When AI Agents Fail: Claudius Vending Test

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 chatedu@edadvance.org 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