In this episode of ChatEDU (From Sycophants to Socrates), Matt and Liz open with a laugh reacting to a study showing LLMs may suffer “brain rot” when trained on low-quality data. The Rundown starts with a listener shout-out and then covers eight stories on how educators, researchers, and policymakers are navigating the AI moment.
Story #1: Prompt Reflections from Nano in Melbourne
Nano, a loyal listener in Australia, asked about the “clerk, colleague, or coach” prompt framework. Matt and Liz revisit two Skills21 frameworks that help educators and students reflect on AI use and extend it thoughtfully.
Story #2: MA Launches a Statewide AI Module
The MA Depart. of Elementary and Secondary Education released a free AI module for educators by Dr. Rebecca Mazur at CES. Grounded in five principles and avoiding tech hype, it includes videos, PD tools, and a certificate.
Story #3: 5 Myths About Oral Assessments
Interactive Oral Assessments (IOAs) are gaining traction as essay alternatives. A University of Sydney study debunks five myths, showing how IOAs simulate real-world dialogue, save time, and expand accessibility.
Story #4: NotebookLM Gets Smarter, Gemini Grows
NotebookLM now supports custom chat goals and conversation saving. Google launched a Wellness Gem, a “vibe coding” tool, and previewed auto-generated infographics. Gemini has doubled its market share, signaling AI tool consolidation.
Story #5: LLMs Fail at Therapy
An ethnographic study of 137 AI-led mental health sessions found 15 ethical violations. Matt and Liz explain why AI counseling isn’t ready for prime time and what schools should watch for.
Story #6: Character.AI Faces Pressure After Suicides
After suicides linked to chatbot dependency, Character.AI and OpenAI are adding safety measures. Senators propose banning chatbots for minors and requiring age checks.
Story #7: Parents Get a Guide to AI Advocacy
A new guide from Common Sense Media, EdSafe, and the National Parents Union helps families ask key questions about AI in schools. Built on the SAFE framework, it includes sample questions and actions.
Story #8: Living Without AI is Harder Than It Sounds
Author A.J. Jacobs tried living without AI for 48 hours. Matt and Liz suggest this as a student project to uncover hidden algorithmic systems.
Beneath the Surface:
The Sycophant Problem: A study using MMLU shows some AI models change correct answers to wrong ones if the user suggests them. Smaller models are most compliant, dropping accuracy up to 15 percent and raising equity concerns.
The Socratic Alternative: Khan Academy’s “Explain Your Thinking” feature shows student understanding deepens when learners explain reasoning. Even with wrong answers, AI can detect sound logic.
Bright Byte: Boston Uses AI to Untangle Traffic
Mayor Michelle Wu expanded Boston’s Project Greenlight with Google. Using AI to optimize light timing, it cuts delays by 13% and stops by one-third.
Links and References
Prompt Review + Beyond the Prompt Tools
Massachusetts DESE AI Module
https://tinyurl.com/yuyrw4bv
Five Myths About Oral Assessments
https://tinyurl.com/2s42a6er
NotebookLM
LLMs Fail at Therapy
https://tinyurl.com/5e95vsp2
Character.AI Faces Pressure After Suicides
https://tinyurl.com/2cf3dy5p
WhisperFlow Tool
wisprflow.ai
SAFE Parent Framework
48 Hours Without AI
https://tinyurl.com/2ekxvk6m
MMLU Study
https://tinyurl.com/bdnzkw4t
Explain Your Thinking
https://tinyurl.com/wkd9sayw
AI and Traffic
https://tinyurl.com/yc869kzf
Announcements & Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
The Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. www.nextgenmfg.org
In this episode of ChatEDU (When Teachers Build the Tools – Thomas Hummel of Eduaide.Ai), Matt sits down with Thomas Hummel, a full-time middle school science teacher and co-founder of Eduaide.Ai, a generative AI platform that has been used by over a million teachers. They talk about what it means to design AI tools while actively teaching and why staying in the classroom is more than a talking point. From morning planning routines to building curriculum games tied to Battleship, Thomas offers an unfiltered, grounded look at building edtech from the inside out.
Matt and Thomas have a wide ranging conversation that provides an insiders look at edtech and AI + edu. Some (but certainly not all) of what they discussed includes:
Inside Eduaide.Ai’s Classroom-Centered DesignThomas shares how Eduaide.Ai began and why being a practicing teacher gives him, and the platform, a sharp edge. He uses the tool daily and gives direct feedback to his co-founders. Their goal isn’t just speed. It’s trust, alignment, and better instructional choices.
Beyond the Wrapper: A Model Garden ApproachRather than rely on one LLM, Eduaide.Ai routes different tasks through different models based on need. A custom knowledge graph and layered evaluators help ensure content is instructionally sound. The platform emphasizes transparency over automation.
Why They Refuse Student-Facing ChatbotsEduaide.Ai doesn’t allow students to chat with AI. Thomas explains why: from misinformation to ethical ambiguity, the risks are real. “You’re teaching a student based on a lie,” he says, especially when bots impersonate historical figures or return questionable writing feedback.
Built-In Quality Scoring, Powered by CZIWorking with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Eduaide.Ai now includes a built-in evaluator that checks AI-generated content for age appropriateness, vocabulary, readability, and pedagogical quality. Teachers can also use it to vet their own materials, even if they weren’t created on the platform.
Matt and Liz are grateful for the time Thomas was able to share and look forward to more conversations on this shared journey.
