The Role of AI Avatars in Student Engagement

In this episode of ChatEDU (Scroll State vs. Flow State: The Battle for Student Attention), Matt and Liz explore the growing tension between distraction and deep learning in the age of AI. They kick things off with a rapid-fire roundup of AI safety updates affecting students, then turn to Israel’s bold bet on AI avatars in education. Finally, they go Beneath the Surface with a provocative Time Magazine piece by “CatGPT” that asks whether AI is the scapegoat—or the solution—for our fraying attention spans.

Story 1 – AI and Student Safety RoundupCommon Sense Media calls out social AI companions like Character.ai and Replika as “unacceptable risks” for teens, citing emotional manipulation and access to explicit content. Meanwhile, Congress passes the bipartisan “Take It Down Act” to combat deepfake abuse. Matt and Liz dig into what it all means for student well-being, school policy, and how teachers can keep pace with an evolving risk landscape.

Story 2 – Israel’s AI Avatar RevolutionIsrael is piloting a high-profile program using AI avatars as virtual tutors and Harvard is in the mix as an academic partner. The avatars promise one-on-one support and academic coaching with a human-like interface.  Matt and Liz debate whether avatars are the future of personalized learning or just flashy distractions—and what kinds of avatars students might actually want to learn from.

Beneath the Surface – In a standout opinion piece for Time, Catherine Goetz (aka “CatGPT”) argues that AI isn’t killing learning, it’s exposing our fractured attention spans. Through personal reflection and student interviews, Goetz paints a nuanced picture: students aren’t lazy, they’re overloaded and conditioned for quick dopamine hits. Matt and Liz unpack her central claim that AI can actually restore flow state and deep learning if used well. From critical thinking breakdowns to the promise of AI as a coach, it’s a sharp and timely lens on a familiar debate.

Bright Byte – AI-Enhanced Lung SurgeryThis week’s AI Bright Byte highlights a new system that turns CT scans into 3D lung models, improving surgical accuracy and cutting pre-op time. One more way AI is quietly saving lives behind the scenes.

Announcements:

Summer Micro-Credential Cohort is Open - skills21.org/ai/micro

Reddit persuasion studyCoverage via Engadget/Yahoo News: https://tech.yahoo.com/articles/researchers-secretly-experimented-reddit-users-194328083.html?guccounter=1

New California Bill (SB 243) on AI chatbot regulationOpinion piece in The Hill:https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5267744-ai-companions-mental-health/

Google Gemini access for under 13 via Family LinkArticle:https://9to5google.com/2025/04/28/gemini-app-kids/

AI use by kids for learning - Business InsiderOp-ed by Tiffany Ng:https://www.businessinsider.com/teaching-kids-use-ai-chatgpt-responsibly-learn-2025-5

Congressional passage of the Take It Down ActAssociated Pressreport:https://apnews.com/article/take-it-down-deepfake-trump-melania-first-amendment-741a6e525e81e5e3d8843aac20de8615

AI avatars in Israeli educationYnet News: https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/skhub3rygx

Time Magazine opinion piece by Katherine Gehl (Cat GPT)https://time.com/7276807/why-students-using-ai-avoid-learning/

AI Trust Chrome extension for classroom AI transparencyInfo:https://www.lbusd.org/resources/news-archive/individual-news-posts/~board/news/post/lbusd-introduces-ai-trust-you

Nature study on AI-driven 3D lung reconstructionFull paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59200-8

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing Learn more about their work and support for AI-driven education innovation at: https://nextgenmfg.org