ChatEDU: AI in Education

In this episode of ChatEDU (College Degrees to Beat the Bot), Matt and Liz kick things off with a voice AI agent for small businesses (including Liz’s very own Studio 217) and trippy new uses for chatbots. From there, they dig into the fast-moving world of robotics, sharing stories of clumsy soccer-playing humanoids, robot warehouse takeovers, and AI-assisted classroom companions. Then, they go Beneath the Surface with a deep dive on seven college majors that may just “beat the bot” — plus an acronym from MIT you’ll actually want to remember. Finally, this week’s Bright Byte delivers a surprising (and heartwarming) AI breakthrough in infertility treatment.Story #1 — Tsunami of Early-Summer AI StoriesMatt and Liz cover a load of stories in the AI news including prompt injection in academic papers, reports from ISTE, and reported big K-12 AI investments.Story #2 — Robots on the RampageHumanoid robots fall down (a lot) in 3-on-3 soccer matches. Amazon’s warehouse bots are on the rise, and on track to outnumber human workers. Misty II charms students in special education, and Hugging Face releases a DIY robot you can program yourself. It’s fun, freaky… and definitely closer than you think.Story #3 (Beneath the Surface) — College Majors that Beat the BotCognitive science, bioinformatics, creative tech, and more. Forbes calls these “AI-durable” degrees that blend human creativity, ethics, and empathy with AI savvy. Matt and Liz also explore MIT’s EPOCH framework for future-proof skills: Empathy, Presence, Opinion, Creativity, Hope. Whether you’re advising students or thinking about your own next move, this one’s worth the listen.Bright ByteAfter 18 years of infertility, AI called STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery) helped a couple conceive by finding viable sperm human eyes missed, no invasive surgery required. Sometimes AI really is a miracle worker.Links and References11 Labs AI Voice Agent Toolhttps://elevenlabs.io/app/talk-to?agent_id=agent_01jzxnd7e5fsv9cvve4g6np8v7Hugging Face Reachy Mini Robot https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/09/hugging-face-opens-up-orders-for-its-reachy-mini-desktop-robots/ISTE AI in Education Highlightshttps://www.edweek.org/technology/can-ai-make-history-class-more-fun-for-students/2025/07OpenAI, Anthropic and Microsoft Invest in AI/K-12https://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2025/07/08/microsoft-openai--anthropic-fund-a-national-ai-academy-for-teachers/Japan Times on AI Peer Review Hackshttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/04/japan/ai-research-prompt-injection/3 v 3 Robot Soccerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPL7sK0pJOEAmazon Scales Robotshttps://unionrayo.com/en/amazon-new-autonomous-robots/Misty IIhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2025/07/07/how-an-ai-robot-helped-silent-kids-speak/Forbes: College Majors to Beat the Bot https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhernholm/2025/06/30/7-college-majors-that-prepare-you-to-lead-in-an-ai-driven-economy/MIT EPOCH Framework on Human Capabilitieshttps://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/these-human-capabilities-complement-ais-shortcomingsCNN on STAR AI and Infertility Breakthroughhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/07/03/health/ai-male-infertility-sperm-wellnessSponsorThis episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing — nextgenmfg.org

