Which School Tasks Should Be Automated?

In this episode of ChatEDU (Check Please: Is Your AI Paying Off?) Matt and Jonathan open with updates about Liz’s at ISTE/ASCD. From there, they tackle a practical and philosophical look at AI’s rapid growth, job impacts, classroom adoption, and hidden trade-offs as leaders rethink what to automate. The episode closes with a bright byte on how AI is helping India map heat risks, proving that machine learning can drive real-world climate adaptation.

Story #1: The AI Resume Arms Race

Matt and Jonathan unpack a recent New York Times piece on how employers are overwhelmed by a flood of AI-generated resumes, while companies fight back with AI-powered screening tools. It’s an HR arms race with clear parallels to the college essay challenge, forcing educators and employers alike to rethink what authentic assessment and hiring should look like in the age of generative AI.

Story #2: What Gets Measured Gets Automated

Pulling from a Harvard Business Review analysis, Matt and Jonathan explore which tasks AI will automate first, from grading quizzes to lesson planning to even attendance tracking via facial recognition. They discuss where AI makes sense, where human judgment is still essential, and how this ties into deeper conversations about what education is truly for in an AI-saturated world.

Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): Is Your AI Actually Adding Value?

Going deeper, they highlight an HBR “AI Value Audit” to help educators and leaders assess when using AI saves time versus when it erodes critical learning, skill development, and human connection. They apply this audit live, pulling real tasks from ChatGPT histories and discussing which uses genuinely amplify their work—and which risk making things shallower.

Bright Byte: India Uses AI to Map Heat Risks

India is now using AI and satellite data to map heat vulnerability building-by-building across major cities. This lets communities target interventions like cool roofs and green spaces, helping residents adapt to extreme heat events made worse by climate change. It’s a crisp example of how AI can drive practical climate resilience at scale.

Announcements

The Summer Micro-Credential is still open, with a special ISTE/ASCD promo for attendees. skills21.org/ai/micro

Links and References

Anthropic’s Claudius Experiment

https://time.com/7298088/claude-anthropic-shop-ai-jobs/

NYT on AI and Hiring

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/technology/ai-spending-openai-amazon-meta.html

Harvard Business Review: What Gets Measured Gets Automated

https://hbr.org/2025/06/what-gets-measured-ai-will-automate

Harvard Business Review: Audit Your AI Use

https://hbr.org/2025/06/recalculating-the-costs-and-benefits-of-gen-ai

India Heat Mapping with AI

https://www.wired.com/story/india-is-using-ai-and-satellites-to-map-urban-heat-vulnerability-down-to-the-building-level/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Sponsor

This episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

www.nextgenmfg.org