ChatEDU: AI in Education

• Brain Rot or Brain Stretch? Rethinking Rigor in the Age of AI | Ep. 64

  In this episode of ChatEDU (Brain Rot or Brain Stretch? Rethinking Rigor in the Age of AI), Matt and Liz kick things off with a little sarcasm, a Meta AI privacy disaster, and the debut of a new segment: “Liz is Freaking Out.” From there, they dig into three big stories about AI's impact on student well-being, meaningful learning, and what really happens to your brain when you outsource thinking to a chatbot. Plus, a Bright Byte that dives deep—literally—into ocean conservation.Story 1: Mental Health and the Chatbot SpiralA disturbing New York Times story highlights how emotionally vulnerable users have spiraled into delusion after intense engagement with ChatGPT. One user nearly jumped from a building after the bot told him he could fly. Matt and Liz unpack this, plus troubling developments like AI-powered Barbie toys. The APA has now issued its strongest guidance yet on youth and AI.Story 2: Beyond the Bot – Students Use AI to Solve Real ProblemsIn Pittsburgh, students tackled food deserts and traffic safety with help from Gemini and NotebookLM. In California, Stanford grad students used AI to build ventures around music transcription, oral histories, and senior care robotics. These stories show how AI can empower students as problem solvers and innovators—not just essay writers.Story 3: Beneath the Surface – Your Brain on ChatGPTA viral MIT-led study used EEGs to examine how students’ brains react to writing with and without AI. The result? Students who used ChatGPT showed less neural activity and retained less information. But Matt and Liz push deeper, highlighting overlooked use cases—from tutoring to visualizations—that may engage the brain far more than essay outsourcing. They also question whether we’re focusing on the right skills in the first place.Bright Byte: Saving Our OceansAI is now helping monitor marine ecosystems and detect pollution. Projects like Europe’s Digital Twin of the Ocean and tools from startups like Optoscale and Cognizant show how machine learning can make a real environmental impact—tracking illegal fishing, reducing waste, and identifying long-hidden sewage leaks.AnnouncementsThe Summer Micro-Credential is still openskills21.org/ai/microCatch Liz at ISTE/ASCD next week and the AERO Conference this weekend. Matt keynotes the Rhode Island CTE Conference on August 8. Register Here  -https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqY-55rSG99HsB5qh6xMtzJ2DYbKvtq8Jf7pgV9XyzRcTTMg/viewform Links and ReferencesMeta Privacy Problems - https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/12/the-meta-ai-app-is-a-privacy-disaster/ Self-Improving AI - https://syncedreview.com/2025/06/16/mit-researchers-unveil-seal-a-new-step-towards-self-improving-ai/ Bio Threat - https://www.axios.com/2025/06/18/openai-bioweapons-risk Kalshi Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMftwmyW-A NYT on Chatbots and Mental Health - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/technology/chatgpt-ai-chatbots-conspiracies.html Barbie’s AI Playhouse - https://futurism.com/mattel-announces-openai APA Advisory on Youth and AI - https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2025/06/protect-adolescent-ai-users#:~:text=AI%20developers%20should%20build%20in,their%20data%20to%20third%20partiesWill Allen Foundation and Google Gemini Community Challenge - https://www.pghtech.org/news-and-publications/waf_googleai_news Stanford GSB Demo Day - https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/newsroom/school-news/inventive-impactful-ai-driven-students-showcase-bold-ideas-demo-day-2025 UK AI Equity Report (Children 8–12) - https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/research-projects/understanding-impacts-generative-ai-use-children MIT Cognitive Debt Study - https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ AI Study Prompts Resource - https://www.skills21.org/_files/ugd/6aad5a_8346e5f268af4c8bbf696fc7de7a07ec.pdf TIME – How AI Can Help Save Our Oceans - https://time.com/7293216/how-ai-can-help-save-our-oceans/

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• AI Ate My EdTech Stack | Ep. 63

  In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Ate My EdTech Stack), Matt and Liz open with a failed product demo, a viral subway AI romance, and some studio chaos before diving into three stories with big implications for classrooms and edtech. They explore how Canva is reinventing itself, why Estonia wants students to use their phones more, and how AI may soon reshape the entire edtech ecosystem. A bright byte on AI and bridge building closes the episode with impact.Story 1: Canva Becomes an AI SuiteCanva is expanding beyond design into productivity, learning, and automation. Its new Visual Suite 2.0 includes Magic Studio, Canva Code, and Magic Insights. The platform now rivals Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 with tools for content creation, business intelligence, and app building. But it raises questions around data privacy, authorship, and how schools will manage AI-generated work.Story 2: Estonia Leans Into Phones and AIWhile US schools ban phones, Estonia is using them to teach. Students vote with phones, learn with ChatGPT, and follow clearly defined norms. The education minister argues this cultural trust supports responsible use. Estonia is licensing AI for all students and teachers and considering oral assessments instead of essays. It’s a national experiment worth watching.Story 3: Beneath the Surface – LLMs and the EdTech ShakeupA deep research project using Gemini looked at how AI will disrupt edtech. The findings show that flashcards, homework apps, and static tools face high risk. LMS platforms and formative tools are in the middle. Project-based tools and SIS systems are least vulnerable. At the same time, districts are already cutting hundreds of unused tools from their stacks. Consolidation is coming.Bright Byte: AI Finds Hidden WaterwaysA nonprofit used AI to map 77 million miles of previously undocumented waterways. This helps rural communities build bridges faster and connect to schools, markets, and clinics. AI is accelerating infrastructure for real-world change.AnnouncementsThe Summer Micro-Credential is still open skills21.org/ai/microLinks and ReferencesGemini Catch Me Up - https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/android-os/google-drive-introduces-gemini-powered-catch-me-up-feature Canva Visual Suite 2.0 -https://www.forbes.com/sites/anishasircar/2025/04/15/canvas-all-in-one-ai-suite-could-rival-tech-giants---but-theres-fine-print/ Estonia’s AI in Schools -https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/may/26/estonia-phone-bans-in-schools-ai-artificial-intelligence EdTech Disruption Report (via Gemini) -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e1cZT93TOWqtt8UWo3NaVbJNfpGSwI73jjoNltJDDno/edit?usp=sharing EdSurge on Districts Cutting Tools -https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-05-16-trimming-the-edtech-fat-how-districts-are-streamlining-their-digital-ecosystems Bright Byte – Waterway Mapping with AI -https://www.businessinsider.com/bridges-to-prosperity-nonprofit-ai-mapping-waterways-rural-communities-2025-5 SponsorSupported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing www.nextgenmfg.org

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• Academic Earthquake: When AI Passes Peer Review | Ep. 62

  In this episode of ChatEDU (Academic Earthquake: When AI Passes Peer Review), Matt and Liz open with a quirky AI challenge: generate Liz’s perfect romantic partner. The results are strangely consistent, but the fun quickly turns to focus. They dive into three big stories shaping the future of work, education, and research. From job evolution to classroom AI to a paper written entirely by an agent, this episode tackles the jagged edge of AI's impact. A bright byte on flood prediction closes things out with real-world urgency.Story 1: PwC on AI Jobs and the 66 Percent ShiftA new report from PwC analyzes one billion job ads and finds that AI is not wiping out jobs but rapidly transforming them. Roles in AI-exposed fields are evolving 66 percent faster and offering rising wage premiums. Matt and Liz talk about what this means for workforce development, education programs, and why being AI fluent is a serious advantage.Story 2: Google Tools for Teachers and StudentsNotebookLM adds interactive podcast overviews, link sharing, and new structured outputs. Deep Research can now generate full webpages, quizzes, and infographics. Google’s AI Studio introduces speech generation tools and visual inputs. Liz explains how teachers are already applying these updates to boost student learning and access. Matt imagines homework powered by narrated study guides.Story 3: Peer Review Gets an AI EarthquakeAn AI system named Zochi just had a solo-authored paper accepted into ACL 2025. No humans wrote it or guided the process. It out-performed most human submissions and passed multiple rounds of peer review. Matt and Liz break down how this happened and why it matters. They also highlight the irony of students being forced to prove they did not use AI while AI itself is publishing research.Bright Byte: AI Predicts Floods and Saves LivesGoogle’s Flood Hub is now providing 7-day flood warnings to 460 million people across 80 countries. Using satellite imagery and river-level modeling, it delivers free, daily updates in regions where early warnings can save lives.AnnouncementsThe Summer Micro-Credential is open now skills21.org/ai/microLinks and ReferencesPwC AI Jobs-Barometerhttps://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/artificial-intelligence/job-barometer/2025/report.pdf?utm_source=www.theneurondaily.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ai-skills-56-pay-bumpNotebookLM- https://notebooklm.google/Flood Hub-https://sites.research.google/gr/floodforecasting/Zochi’s Peer-Reviewed Paper-https://www.intology.ai/blog/zochi-aclVoiceitt: Speech Recognition for Non-Standard Speechhttps://www.voiceitt.comSponsorThis episode is supported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing www.nextgenmfg.org