In this episode of ChatEDU (Viral or Villain - Is the AI Backlash Just Beginning?), Matt and Liz open with travel updates from Liz’s time at ISTE/ASCD, shoutouts to listeners met on the road, and a quick prompt hack before diving into three big stories shaping the tension between AI’s rapid adoption in schools and growing backlash in society. From AI-powered literacy tools to global assessment changes and the tension between usage and resistance, this episode explores what happens when AI goes viral, and when the backlash begins.Story #1: Amira’s AI Literacy Screening in NewarkNewark Public Schools is rolling out Amira, an AI-powered literacy screener assessing K-3 students by listening to them read aloud. The tool helps identify fluency challenges and personalizes interventions while emphasizing augmentation, not replacement, of teachers. While promising for early literacy, experts highlight the need for human oversight, particularly for English learners, to ensure equitable outcomes.Story #2: PISA Adds AI Literacy to Global AssessmentsThe OECD’s PISA assessment will add a Media and AI Literacy domain in 2029 to measure students’ critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and ability to navigate misinformation in an AI-mediated world. Using simulations of search engines, social media feeds, and chatbot interactions, this marks a major shift in what global assessments will value, preparing systems to measure skills relevant to the digital age.Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): The Walton Study, Wired, and the Growing AI BacklashA new Walton Family Foundation survey with Gallup shows teachers are saving nearly six weeks a year using AI while improving lesson quality and work-life balance. Meanwhile, 97% of Gen Z students are using AI for homework, test prep, and college essays. Yet, a rising backlash is building outside schools as concerns over automation, environmental impact, and copyright issues grow. Matt and Liz discuss what leaders should do to pair intentional AI adoption with policy, dialogue, and equity to navigate the coming tension.Bright Byte: Microsoft’s MAI-DXO Diagnoses Faster and CheaperIn healthcare, Microsoft’s MAI-DXO has diagnosed 85% of complex medical cases accurately while lowering costs by reducing unnecessary testing. This signals how AI can streamline diagnostics, save money, and improve care, if implemented with thoughtful clinical validation.Links and ReferencesAmira Literacy Screening (Chalkbeat + NJ.com)https://www.nj.com/mosaic/2025/06/newark-launches-ai-tool-to-boost-literacy-for-struggling-students.htmlPISA Media & AI Literacy Domain – OECD Announcementhttps://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/pisa-2029-media-and-artificial-intelligence-literacy.htmlWalton/Gallup AI Survey – Teach for Tomorrow Reporthttps://www.gallup.com/analytics/659819/k-12-teacher-research.aspxWired on AI Backlash – Reese Rogers, June 28https://www.wired.com/story/generative-ai-backlash/Microsoft MAI-DXO Diagnostic Orchestratorhttps://microsoft.ai/new/the-path-to-medical-superintelligence/Skills21 AI Resources and Policy Samplesskills21.org/ai/resourcesSponsor: National Center for Next Generation Manufacturingnextgenmfg.org

In this episode of ChatEDU (Check Please: Is Your AI Paying Off?) Matt and Jonathan open with updates about Liz’s at ISTE/ASCD. From there, they tackle a practical and philosophical look at AI’s rapid growth, job impacts, classroom adoption, and hidden trade-offs as leaders rethink what to automate. The episode closes with a bright byte on how AI is helping India map heat risks, proving that machine learning can drive real-world climate adaptation.Story #1: The AI Resume Arms RaceMatt and Jonathan unpack a recent New York Times piece on how employers are overwhelmed by a flood of AI-generated resumes, while companies fight back with AI-powered screening tools. It’s an HR arms race with clear parallels to the college essay challenge, forcing educators and employers alike to rethink what authentic assessment and hiring should look like in the age of generative AI.Story #2: What Gets Measured Gets AutomatedPulling from a Harvard Business Review analysis, Matt and Jonathan explore which tasks AI will automate first, from grading quizzes to lesson planning to even attendance tracking via facial recognition. They discuss where AI makes sense, where human judgment is still essential, and how this ties into deeper conversations about what education is truly for in an AI-saturated world.Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): Is Your AI Actually Adding Value?Going deeper, they highlight an HBR “AI Value Audit” to help educators and leaders assess when using AI saves time versus when it erodes critical learning, skill development, and human connection. They apply this audit live, pulling real tasks from ChatGPT histories and discussing which uses genuinely amplify their work—and which risk making things shallower.Bright Byte: India Uses AI to Map Heat RisksIndia is now using AI and satellite data to map heat vulnerability building-by-building across major cities. This lets communities target interventions like cool roofs and green spaces, helping residents adapt to extreme heat events made worse by climate change. It’s a crisp example of how AI can drive practical climate resilience at scale.AnnouncementsThe Summer Micro-Credential is still open, with a special ISTE/ASCD promo for attendees. skills21.org/ai/microLinks and ReferencesAnthropic’s Claudius Experimenthttps://time.com/7298088/claude-anthropic-shop-ai-jobs/NYT on AI and Hiringhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/technology/ai-spending-openai-amazon-meta.htmlHarvard Business Review: What Gets Measured Gets Automatedhttps://hbr.org/2025/06/what-gets-measured-ai-will-automateHarvard Business Review: Audit Your AI Usehttps://hbr.org/2025/06/recalculating-the-costs-and-benefits-of-gen-aiIndia Heat Mapping with AIhttps://www.wired.com/story/india-is-using-ai-and-satellites-to-map-urban-heat-vulnerability-down-to-the-building-level/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.SponsorThis episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturingwww.nextgenmfg.org

In this episode of ChatEDU (Brain Rot or Brain Stretch? Rethinking Rigor in the Age of AI), Matt and Liz kick things off with a little sarcasm, a Meta AI privacy disaster, and the debut of a new segment: “Liz is Freaking Out.” From there, they dig into three big stories about AI's impact on student well-being, meaningful learning, and what really happens to your brain when you outsource thinking to a chatbot. Plus, a Bright Byte that dives deep—literally—into ocean conservation.Story 1: Mental Health and the Chatbot SpiralA disturbing New York Times story highlights how emotionally vulnerable users have spiraled into delusion after intense engagement with ChatGPT. One user nearly jumped from a building after the bot told him he could fly. Matt and Liz unpack this, plus troubling developments like AI-powered Barbie toys. The APA has now issued its strongest guidance yet on youth and AI.Story 2: Beyond the Bot – Students Use AI to Solve Real ProblemsIn Pittsburgh, students tackled food deserts and traffic safety with help from Gemini and NotebookLM. In California, Stanford grad students used AI to build ventures around music transcription, oral histories, and senior care robotics. These stories show how AI can empower students as problem solvers and innovators—not just essay writers.Story 3: Beneath the Surface – Your Brain on ChatGPTA viral MIT-led study used EEGs to examine how students’ brains react to writing with and without AI. The result? Students who used ChatGPT showed less neural activity and retained less information. But Matt and Liz push deeper, highlighting overlooked use cases—from tutoring to visualizations—that may engage the brain far more than essay outsourcing. They also question whether we’re focusing on the right skills in the first place.Bright Byte: Saving Our OceansAI is now helping monitor marine ecosystems and detect pollution. Projects like Europe’s Digital Twin of the Ocean and tools from startups like Optoscale and Cognizant show how machine learning can make a real environmental impact—tracking illegal fishing, reducing waste, and identifying long-hidden sewage leaks.AnnouncementsThe Summer Micro-Credential is still openskills21.org/ai/microCatch Liz at ISTE/ASCD next week and the AERO Conference this weekend. Matt keynotes the Rhode Island CTE Conference on August 8. Register Here  -https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqY-55rSG99HsB5qh6xMtzJ2DYbKvtq8Jf7pgV9XyzRcTTMg/viewform Links and ReferencesMeta Privacy Problems - https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/12/the-meta-ai-app-is-a-privacy-disaster/ Self-Improving AI - https://syncedreview.com/2025/06/16/mit-researchers-unveil-seal-a-new-step-towards-self-improving-ai/ Bio Threat - https://www.axios.com/2025/06/18/openai-bioweapons-risk Kalshi Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMftwmyW-A NYT on Chatbots and Mental Health - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/technology/chatgpt-ai-chatbots-conspiracies.html Barbie’s AI Playhouse - https://futurism.com/mattel-announces-openai APA Advisory on Youth and AI - https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2025/06/protect-adolescent-ai-users#:~:text=AI%20developers%20should%20build%20in,their%20data%20to%20third%20partiesWill Allen Foundation and Google Gemini Community Challenge - https://www.pghtech.org/news-and-publications/waf_googleai_news Stanford GSB Demo Day - https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/newsroom/school-news/inventive-impactful-ai-driven-students-showcase-bold-ideas-demo-day-2025 UK AI Equity Report (Children 8–12) - https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/research-projects/understanding-impacts-generative-ai-use-children MIT Cognitive Debt Study - https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ AI Study Prompts Resource - https://www.skills21.org/_files/ugd/6aad5a_8346e5f268af4c8bbf696fc7de7a07ec.pdf TIME – How AI Can Help Save Our Oceans - https://time.com/7293216/how-ai-can-help-save-our-oceans/

Matt and Liz discuss a failed product demo and a viral AI romance on the subway. They delve into Canva's transformation into an AI suite, raising questions about data privacy. Estonia's bold move to embrace mobile phones and AI in classrooms contrasts sharply with bans in other countries. Finally, they explore research on AI's potential to revolutionize the edtech landscape, signaling a shift in traditional educational tools. A bright byte on AI and bridge building caps off their intriguing insights.

