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
ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast