ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

In this episode of ChatEDU (Has the One Feature Educators Demanded Arrived?), Matt and Liz open with a snowy update and a cautionary tale: a professor from the University of Cologne lost two years of research after turning off a ChatGPT setting. From there, the episode digs into AI’s influence across science, labor, classrooms, and edtech adoption, ending with the feature educators have been asking for.

The Run Down

OpenAI’s CFO Sarah Friar suggests the company could take a stake in scientific breakthroughs it helps power, raising questions about AI’s role in discovery and profit.

The IMF warns that AI could impact 60% of jobs in developed countries, hitting young workers especially hard as entry-level roles disappear.

Researchers use Dungeons & Dragons to test AI models’ ability to stay in character and track complex narratives. Claude 3.5 performed best, with GPT-4o trailing slightly.

OpenAI launches a national-scale education initiative with countries like Estonia, Greece, and Jordan using ChatGPT Edu in classrooms.

Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft are racing to win over schools. From Minecraft to Khan Academy, each company is pushing tools to shape how students learn with AI.

A pilot in New York shows strong results when teachers co-design AI use in classrooms. Student outcomes improved, and teachers saved time.

Reid Hoffman encourages schools and companies to focus less on flashy pilots and more on practical AI use for meetings, notes, and everyday tasks.

A new study finds executives are gaining time with AI, while many frontline employees say it adds work or makes errors they need to fix.

The Economist questions decades of edtech investment, calling it profitable but largely ineffective. Some countries, like Denmark, are returning to textbooks.

Beneath the Surface

The UK’s Department for Education released detailed AI safety standards, calling for transparency, student interaction logs, and protection against emotional manipulation.

At BETT, Google responded with a major update: educators will soon get dashboards showing student use of Gems and NotebookLM, finally offering the visibility schools have been demanding.

Announcements

Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠

Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday

ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw

EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [email protected] to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠

Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠

This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

Links

OpenAI’s Sarah Friar on Squawk Box
https://tinyurl.com/h6jtz4bu

AI Job Losses to Hit Young Workers Most, IMF Warns
https://tinyurl.com/4a7hkbsx

Using Dungeons & Dragons to Test AI Limits
https://tinyurl.com/2eknyc95

Introducing OpenAI’s Education for Countries
https://tinyurl.com/bdhnz4aw

Anthropic, Google and Microsoft fight to win teachers
https://tinyurl.com/57ch2zre

AI in Schools Needs Teacher Buy-In
https://tinyurl.com/4fnv2f3b

Hoffman on Why Companies Are Getting AI Wrong
https://tinyurl.com/nuursbkw

Does AI save time? Executives say yes, employees say no.
https://tinyurl.com/2xxuntaa

Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless
https://tinyurl.com/zbupby9e

Generative AI: Product Safety Standards
https://tinyurl.com/3z7rwtu5

Google Expands Gemini Features in Classroom
https://tinyurl.com/4fufr84b

The Leaders Turning AI Into Impact
https://tinyurl.com/yxn76mdd

In this episode of ChatEDU (Deep Think: What If AI Could Help Us Reclaim Our Attention Spans?), Matt and Liz open with an AI slip-up at the National Weather Service that invented fake towns, raising trust and oversight concerns, before launching into a wide-ranging rundown.

The Rundown

The episode opens on health and AI: OpenAI is piloting a Health tab in ChatGPT, raising privacy and legal questions, while MIT Sloan research suggests personalized generative AI can aid weight loss, but lacks community support.

Matt and Liz discuss reports showing Google’s AI Overviews gave inaccurate medical advice, prompting Google to pull some health summaries and highlighting the risks of AI errors in high-stakes settings.

The discussion shifts to safety and governance, with Google and Character.AI pursuing early settlements in teen chatbot death cases, highlighting regulatory gaps and OpenAI partnering with Common Sense Media on California’s Parents and Kids Safe AI Act.

They also address backlash against X after Grok was used to generate nonconsensual sexualized images, prompting the company to rein in those capabilities.

Education wraps the K–12 segment, with a deepfake response course co-created by Elliston Berry, a teen targeted by AI abuse, a practical deepfake detection infographic from Evan Harris, and Lego’s new hands-on AI literacy kits.