In this episode of ChatEDU (Academic Earthquake: When AI Passes Peer Review), Matt and Liz open with a quirky AI challenge: generate Liz’s perfect romantic partner. The results are strangely consistent, but the fun quickly turns to focus. They dive into three big stories shaping the future of work, education, and research. From job evolution to classroom AI to a paper written entirely by an agent, this episode tackles the jagged edge of AI's impact. A bright byte on flood prediction closes things out with real-world urgency.Story 1: PwC on AI Jobs and the 66 Percent ShiftA new report from PwC analyzes one billion job ads and finds that AI is not wiping out jobs but rapidly transforming them. Roles in AI-exposed fields are evolving 66 percent faster and offering rising wage premiums. Matt and Liz talk about what this means for workforce development, education programs, and why being AI fluent is a serious advantage.Story 2: Google Tools for Teachers and StudentsNotebookLM adds interactive podcast overviews, link sharing, and new structured outputs. Deep Research can now generate full webpages, quizzes, and infographics. Google’s AI Studio introduces speech generation tools and visual inputs. Liz explains how teachers are already applying these updates to boost student learning and access. Matt imagines homework powered by narrated study guides.Story 3: Peer Review Gets an AI EarthquakeAn AI system named Zochi just had a solo-authored paper accepted into ACL 2025. No humans wrote it or guided the process. It out-performed most human submissions and passed multiple rounds of peer review. Matt and Liz break down how this happened and why it matters. They also highlight the irony of students being forced to prove they did not use AI while AI itself is publishing research.Bright Byte: AI Predicts Floods and Saves LivesGoogle’s Flood Hub is now providing 7-day flood warnings to 460 million people across 80 countries. Using satellite imagery and river-level modeling, it delivers free, daily updates in regions where early warnings can save lives.AnnouncementsThe Summer Micro-Credential is open now skills21.org/ai/microLinks and ReferencesPwC AI Jobs-Barometerhttps://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/artificial-intelligence/job-barometer/2025/report.pdf?utm_source=www.theneurondaily.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ai-skills-56-pay-bumpNotebookLM- https://notebooklm.google/Flood Hub-https://sites.research.google/gr/floodforecasting/Zochi’s Peer-Reviewed Paper-https://www.intology.ai/blog/zochi-aclVoiceitt: Speech Recognition for Non-Standard Speechhttps://www.voiceitt.comSponsorThis episode is supported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing www.nextgenmfg.org

Dive into the fascinating world of AI in education! A recent survey shows Americans want to slow AI development, sparking discussions on teaching ethical AI use. Discover Google's Beam technology, revolutionizing remote communication with lifelike interactions. The debate around Duolingo's perspective on teachers raises eyebrows. The necessity for a human touch in education is emphasized as society grapples with AI's rapid advancement. Plus, insights into AI's environmental impact and innovative solutions complete this engaging exploration!

In this episode of ChatEDU (What are we protecting? AI, learning, and the myth of the good old days), Matt and Jonathan return to the ChatEDU studio while Liz globe-trots her way to ASCD authorship, to tackle two big stories shaping the AI-in-education conversation. First, they dive into NASA’s spring guidance warning that generative AI is too unreliable for mission-critical applications, and unpack what that means for education, ethics, and expectations. Then, they go beneath the surface with a new article from Jonathan Costa exploring G.K. Chesterton’s “fence” and what it reveals about our assumptions around reading, writing, and what students really need to know. From dog impressions to deep epistemology, this episode covers serious ground.Story 1: NASA’s Take on Generative AIIn a springtime memo to chief information officers, NASA came out strong: generative AI is not to be used for critical research or safety work. Why? Hallucinations, poor data quality, and instruction ignoring are still too common. Matt and Jonathan explore the implications of this position and why context matters; what’s a dealbreaker in rocket science might be a minor annoyance in dinner recipes. They also do a dramatic reading of a fictional “AI performance review” pulled from a CIO.com op-ed to highlight how strange our current AI tolerance levels really are.Beneath the Surface: Chesterton’s Fence and the Myth of the Good Old DaysJonathan shares his new piece on Chesterton’s Fence, a metaphor for not tearing down long-standing traditions unless you understand why they exist. He and Matt explore how this metaphor applies to the future of literacy, learning, and school design in an AI-powered world. Does reading still matter if you can generate a podcast from any text? Is decoding the same as thinking? They examine writing, world languages, engineering fluency, and post-literate futures, while offering practical insights for superintendents navigating change. It’s a smart, provocative conversation about learning in the age of acceleration.Bright Byte: Stanford’s BRP DiscoveryThis week’s Bright Byte spotlights a health tech breakthrough from Stanford Medicine. Using a peptide-predicting AI model, researchers identified BRP, a naturally occurring amino acid that reduces appetite and body weight in animal studies with fewer side effects than Ozempic. The model analyzed 20,000 protein-coding genes to find active peptides, a task too complex for traditional lab methods. It’s another example of how AI can support high-impact research and deliver real-world benefits in health and medicine.AnnouncementsSummer Micro-Credential Cohort is OpenLearn more and register at: skills21.org/ai/microReferenced Articles and ResourcesWendy Costa's awesome photography websitehttps://www.alternaterealityphotos.com/NASA’s Generative AI Cautionhttps://www.computerworld.com/article/3951046/nasa-finds-generative-ai-cant-be-trusted.html#:~:text=The%20NASA%20report%20found%20that,systems%20that%20create%20unacceptable%20risk.Stanford’s AI Discovery of BRPhttps://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/ozempic-rival.html#:~:text=Naturally%20occurring%20molecule%20rivals%20Ozempic%20in%20weight%20loss%2C%20sidesteps%20side%20effects&text=The%2012%2Damino%2Dacid%20BRP,causing%20nausea%20or%20food%20aversion.SponsorThis episode is sponsored by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, supporting AI-powered innovation and workforce readiness.

