Teaching in Higher Ed Voices on AI: Jeff Young Shares Soundbites of Change
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Nov 26, 2025 Jeff Young, host of the Learning Curve podcast and education reporter, shares insights on AI's transformative role in higher education. He discusses the varied student perspectives on AI, highlighting its dual role as a learning aid and a source of instant gratification that could undermine attention spans. Young also delves into the risks of using AI as a social substitute and the growing concerns around its impact on job markets and journalism. Ultimately, he underscores the irreplaceable value of human connection in education and life.
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Beijing Conference Warning
- Jeff Young recounts a Beijing ed-tech conference where a founder described AI as an uncontrollable tutor that might teach the wrong things.
- The exchange highlighted early concerns about regulating generative AI in education and its potential harms.
No Single Student View
- Students vary widely in attitudes toward AI and there is no single student perspective on its use in education.
- Many students feel the technology is pervasive and shaped by concerns about future jobs they will enter.
Duke Student Uses ChatGPT To Learn
- A Duke student described using ChatGPT to clarify stuck problem-set questions when office hours conflicted with her schedule.
- She framed AI as a learning aid to unlock understanding, not as a shortcut around learning.
