Milena Marinova, who also currently advises several business start-ups around California’s Bay Area, will be taking on the first job role of its kind within the education industry – working on implementing new and existing AI-associated technologies, including deep learning, more personalised learning and data analytics.

The technology executive has 15 years’ experience in business and product development under her belt, and the new senior VP at Pearson declared that the education sector needs to catch up with other sectors when it comes to implementing AI into its industry.

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“Unlike other sectors, education is yet to fully realise the benefits of digital and advanced AI techniques, and there are great opportunities to improve learning outcomes and to enable better teaching,” she said.

“Pearson is committed to transforming the learning experience and becoming the digital winner in education.”

“As a strong believer in lifelong learning, I want to contribute and be a key part in that journey.”

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This is just one cog in a wheel of thinking towards AI capabilities at the British-owned education company, with the company’s previous dabbling in this department including automated marking and grading, virtual tutors and automated adaptation to students’ skill levels.

Global Head of Product at Pearson Tim Bozik has tipped “extraordinary talent” Marinova to be a success in her new role, and referred to the company’s expansion into AI as an “opportunity to use technology to help shape the future of education in new ways for the next generation of learners, helping more students foster the knowledge and skills they need to succeed both in school and their careers”.