The focus shifts to higher ed: U.S. college enrollment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, led by public schools and workforce credentials, as Google doubles down on skills and curiosity over degrees in hiring.

The rundown closes with a Brookings report warning that AI’s risks in education currently outweigh its benefits, contrasted with a Brookings video offering a more nuanced take on AI’s impact on work and learning.

Beneath the Surface

Matt and Liz ask whether AI can counter fragmented attention, using tools like Google Gemini to replace doomscrolling with focused interactions, before debating world models and whether they represent play or a shift from consumption to creation.

Bright Byte

In the Alps, rescuers used drones and AI to scan thousands of images, spot a single red helmet in the snow, and recover a missing mountaineer, showcasing AI’s growing role in search and rescue.

Announcements

Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠

Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday
ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠ 
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw

EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [email protected] to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠

Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠

This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

Links

AI Map Hallucinates Idaho Towns
https://tinyurl.com/5n8kwx8r

OpenAI’s Risky Health Push
https://tinyurl.com/yw3p53uk

Generative AI Boosts Weight Loss
https://tinyurl.com/5yd26hds

Google’s AI Health Safety Crisis
https://tinyurl.com/ymhv9p3k

Google Halts Medical AI Overviews
https://tinyurl.com/3jtuxn8x

Google Settles Teen AI Death Cases
https://tinyurl.com/24pbmph3

Joint Push for California Child AI Law
https://tinyurl.com/4w6ehwjf

X Halts Grok AI "Undressing"
https://tinyurl.com/2z6f4nbh

Fighting Deepfakes: A Victim’s New Course
https://tinyurl.com/f7upcs9k

Lego uses bricks to demystify AI
https://tinyurl.com/2dtpwa5n

College Gains: Cost and Career Focus
https://tinyurl.com/3p5p8tns

Skills Over Degrees at Google
https://tinyurl.com/2kexb69e

Students in AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect
https://tinyurl.com/mryx5mk7

Gemini better than doomscrolling
https://tinyurl.com/3xmuwupz

Can AI Restore Gen Z's Focus?
https://tinyurl.com/yyac2u62

AI Solved Mystery of a Missing Mountaineer
https://tinyurl.com/mpd34m8u

Why Young Workers Are Hit First
https://tinyurl.com/mp32zebb

In This Week’s Episode, “Can We Teach AI Without Teaching Computer Science?” we dig into this timely question. With more students exploring AI majors and tools like ChatGPT reshaping how we learn, we look at how schools, colleges, and policymakers are rethinking both CS and AI education.

Before we get there, we cover a wide range of topics including:

Ohio’s new model AI policy for K–12 schools, including student use, ethics, and third-party tools.

A national policy guide for NCII (non-consensual intimate imagery) from the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Grok AI under scrutiny for generating deepfake images of women and children.

Finland’s preschool push for AI and media literacy, part of its national curriculum starting at age 3.

Instagram’s authenticity crisis, as CEO Adam Mosseri warns about AI overload, while Meta's own bots deceive users.

A free digital wellness resource: the Social Balance Curriculum from EdAdvance, now available to schools.

Two Sides of a Coin

Study 1: AI’s “sycophantic” tone may reduce pro-social behavior and increase user dependence.

Study 2: In a controlled trial, Therabot (AI therapy) matches human therapists for treating depression.

An NYU professor builds an AI-powered oral exam for just 42 cents per student, using 11 Labs and LLMs for grading.

Beneath the Surface

From The New York Times: Students are shifting from CS to AI-focused majors as job roles evolve.

Jeffrey Hinton argues CS is still vital, it's more than just coding.

Jan LeCun says CS needs more rigorous math foundations to stay relevant.

Bright Byte

A new AI model (AFLOC) can read medical images without expert labeling by pairing image recognition with text, a major breakthrough for small hospitals and faster diagnostics.

