The use of new technologies in the educational sector has increased since 2020 due to the advent of the pandemic. Tablets and computers have become essential devices, so much so that the latest data from INE indicates that 96% of Spanish households had internet access in 2021. During the same period, The training centers had to reinvent themselves to adapt to the new times and many of them used so called edtechBoth software and hardware tools that allow optimization and improvement of learning processes that yield better results. The application of technology to education has allowed greater access to knowledge as it has taken learning out of the classroom and, in turn, has provided more tools to create environments where the theoretical and practical work for technologies converge. Such as artificial intelligence or virtual reality, which are increasingly used in schools to generate better learning experiences.

Beacon is unlike any other member of staff at Staffordshire University. It is available 24/7 to answer students' questions, and deals with a number of queries every day – mostly the same ones over and over again – but always stays incredibly patient. That patience is perhaps what gives it away: Beacon is an artificial intelligence (AI) education tool, and the first digital assistant of its kind to be operating at a UK university. Staffordshire developed Beacon with cloud service provider ANS and launched it in January this year. The chatbot, which can be downloaded in a mobile app, enhances the student experience by answering timetable questions and suggesting societies to join.