I borrowed the words of Paul Simon for the title of this post because, in the circumstances, they felt apt.
Bett 26 felt familiar. The usual venue, the same jaw‑dropping scale, and the same background noise around AI. For anyone who has attended in recent years, there were no big surprises. Instead, what stood out was evolution and maturation. In 2024, Bett was all about the arrival of AI. In 2025, the focus shifted to integration across the board. This year, the dial turned again. The discussion moved on from “What can AI do?” to “Where does this actually help, and what real challenges does it pose in education?”
As is now the norm, all the big technology players were in attendance. Microsoft, Google, Canva, Lenovo, HP, Dell, Intel, Adobe, Meta, Samsung, AWS, alongside the major learning platform providers, interactive display providers, assessment companies, and device partners. What was striking, however, was that it wasn’t really about brand or sector. The same conversations were happening across the ExCel, around productivity, assessment, teacher workload, trust, and sustainability in an AI‑powered age.
Over the past year, I’ve strayed slightly off the beaten path at Bett and spent more time at the hands-on Tech User Labs on Level 3. Here I got a full walkthrough of how to make the most of the Teach module inside Microsoft 365 Copilot, including building unit plans, adapting existing materials, and reusing what teachers already have rather than starting from scratch. Another standout was Copilot OS integration on Copilot+ PCs, and the new Learning Zone app, which runs only in this environment and creates interactive lessons using on‑device AI. Both demos eased my fears that it was simply marketing spin that had led me to invest in one of these devices a year ago. Instead, they showed that there are real, practical gains to having a dedicated NPU on board.
Google’s updates followed a similar path. Gemini and Classroom were framed around feedback, writing support, and assessment, with a clear effort to avoid tools that simply generate finished work for students.
Canva’s push at Bett 26 was less about announcements and more about consolidation. In particular, the integration of Affinity (previously Serif), which Canva acquired and has now rolled into a single, free, all‑in‑one app. What used to be separate professional tools for photo editing, vector design, and page layout are now bundled together and tied directly into the Canva ecosystem. This feels particularly timely given the retirement of Microsoft Publisher from Microsoft 365 later this year, paving the way for Affinity, and more broadly Canva, to become the go‑to desktop publishing platform for education.
Alongside big tech, there was an eclectic mix of smaller AI companies and startups, many of them focused on assessment and feedback rather than content creation. Olex.Ai and Lirvana.ai were two that I noted for follow‑up, among others. These types of tools and platforms are more focused on how AI can support teacher judgement rather than replace it? and how can feedback be clearer without adding workload? The challenge for schools, however, is not spotting interesting tools. It’s deciding which ones are trustworthy, sustainable, and worth committing to. Bett remains, as always, a good place to start asking these questions.
Finally, and perhaps most practically, were the customary Bett Table Talks, over the three days I joined two round‑table discussions, one on students’ use of AI and another on cybersecurity in schools. Both were practical and cautionary in equal measure, with participants speaking candidly about the realities in schools, developing digital literacies, teacher confidence, data protection, and the speed at which technology evolves compared to how slowly institutions can respond.
As already mooted, Bett 26 in my opinion, didn’t deliver big surprises, and that may be the key point. Particularly around GenAI, it felt more like a reality check than a revelation. The tools are improving and maturing, but the gap between what’s possible and what’s doable and sustainable on the ground hasn’t disappeared. For Irish schools, the message is relatively simple. The next phase isn’t about chasing the next thing, as we’ve shown a penchant to do in the past. It’s about taking stock, making careful choices, building confidence, and putting structure around how we harness the undoubted power of digital in our classrooms for the long haul.
So, in essence, not much has changed at all 🤔Roll on Bett 27…