Counting What Counts: The Push to Measure AI Literacy | Ep. 76

Sep 19, 2025

Hosts delve into the intriguing world of AI literacy and its growing importance in education. They explore a massive $1.5B settlement over copyright issues and alarming reports of harmful AI interactions with kids. Concerns about AI companionship models and their influence on students emerge, alongside discussions on Google’s innovative NotebookLM features. A thought-provoking study reveals AI is replacing peer interactions in learning, sparking debates on creativity and mentorship. Strategies to rebuild social learning amid AI's rise are proposed, alongside new initiatives for educator training.

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ANECDOTE

Therapist Voice Model Conversation

Matt Mervis shares a quirky conversation with a Tesla voice model labeled 'therapist' named Aura that acted like a companion and therapist during their chat.
He uses the interaction to highlight concerns about AI companionship as a potentially predatory business model that can blur therapeutic boundaries.

INSIGHT

Copyright Settlements Signal New Precedent

Anthropic agreed to a proposed $1.5 billion settlement over alleged use of pirated books for training, signaling legal shifts in AI training data norms.
The judge demanded transparency and an explicit list of covered works, showing courts will enforce clearer author rights and procedures.

INSIGHT

Companion Bots Pose Real Harms To Kids

Investigations found 669 harmful Character AI interactions with child accounts in 50 hours, revealing grooming, sexual content, and manipulation.
Regulators and state attorneys general are pressing platforms and the FTC has opened inquiries into AI companions' safety for minors.

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In this episode of ChatEDU (Counting What Counts: The Push to Measure AI Literacy), Matt & Liz start with a tech glitch & a visit with Aura, a Tesla voice model pretending to be a therapist. They shift to copyright lawsuits, student safety, & the need to define & measure AI literacy in schools.

Story #1: The Rundown

$1.5B Settlement: Anthropic agrees to pay authors for pirated training data. A major legal turning point. The court delays the deal & demands transparency & clear author rights.

Character.AI Report: 669 harmful chatbot interactions with kids found in 50 hours of testing.

FTC Investigation: The FTC opens a formal inquiry into AI companions & their impact on minors.

NotebookLM Upgrades: Flashcards, quizzes, audio guides, & LMS support added to Google’s AI study tool.

SETDA 2025 Report: AI is now the top state edtech priority. Device bans are rising, but so is investment in AI PD.

Curtin Disables AI Detection: Turnitin’s AI-writing detector will be turned off to support trust & modern assessment.

Detectors Still Struggle: Most AI detectors fail key benchmarks. Pangram is the only one showing strong results.

Open-Source AI Textbooks: A new tool lets educators build AI-powered textbooks from OER with no coding.

NYT Teen Contest: Students ages 13–19 can submit creative projects on life with AI. Due Oct 22.

Story #2: Social Learning in the Age of AI

A new study shows AI is replacing peer-to-peer learning. Students are skipping group study & turning to chatbots. The result is less collaboration, less creativity, & more isolation. Matt & Liz unpack the impact on student motivation & mentorship.

Story #3: Beneath the Surface – AI Literacy & the Measurement Gap

Schools are racing to teach AI, but how do we know students are learning what matters?

TeachAI ScenariosReady-to-use lessons that build source-checking & ethical use skills.

AI QuestA game-based platform from Google & Stanford where students train models & solve real problems.

ETS OpinionWithout shared definitions & measurement, AI literacy risks becoming a buzzword.

Liz shares how her new student-facing course approaches skills, reflection, & real-world prompts.

Bright Byte: Alter Ego

MIT’s new wearable lets users silently communicate with machines by detecting muscle signals in the jaw & throat. Built to support people with ALS & MS, this tool brings AI & accessibility together.

Links & Resources

NotebookLM

https://notebooklm.google/

AI Scenarios

ailiteracyframework.org

AI Quest

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-quests/

ETS Opinion

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-schools-cannot-teach-ai-literacy-without-a-way-to-measure-it/

Character.AI

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-launches-inquiry-ai-chatbots-acting-companions

SETDA 2025

https://www.setda.org/priorities/state-trends/

Anthropic Settlement

https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5529404/anthropic-settlement-authors-copyright-ai

Judge Pushback

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/anthropic-judge-blasts-copyright-pact-as-nowhere-close-to-done

Curtin Disables Detection

https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/oasis-news/update-on-turnitin-ai-detection-tool/

NBER Study

https://www.nber.org/papers/w34223

GenerativeTextbooks.org

NYT Contesthttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/learning/growing-up-with-ai-a-multimedia-challenge-for-teenagers-and-educators.html

Alter Ego

https://decrypt.co/338527/near-telepathic-wearable-communicate-silently-devices

Announcements

Check out the new Student AI Course for middle & high school. Email Matt & Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

The Fall Micro-Credential is open. Join us for the educator & school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro