GENIE IN A BOTTLE

ACCORDING TO ITS CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, NEO ZHIZHONG, GENIEBOOK'S TRUE GOAL IS TO GIVE STUDENTS MORE TIME FOR THEIR OTHER PASSIONS.

IN 2017, Geniebook set a precedent for innovation in education with its nascent adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), standing out in a year marked by notable tech releases like Apple’s priciest iPhone, Tesla’s Model 3, and the Nintendo Switch. “Our journey began with the insight that technology has the potential to profoundly alter the teaching and learning landscape,” Neo Zhizhong, co-founder and CEO, tells me at the AI edutech learning platform’s four-month-old hybrid learning hub, Geniebook CAMPUS.

You might think a tuition-esque centre in a discussion about The Business of Learning is a tad too on the nose. But that’s only if you see success solely in grades and scores. With Geniebook, Neo wants to give his young customers not just A1s but time. “We want students to achieve their best with minimal time and stress. Academic success is vital, but so are other interests that make life richer and more engaging.” Minimum efforts with maximum results? I’m sold.

TIGER MOM NO MORE

For his other customers — the parents, that is — Neo promises assurance. Not knowing their child’s academic progress has made many parents err too generously on the side of caution, giving rise to overly anxious parents and Tiger Moms.

Neo wants to change all that. “Instead of leaving parents in the dark until exam or assessment time and wondering how their child is performing, we provide AIgenerated reports,” Neo explains. “These reports give parents real-time insights, reduce stress for parents, and keep them informed at any time.”