Matt and Liz dive into the evolving role of AI in education, discussing how Gen Z utilizes ChatGPT in their daily lives. They debate a New York Times op-ed warning of AI's impact on critical thinking while offering classroom strategies to counteract this risk. The hosts also explore imaginative AI projects, like connecting urban trees to people, and highlight the need for open dialogue among educators about data privacy and ethical implications. Humor and emotional intelligence play a key role in their discussions around AI's integration into personal development.

In this episode of ChatEDU (AI... But for Who?), Matt sits down with guest co-host and longtime friend Dan Noyes to examine the overlooked side of the AI boom: who it benefits, who it leaves behind, and what equity really means in the age of intelligent machines. With Liz traveling for work, Dan joins the pod to share his experience as a digital inclusion leader, bringing both humor and hard truths to the mic.In the News: AI at McKinsey, Bain, and BCGMatt and Dan unpack an April article from The Ken that reveals how the consulting giants are reshaping their business models around AI. While revenue is growing quickly, with AI-related work now accounting for up to 40 percent of McKinsey’s services and nearly 20 percent at BCG, the tools are also straining workplace dynamics. Younger consultants are pushed to deliver results at unrealistic speeds, while senior partners treat AI as a silver bullet. Dan reflects on how these tensions mirror broader challenges around AI expectations, labor, and the value of human insight.Beneath the Surface: Digital Equity in a New Tech EraDan walks listeners through his decades long journey at the intersection of education, technology, and access. From his early work at Boston’s Lilla Frederick School to leading Tech Goes Home, he explores how digital equity involves more than just hardware. It's about broadband, skills, and sustained advocacy. With AI adoption accelerating, Dan argues that existing inequities are deepening. He calls for AI informed by local voices, designed with empathy, and distributed with intention.Bright Byte: AI Gives Voice to the VoicelessMatt and Dan highlight a breakthrough from UC Berkeley and UCSF, where researchers developed a brain-to-speech neuroprosthesis that restores real-time communication for people with paralysis. The system significantly reduces lag time and can reproduce a user's voice, offering a compelling example of AI’s potential to support human connection and autonomy.Related Links:The Ken – “How AI is Creating a Rift at McKinsey, Bain and BCG”https://the-ken.com/story/bcg-and-mckinsey-sell-speed-as-ai-shakes-up-consulting-so-why-arent-consultants-buying-it/Coded Bias – Documentary by JoyBuolamwinihttps://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/coded-bias/Tech Goes Homehttps://www.techgoeshome.orgAI and K-12 Micro-Credentialhttps://www.skills21.org/ai/microNature Neuroscience Article (Brain-to-Speech)https://engineering.berkeley.edu/news/2025/03/brain-to-voice-neuroprosthesis-restores-naturalistic-speech/#:~:text=Marking%20a%20 breakthrough%20in%20the,for%20people%20with%20severe%20paralysis.Have a question or comment?Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.orgDon’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to ChatEDU on your favorite podcast platform.This episode of ChatEDU is sponsored by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.Learn more at: https://www.nextgenmfg.org