch together different screens on their canvas to create a working prototype. Along with Stitch, many users are using another free Google AI tool to design professional-level app UI. They take those designs into Google AI Studio to turn them into fully functional apps, as shown in the video below.
Online education platform Coursera said on Wednesday it will buy rival Udemy in an all-stock deal, valuing the combined merged company at $2.5 billion. Coursera shareholders will own 59%, and Udemy shareholders will own 41% of the company. Udemy shareholders would receive 0.8 shares of Coursera for each held, valuing the company at about $930 million. Coursera shares were up about 8%, while Udemy jumped nearly 28%. According to Morgan Stanley, which acted as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Udemy, the company will generate annual run-rate cost synergies of $115MM within 24 months of closing and will have $1.2Bn in cash. The deal unites two of the largest U.S.-based online learning platforms at a time when course enrollment growth has cooled, prompting companies to seek scale and pursue enterprise clients and more predictable subscription revenue. Coursera and Udemy bet that a combined platform will be better positioned to capture corporate demand for workforce training, particularly in artificial intelligence, data science, and software development, as employers invest in reskilling workers amid rapid advances in generative AI. Coursera, which partners with universities and institutions to offer degree programs and professional certificates, has increasingly focused on enterprise customers. At the same time, Udemy operates a marketplace of independent instructors selling individual courses and subscriptions to businesses. Shares of online education companies have lagged the broader market amid concerns about competition, pricing pressure, and AI's impact. Udemy shares have fallen about 35% so far this year, while Coursera is down roughly 7% over the same period, leaving both companies trading well below their post-IPO highs. Morgan Stanley led the IPOs of Coursera, Udemy, Instructure, Docebo, Phoenix Education Partners, and Kinder Care. It was the exclusive financial advisor to Udacity on its sale to Accenture and to Kahoot! – $1.7Bn Public Takeover Led by GSPE companies trading well below their post-IPO highs.
Google said that, in 2025, over 1,000 U.S. higher education institutions, reaching 10 million students, were using Gemini for Education and NotebookLM. With over 150 features related to teaching and learning, Google disclosed the main uses as follows: Building a deep understanding with Guided Learning. Prepping for exams with personalized practice quizzes and study guides in Gemini Canvas and flashcards in NotebookLM. Preparing for interviews, receiving resume feedback, and creating professional headshots with Nano Banana.. Drawing connections between materials with interactive visual Mind Maps in NotebookLM makes research and synthesis easier. Creating visual explainers for presentations and group projects using Video Overviews and transforming written content into Audio Overviews for on-the-go learning. Adding fresh ideas, relevant resources, and differentiated activities to lessons with Gemini in Classroom, available for Google Workspace for Education. Sharing interactive AI learning experiences for students using NotebookLM and Gems from their learning management. system, through integrations with Google Classroom, Canvas by Instructure, and PowerSchool Schoology Learning. Producing polished, collaborative video content with Google Vids, using AI features like sample scripts and voiceovers. Creating engaging lessons and flexible teaching with Chromebook and Chromebook Plus devices. In 2025, in terms of AI literacy, over 1 million educators and students received Google for Education training, with over 100,000 earning Gemini Certifications. Educators got hands-on with ready-to-use AI prompts for teachers and 100+ ways to use Geminii in education. • 150 Google for Education announcements in the 2025 Year in Review guide.