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• Nice Try, Tech Bro: Schools Aren’t Daycare and AI Isn’t in Charge | Ep. 61

  In this episode of ChatEDU (Nice Try, Tech Bro: Schools Aren’t Daycare and AI Isn’t in Charge), Matt and Liz dive into three stories shaping the future of learning and tech. They start with a prank, then cover an Axios AI survey, Google’s new Beam tech, and a hot debate over whether Duolingo’s CEO dissed teachers. It’s a fast ride across the AI-in-education frontier, ending with a bright byte that’s both mathematically sharp and eco-smart. Plus, a welcome to sponsor zSpace.Story 1: Axios Survey and the New AI Literacy FrameworkA new Axios Harris Poll shows 77% of Americans want AI development to slow down, even if it means delays. Matt and Liz contrast this with AI pushes by the UAE, Duke, and Miami-Dade. They explore a new AI literacy framework from TeachAI, Code.org, and the OECD, with four domains: engaging with AI, creating with it, managing AI actions, and designing solutions. It’s not just tech, it’s about shaping thoughtful, ethical, human-centered learners.Story 2: Google Beam and the Shape of Remote Learning to ComeGoogle Beam, evolving from Project Starline, enables 3D, lifelike communication, no headset needed. It restores eye contact, conveys subtle cues, and offers real-time translation with tone and expression. Matt and Liz consider how Beam could reshape connection, collaboration, and presence in schools.Beneath the Surface: Duolingo and the Limits of AI-First ThinkingDuolingo CEO Luis von Ahn recently claimed schools will mainly serve as daycare while AI handles learning. Matt and Liz respond with a clear “no thanks.” They discuss Duolingo’s contractor layoffs and a user who ended a 1,435-day streak in protest. Replacing teachers with AI, they argue, isn’t just flawed, it’s harmful. Drawing on examples from Cal Poly DXHub and rural innovators in Odisha, they show AI should empower. not replace, learners. The future is human-guided, AI-enhanced, and fueled by creativity.Bright Byte: Alpha Evolve and the Math That Changes EverythingThis week’s Bright Byte features Alpha Evolve, DeepMind’s latest leap. It combines Gemini language models with evolutionary algorithms to write code and solve problems. It reclaimed stranded compute power, cut AI training time, and broke a 56-year-old matrix multiplication record. Matt and Liz explain why it matters and how it could offset AI’s environmental toll with real-world efficiency.Referenced Articles and ResourcesAxios AI Survey (77 Percent Want to Slow Down)https://www.axios.com/2025/05/27/ai-harris-100-poll-move-slow?utm_term=emshareOECD + TeachAI + Code.org Frameworkhttps://www.teachai.org/ailiteracyGoogle Beam Announcementhttps://blog.google/technology/research/project-starline-google-beam-update/NDTV: Duolingo CEO on the Future of Schoolhttps://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/will-schools-exist-in-ai-future-duolingo-ceo-makes-prediction-8446047Cal Poly DXHub and Snopes Partnershiphttps://www.ksby.com/san-luis-obispo/cal-poly-students-using-ai-as-solutions-to-real-world-problemsOdisha Students at Global Summithttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/odisha-rural-students-to-showcase-innovative-ideas-at-global-summit-in-usa/articleshow/121274943.cms#:~:text=Odisha%20rural%20students%20to%20showcase%20innovative%20ideas%20at%20global%20summit%20in%20USA,-Hemanta%20Pradhan%20%2F%20May&text=Bhubaneswar%3A%20Eight%20rural%20high%20school,at%20Texas%20State%20University%2C%20USA.DeepMind Alpha Evolvehttps://venturebeat.com/ai/meet-alphaevolve-the-google-ai-that-writes-its-own-code-and-just-saved-millions-in-computing-costs/Announcements & SponsorSummer Micro-Credential Cohort is OpenLearn more and register at: skills21.org/ai/microThis episode is sponsored by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, supporting AI-powered innovation and workforce readiness.https://www.nextgenmfg.org/Also supported in part by zSpace, makers of immersive 3D education tools that don’t require headsets.info.zspace.com/chatedu