Announcements

Celebrate our 100th episode: skills21.org/chatedu100

Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday
ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn 
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw

The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro

EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [email protected] to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai

Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance

This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.org

Links

Lego Unveils the Smart Brick
https://tinyurl.com/ypzwx3az

California Bill Seeks 4-Year AI Toy Ban
https://tinyurl.com/fd49cy6w

AI Model Policy for Ohio Districts and Schools
https://tinyurl.com/mr33tpk7

Model Policy and Infographic: Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery for Schools
https://tinyurl.com/59r88755

UK Minister: Grok AI Images "Appalling"
https://tinyurl.com/bdeecexa

Watchdog: Grok Fueling Child Abuse Material
https://tinyurl.com/5fys63dv

Finland Fights Fakes in Preschool
https://tinyurl.com/muafbvsc

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri - Authenticity After Abundance
https://tinyurl.com/mryrdfrp

AI Bots Trick Teen on Instagram
https://tinyurl.com/4z2u64ey

AI Flattery Breeds Dependence
https://tinyurl.com/3t9x53vv

Generative AI Therapy May Help with Depression
https://tinyurl.com/5n7ktpum

NYU Professor Fights AI Cheating with AI-Powered Oral Exams
https://tinyurl.com/39fak2nh

College Students Flock to a New Major: A.I.
https://tinyurl.com/2v62and6

Geoffrey Hinton: Computer Science degree will remain valuable
https://tinyurl.com/4fxdrmnx

Yann LeCun's advice for young students wanting to go into AI
https://tinyurl.com/ydsnxuf

Hands-On With New LEGO Smart Play Sets!
https://tinyurl.com/5xwzapuu

In this episode of ChatEDU (When AI Handles the Hard Parts – What Educators Lose Without the Struggle) Matt and Liz start with a look at the new Gemini Live update before jumping into the Rundown. From there, they go Beneath the Surface with a deeper take on AI’s impact on growth and leadership, then close with a Bright Byte on carbon battery storage and the future of clean energy.

The Run Down
Governments are stepping in on youth social media, with New York adding mental health labels, Virginia capping use, and Australia banning platforms for kids under sixteen.

2025 reset generative AI as adoption stalled and hype faded, shifting the industry toward slower, more durable growth

Autonomous agents still have a lot to learn. Claude AI’s takeover of a newsroom vending machine spiraled into chaos, highlighting real-world failure modes.

Fear of AI detection is changing how students write, with kids deliberately dumbing down their work, undermining confidence, voice, and authentic learning.

Popular AI tools failed key safeguarding tests, raising serious questions about readiness and oversight in schools.

A new school procurement guide raises the bar on AI data governance and compliance, signaling a shift from innovation-first to accountability-first adoption.

Districts are piloting ChatGPT for IEP paperwork, but transparency is critical to protect trust, oversight, and legal compliance.

Beneath the Surface
An HBR piece warns that AI shortcuts may erode mastery, empathy, and growth, prompting leaders to rethink how they preserve the human side of work.

Google is partnering with Energy Dome to deploy 200-MWh CO₂ battery storage, using compressed carbon dioxide instead of rare minerals to scale clean energy infrastructure.

Announcements
Celebrate our 100th episode: skills21.org/chatedu100
Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday

ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn 
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw

The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro

EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [email protected] to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai

Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance

This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.org

Links
3 Must-Try Gemini Live Tricks
https://tinyurl.com/496pke3u

New York Orders Mental Health Labels
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/26/new-york-to-require-social-media-platforms-to-display-mental-health-labels

