Following up on his March feature in EdTech Digest, Brainly’s CTO returns to share how the company’s AI-powered ecosystem is transforming from innovative tools into an intelligent, global learning experience.
INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero
When EdTech Digest last caught up with Bill Salak, he outlined Brainly’s bold vision for reshaping learning through artificial intelligence. Just months later, that vision is accelerating. In this follow-up conversation, Salak reveals how Brainly’s technology has matured into a fully connected ecosystem — one that unites personalized tutoring, adaptive practice, and even student wellness support. With millions of learners now engaging daily, Brainly’s CTO is steering the platform toward a future where AI not only enhances learning outcomes, but also strengthens understanding and confidence for students around the world.
Since we last spoke, how has Brainly’s approach to AI in learning evolved?
Since we last spoke in March, Brainly has made tremendous progress in bringing AI deeper into the learning experience. This evolution represents years of groundwork coming to fruition – and while we’ve achieved a lot, it still feels like just the beginning.
‘This evolution represents years of groundwork coming to fruition — and while we’ve achieved a lot, it still feels like just the beginning.’
Over the past year, we’ve launched a series of new features and capabilities that together make Brainly the world’s most capable and effective AI education platform. These include our AI Tutor, which delivers personalized, conversational learning experiences; Test Prep, an adaptive practice system that helps students strengthen weak areas; and a game-based flashcard study mode called Flash Clash that makes learning more engaging. We’ve also introduced step-by-step guided help for worksheets and a new mindfulness and focus feature called Clarity Pods that supports students’ emotional and cognitive wellbeing.
All of this is built on a foundation of learning science and with expert guidance, and it’s fully interoperable – meaning every action a student takes on Brainly contributes to their unique learning profile. This allows our Brainly Learning Companion to better understand each student’s needs and provide increasingly personalized support over time. The Brainly Learning Companion also grounds itself in the materials that the student shares with it, so a homework assignment shared in the Worksheet feature will inform how the Brainly Learning Companion will perform during a Tutoring session, and a Tutoring session can inform a personalized practice test created in the Test Prep feature.
We’ve moved beyond building individual stand-alone features this year and evolved into creating an eco-system of features that leverage each other and learn from the student activity across any interaction a student has with Brainly. This is probably the most notable point since we last talked.
‘We’ve moved beyond building individual stand-alone features this year and evolved into creating an ecosystem of features that leverage each other and learn from the student activity across any interaction a student has with Brainly.’
What feedback have you been hearing directly from students and teachers about the new features you highlighted earlier?
The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive – and deeply validating. We’re seeing a real academic impact: 87% of Brainly+ users report that Brainly helps them achieve higher grades, and 83% say they better understand what they’re learning in school because of Brainly. These numbers speak to how effective our AI-driven learning tools have become in supporting real student outcomes.
Beyond the data, the qualitative feedback is just as powerful. Students tell us that Brainly helps them feel more confident in class and more in control of their learning — they’re not just getting answers; they’re actually learning how to learn. Teachers and parents also tell us they appreciate how Brainly complements the classroom by reinforcing concepts and building good study habits.
‘Students tell us that [it] helps them feel more confident in class and more in control of their learning — they’re not just getting answers; they’re actually learning how to learn.’
At the heart of this success is our student-first design philosophy. We start with their motivations, behaviors, and challenges, and we build around that understanding. The result is a platform that feels natural, supportive, and genuinely effective – something students actually want to use.
Today, we’re proud to be the world’s leading AI education platform, relied upon by millions of students, parents, and teachers every day for personalized, on-demand academic support. To date we’re averaging 15 million daily active users, and Andreessen Horowitz recently recognized Brainly as one of the top 25 GenAI apps of 2025 — a testament to both our innovation and our impact.
‘At the heart of this success is our student-first design philosophy.‘
How are school districts and education leaders responding differently now compared to earlier this year, especially around AI implementation?
Brainly is mostly used outside of the classroom, so we can’t comment as much on AI implementation in the classroom. That said, we do see a wide spectrum – from schools that completely ban any use of AI and other technology to those who embrace them fully, going all in on AI literacy.
Today, this landscape is at a critical moment with many schools and teachers becoming more open to testing AI. As these tools become more common in daily life, people are less concerned about their use.
Once you actually understand how something works, it’s much easier to navigate a transition like this and set the right rules that help students benefit from this new style of teaching, while not putting their learning at risk.
‘Once you actually understand how something works, it’s much easier to navigate a transition like this and set the right rules that help students benefit from this new style of teaching, while not putting their learning at risk.’
What new challenges or unexpected opportunities have surfaced for you and your team over the past few months?
One of the most meaningful opportunities that emerged recently led to the creation of Clarity Pods, a new feature within Brainly that offers short audio sessions guiding students through mindfulness exercises to help improve focus, calm, and self-awareness. Interestingly, the idea came from an unexpected place.
Over the past several months, we’ve been collaborating with experts to explore the broader impact of AI on students’ lives – in school, at home, and in society. In those conversations, one topic kept surfacing: student stress and anxiety. Many students were expressing uncertainty about the role of AI – wondering, “Is it okay to use AI for my schoolwork? Is what I’m learning still relevant? How do I keep up when the world is changing so fast, but school isn’t?”