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• What are we protecting? AI, learning, and the myth of the good old days | Ep. 60

  In this episode of ChatEDU (What are we protecting? AI, learning, and the myth of the good old days), Matt and Jonathan return to the ChatEDU studio while Liz globe-trots her way to ASCD authorship, to tackle two big stories shaping the AI-in-education conversation. First, they dive into NASA’s spring guidance warning that generative AI is too unreliable for mission-critical applications, and unpack what that means for education, ethics, and expectations. Then, they go beneath the surface with a new article from Jonathan Costa exploring G.K. Chesterton’s “fence” and what it reveals about our assumptions around reading, writing, and what students really need to know. From dog impressions to deep epistemology, this episode covers serious ground.Story 1: NASA’s Take on Generative AIIn a springtime memo to chief information officers, NASA came out strong: generative AI is not to be used for critical research or safety work. Why? Hallucinations, poor data quality, and instruction ignoring are still too common. Matt and Jonathan explore the implications of this position and why context matters; what’s a dealbreaker in rocket science might be a minor annoyance in dinner recipes. They also do a dramatic reading of a fictional “AI performance review” pulled from a CIO.com op-ed to highlight how strange our current AI tolerance levels really are.Beneath the Surface: Chesterton’s Fence and the Myth of the Good Old DaysJonathan shares his new piece on Chesterton’s Fence, a metaphor for not tearing down long-standing traditions unless you understand why they exist. He and Matt explore how this metaphor applies to the future of literacy, learning, and school design in an AI-powered world. Does reading still matter if you can generate a podcast from any text? Is decoding the same as thinking? They examine writing, world languages, engineering fluency, and post-literate futures, while offering practical insights for superintendents navigating change. It’s a smart, provocative conversation about learning in the age of acceleration.Bright Byte: Stanford’s BRP DiscoveryThis week’s Bright Byte spotlights a health tech breakthrough from Stanford Medicine. Using a peptide-predicting AI model, researchers identified BRP, a naturally occurring amino acid that reduces appetite and body weight in animal studies with fewer side effects than Ozempic. The model analyzed 20,000 protein-coding genes to find active peptides, a task too complex for traditional lab methods. It’s another example of how AI can support high-impact research and deliver real-world benefits in health and medicine.AnnouncementsSummer Micro-Credential Cohort is OpenLearn more and register at: skills21.org/ai/microReferenced Articles and ResourcesWendy Costa's awesome photography websitehttps://www.alternaterealityphotos.com/NASA’s Generative AI Cautionhttps://www.computerworld.com/article/3951046/nasa-finds-generative-ai-cant-be-trusted.html#:~:text=The%20NASA%20report%20found%20that,systems%20that%20create%20unacceptable%20risk.Stanford’s AI Discovery of BRPhttps://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/ozempic-rival.html#:~:text=Naturally%20occurring%20molecule%20rivals%20Ozempic%20in%20weight%20loss%2C%20sidesteps%20side%20effects&text=The%2012%2Damino%2Dacid%20BRP,causing%20nausea%20or%20food%20aversion.SponsorThis episode is sponsored by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, supporting AI-powered innovation and workforce readiness.

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