Virginia Limits Social Media Use for Minors
https://tinyurl.com/4vy7h92j

Parents Eye Australia’s Social Media Banh
ttps://tinyurl.com/4brsc42r

The great AI hype correction of 2025
https://tinyurl.com/5acwnx7a

Letting AI Run Our Vending Machine Cost Us Hundreds
https://tinyurl.com/yjvf47kd

ChatGPT May Prioritize Advertisers
https://tinyurl.com/2yw5s869

Why AI Policing Makes Kids Write Worse
https://tinyurl.com/mwkpcn5f

AI Chatbots Fail School Safeguarding Tests
https://tinyurl.com/2z8zpbhu

K–12 AI Data Checklist
https://tinyurl.com/yb5b72px

ChatGPT to Be Used for Special Education Compliance
https://tinyurl.com/3zsws26d

Schools to Use ChatGPT for Special Ed Compliance
https://tinyurl.com/3zsws26d

Teen Siblings Compete in a 24-Hour Hackathon
https://tinyurl.com/52hdnrfc

AI Is Reshaping Learning at Work
https://tinyurl.com/2w9wc67k

3 Must-Try Gemini Live Tricks After Its Upgrade
https://tinyurl.com/2acs2j2p

Darren Coxon’s LinkedIn post
https://tinyurl.com/53cv5ax4

Jill Coleman’s Post
https://tinyurl.com/2tcpz73f

Dr. Philippa’s Post
https://tinyurl.com/k8kj8s2n

Google Deploys CO₂ Battery Facilities
https://tinyurl.com/5n7muvbj

In this episode of ChatEDU (What Breaks + What Sticks – Education's AI Future in 2026), Matt and Liz note the shift to video-first shows, run through their 2025 AI and teaching outlook, then close with 2026 predictions and a Bright Byte on turning trash into textiles.

The Rundown

Story #1: NotebookLM Gets Smarter and More Structured
Google’s NotebookLM adds Data Tables and a leaked Lecture Mode, moving it from research tool toward an instructional partner.

Story #2: ChatGPT Adds Mood Controls
OpenAI’s update lets users fine-tune ChatGPT’s tone and style, enabling new classroom uses while raising concerns about over-customization and dependence.

Story #3: Deepfakes in Schools Escalate
An AP report finds explicit deepfakes targeting students are surging, outpacing school responses and raising serious legal, ethical, and emotional risks.

Story #4: AI Literacy in Action
Valerie Ziegler teaches AI literacy to help students spot misinformation, fact-check content, and detect AI manipulation.

Story #5: Social Balance
Skills21’s Social Balance tool helps students reflect on AI and digital habits, encouraging more intentional tech use.

Story #6: Beyond the Bot – Gemini’s “Fund My Crazy” Student Challenge
Google’s Gemini contest drew 29,000 entries in nine days, with winners showing students moving beyond prompts to real AI problem solving.

Story #7: Amazon and Playlab Expand AI Access
Amazon’s $800K investment expands Playlab’s AI education program to nearly 500,000 students, highlighting scalable, equitable AI learning.

Story #8: AI for Action Curriculum
Playlab’s “AI for Action” unit teaches students to build real school and community solutions with AI, blending ethics, design thinking, and storytelling.

Story #9: The AI-Ready Graduate Profile
ISTE and ASCD released a six-part framework defining purposeful, human-led AI skills for graduates, already used in places like Winchester, VA.

Beneath the Surface

Matt and Liz predict durable assessments, classroom vibe coding, AI-driven LMSs, slimmer standards, and increased reliance on human judgment as detection improves.

Bright Byte: Chicken Feathers into Cashmere

Everbloom’s Braid.AI uses machine learning to turn keratin-rich waste like chicken feathers into soft, biodegradable, cashmere-like fibers.

Announcements and Sponsor

Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday
ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn - use discount code RADDAY30
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw

The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro 

EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [email protected] to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai 

Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balance

This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.org

Links

Time to Retire “Podcast”
https://tinyurl.com/349cabru

Organize Insights with Data Tables
https://tinyurl.com/3mas6esk

NotebookLM Levels Up Key Feature
https://tinyurl.com/cvf3j9m7

ChatGPT Gets Enthusiasm Dial
https://tinyurl.com/6eyrykun

Deepfake Cyberbullying in Schools
https://tinyurl.com/z8cyjmbp

Teaching Screenagers Social Media and AI
https://tinyurl.com/fscuvyrf

Gemini AI Student Contest Winners
https://tinyurl.com/377sr4m4

Amazon’s $800K Bet on AI Education
https://tinyurl.com/uypb6rct

Playlab AI for Action Curriculum
https://tinyurl.com/4jxwnxz9

What “AI-Ready School” Really Means
https://tinyurl.com/2s4zpfxe

Yann LeCun to Aspiring AI Students
https://tinyurl.com/ydsnxuf

Salesforce Reconsiders LLMs
https://tinyurl.com/nbfenrsp

AI Denialism
https://tinyurl.com/5yzjv5se

AI Used To Turn Feathers into Cashmere
https://tinyurl.com/y5jmh2wd