At first, mental health was a side note in these discussions, but eventually it became clear that it was central to the student experience. We realized that if we truly believe in a student-first philosophy, we need to expand our focus beyond academics to support the whole student – including their mental wellbeing.
‘We realized that if we truly believe in a student-first philosophy, we need to expand our focus beyond academics to support the whole student — including their mental wellbeing.’
From recognizing that need to launching Clarity Pods on Brainly took only a few months. We partnered with mindfulness and educational experts to develop the content, and it’s already resonating strongly with students. This experience reminded us how important it is to stay open to unexpected insights — when we see a way to bring real value to learners, we don’t hesitate. We jump in and build it.
Given the rapid changes in AI, how do you decide which technologies to prioritize for Brainly’s roadmap?
At Brainly, I maintain a five-year strategic roadmap that outlines where we want to go – not just from a product perspective, but also from a business and operational standpoint. That long-term vision is essential because it keeps us grounded in purpose. As a technologist, I’ve always believed that technology serves the organization’s goals – it’s a means to an end, not the end itself. So our roadmap doesn’t define technology as an outcome; it defines the problems we want to solve and the value we want to create for learners.
‘Our roadmap doesn’t define technology as an outcome; it defines the problems we want to solve and the value we want to create for learners.’
When it comes to implementation, I follow what’s known as the Last Responsible Moment principle – meaning we make technology decisions only when we have enough information to make the best possible choice. This approach allows us to stay agile and take advantage of rapid advancements instead of being disrupted by them. New technologies often make things that were previously impractical suddenly achievable – and by waiting until the right moment, we can move faster and smarter.
We also don’t confine ourselves to rigid quarterly planning cycles. When a project wraps, we reassess priorities in real time, considering our strategic goals, our learners’ needs, and what new technologies might unlock greater value. Every new initiative has to pass a simple test: “Is this the single most important thing we could be doing next?” If the answer is yes – for our students, for our business, and for our long-term vision – then we move forward.
‘Every new initiative has to pass a simple test: “Is this the single most important thing we could be doing next?” If the answer is yes – for our students, for our business, and for our long-term vision – then we move forward.’
What lessons have you learned recently about scaling global impact—both in terms of technology and cultural relevance across regions?
At Brainly, our vision is to give every student in the world access to personalized learning. It’s an ambitious goal – and while we still have a long way to go, we’re making meaningful progress every day. What I’ve learned through this journey is that scaling global impact isn’t just a technical challenge; it’s a cultural and policy challenge as well.
Over the past several months, we’ve become deeply engaged in national and international conversations around AI in education – from classrooms to government offices. These collaborations have been eye-opening. They’ve reinforced that AI’s role in learning isn’t just about capability – it’s about trust, equity, and alignment with cultural and educational values across regions.
In the U.S., for example, Brainly recently signed the White House’s Pledge to America’s Youth: Investing in AI Education. Our CEO and co-founder, Michał Borkowski, joined other leaders at the White House to announce this commitment, which includes providing free Brainly access to participating students. This partnership underscores how private innovation can align with public policy to expand opportunity.
Personally, I’ve been working with task forces and think tanks in the U.S. to help shape emerging AI education policy, and I’ve also collaborated with leaders in Britain on AI privacy frameworks and European policymakers on empowering local industries to become AI makers, not just AI takers. Recently,
Brainly also joined the EU AI Champions Initiative, which is advocating for a strategic pause on the AI Act – a two-year “clock stop” designed to streamline regulations and help Europe fully unlock its AI potential.
The biggest lesson from all of this is that global impact requires both agility and empathy. You can’t simply scale technology; you have to scale understanding – of local needs, educational systems, and values. As AI becomes both a market enabler and a disruptor, the organizations that succeed will be those that build not just powerful tools, but trusted relationships across borders.
‘You can’t simply scale technology; you have to scale understanding — of local needs, educational systems, and values.’
Looking ahead, what milestones do you hope to hit in the next year that would signal real progress for students and educators using your platform?
We have a very ambitious and exciting slate of initiatives planned for 2026 – ones that we believe will meaningfully advance how students and educators experience learning with Brainly.
First, we’re spending a lot of time thinking about the future of AI-assisted work – what it means to live, learn, and thrive in a world where advanced AI is cheap, ubiquitous, and deeply integrated into daily life. Education has to evolve to prepare students for that future. Next year, we’ll be sharing more about what that means for Brainly, including new product concepts and working examples that reflect our vision for the next generation of learning.
Second, 2026 will be a breakthrough year for teachers. We’re developing new tools and experiences designed specifically for educators, helping them personalize learning at scale, save time, and leverage AI in ways that amplify their impact, not replace it. Teachers are central to the learning ecosystem, and we’re building with that in mind.
‘Teachers are central to the learning ecosystem, and we’re building with that in mind.’
Finally, we’re expanding our global partnerships with governments and education systems. Our collaboration with the U.S. Federal Government has already shown how public-private cooperation can accelerate access to quality learning tools. We’re now exploring similar opportunities with other countries to align Brainly’s capabilities with national education goals worldwide.
Each of these milestones represents progress toward a single, unifying mission – to make personalized, AI-powered learning available to every student and teacher in the world.
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Victor Rivero is the Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest. Write to: victor@edtechdigest.com
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