Week in EdTech 12/03/25: PhysicsWallah IPO Shakes Indian EdTech, Google & OpenAI Escalate AI Race, Higher Ed Adopts AI, New AI Leaderboard Launches, and More! Feat. Andrew Carlins of Songscription and Eric Tao & Austin Levinson of MegaMinds

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Dec 12, 2025

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In this discussion, Andrew Carlins, CEO of Songscription, shares the transformative power of AI in music education, highlighting accessibility and student engagement. Eric Tao and Austin Levinson from MegaMinds dive into immersive AI simulations, showcasing impressive learning gains in middle-school math. They explore how AI tutors enhance student comfort and promote participation in learning. The conversation also covers the evolving landscape of higher education's acceptance of AI and the importance of keeping teachers central in tech integration.

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ADVICE

Benchmark Models On Education Metrics

Use education-specific benchmarks to pick the best LLM for your product or class.
Run models on the Learning Agency leaderboard benchmarks like essay scoring and misconception detection.

ANECDOTE

Founder Story Behind SongScription

Andrew Carlins described quitting instruments after tedious manual transcription and later founding SongScription at Stanford.
A research paper on automatic music transcription inspired their startup to automate notation work.

ADVICE

Free Teacher Time By Automating Transcription

Give teachers tools that auto-generate levelled sheet music so they spend time on musicality.
Use AI to individualize arrangements and keep students engaged with songs they love.

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Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down the biggest shifts in global edtech. From PhysicsWallah’s major IPO to Google–OpenAI competition, higher-ed adoption of AI, and new benchmarks shaping the future of learning.

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:07:00] PhysicsWallah’s IPO reshapes Indian edtech and signals renewed global momentum
[00:15:00] Google and OpenAI escalate the AI race with Gemini 3, Nano Banana Pro, and OpenAI’s “garlic” model
[00:31:00] Higher education shifts from AI resistance to AI integration across teaching and majors
[00:39:00] Rural districts test new connected learning models backed by major tech partners
[00:40:00] Learning Agency launches the first Education AI Leaderboard for model benchmarking

Plus, special guests:
[00:45:30] Andrew Carlins, Co-Founder & CEO of Songscription on AI-powered music transcription and access

[01:01:10] Eric Tao, Founder & CEO of MegaMinds, and Austin Levinson, Director of Learning at MegaMinds on immersive AI simulations for CTE and AI literacy

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