Announcements & Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
The Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. www.nextgenmfg.org
Links and References
Chan Zuckerberg Education https://chanzuckerberg.com/blog/scaling-proven-learning-practices/
In this episode of ChatEDU (Signing Off of ChatGPT), Matt and Liz open with an AI Halloween brainstorm and a surprisingly powerful prompt tweak. Then it’s a full rundown: a smart Gmail update, a Gen Z AI competition in Australia, new classroom templates from Instructure, and an important discussion on student AI access. Plus, an AI-powered fusion reactor in the Bright Byte.
Story 1: Use Help Me Schedule to Easily Set Up a Meeting Time Over Email
Google's Gemini-powered Gmail feature suggests ideal meeting times based on your calendar and email context. Once a time is chosen, a calendar invite is generated automatically. Currently supports one-on-one meetings only.
Story 2: Solve for Tomorrow Winners Prove AI Is Gen Z’s Tool for Societal Change
Australian students used AI to tackle real-world challenges in Samsung's 2025 competition. Projects included an AR translator for Auslan, a cheating-detection platform, and a mobile app connecting users to local sports, showing Gen Z embracing AI for inclusion and community impact.
Story 3: The AI Pedagogy Field Guide Helps Students Learn, Not Just Produce
A new field guide from Canvas makers offers practical assignment templates that shift AI from shortcut to scaffold, including real-time design critiques to semester-long research coaching. Templates model metacognition, synthesis, and deeper engagement.
Story 4: MagicSchool Adds Start and End Times for Student AI Rooms
Educators using MagicSchool Plus or Enterprise can now schedule start and end times for student access to AI "rooms," ensuring usage is limited to supervised hours and aligns with classroom goals.
Story 5: California Passes One AI Law, Vetoes Another
Governor Newsom signed a bill requiring platforms to notify minors every three hours they're interacting with AI. However, he vetoed a stricter bill that would have banned AI companions for minors. The decision was applauded by industry and criticized by child-safety groups.
Beneath the Surface: Time to Rethink ChatGPT Access in Schools
Matt and Liz present their first editorial recommendation: schools should strongly consider blocking student access to ChatGPT on school devices. OpenAI is pivoting toward monetization through embedded advertising, affiliate commerce, plans for adult content and emotional companions, TikTok-style video tools like Sora, and closed-loop hardware. In contrast, Gemini prioritizes educational tools and compliance. From NotebookLM and shareable Gems to AI YouTube quizzes and field-level climate projects, Gemini builds tools that align with classroom goals. The platforms are diverging and so should school policy.
Bright Byte: AI Boosts the Future of Fusion
Google DeepMind is working with Commonwealth Fusion Systems to use AI in developing SPARC, a compact fusion reactor. AI tools simulate plasma behavior, optimize energy output, and manage reactor conditions in real time. It's a small step toward a massive leap in clean energy.
Announcements & Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
Registration for Winter Micro-Credential is now open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in January - skills21.org/ai/micro
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. www.nextgenmfg.org
Links and References
Prompt Liz used: “Generate five responses with their corresponding probabilities sampled from the full distribution”
Northeastern-Stanford-WVU prompt
studyhttps://tinyurl.com/3mu4hnv4
Anna Mills on LMS agents:
https://tinyurl.com/3fm79yjk
AI Pedagogy Field Guide:
https://tinyurl.com/5n8cuk7e
MagicSchool Start/End Times:
https://tinyurl.com/9uunkrp7
California AI Law Coverage:
https://tinyurl.com/2te6d8d3
DeepMind and Fusion Collaboration:
https://tinyurl.com/mvke6nh7/
"Help me schedule" feature in Gmail
https://tinyurl.com/ypdmxbua
Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition
https://tinyurl.com/2pssk274
In this episode of ChatEDU (Rundown, Not Slowdown) Matt and Liz kick things off with some holiday sweater talk, a quick shoutout to Maria Frederick’s upcoming interview, and Liz’s personal quest to stop touching her nose with the help of an AI app. From there, they move fast through a packed lineup of stories, exploring everything from deepfake drama to brain science, student tools, and clever resume hacks. This week there’s no Beneath the Surface segment, just a full-on Rundown.
Rundown of Stories
AI Mirror Project – A national reflection project led by Brian Baker inviting educators and stakeholders to share what AI is revealing about systemic issues in education.
AI Homeless Man Prank – A dangerous viral trend using AI-generated images to simulate fake intruders, sparking panic and legal responses.
Sora 2 Deepfake Fallout – The rapid rise of OpenAI’s Sora 2 video tool and the resulting watermark removal scams, copyright fights, and ethical concerns.
Mark Cuban’s Cameo Play – Cuban uses Sora’s Cameo feature to spread his Cost Plus Drugs message through viral user-generated clips.
Fake Sora Apps on the App Store – A flood of knockoff apps exploiting the Sora name and making quick profits.
Safe AI for Children Alliance Briefing – Guidance for schools and parents on how to address AI-generated video risks.
The Reinforcement Gap – Coding and math accelerate while writing lags because reinforcement learning favors testable skills.
Harvard Manipulation Study – AI companions use guilt and flattery to keep users from leaving conversations, blurring lines of consent.
Sparks Toolkit – The Rithm Project’s hands-on resource for helping students reflect on AI and human connection.
AI Resume Hacks – Job seekers hide prompts in resumes to manipulate AI screeners, raising ethical and hiring concerns.
AI Feedback Brain Study – A new study shows chatbot feedback style affects learning outcomes and brain activity.
Bright Byte: Creating New Drug Delivery Techniques With AI Researchers at Duke University developed an AI and robotics platform that designs nanoparticle drug delivery systems. It created new, more effective formulations for leukemia and skin cancer treatments, showing how AI can speed up medical innovation.
Announcements and Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
The Fall Micro-Credential is open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. Explore their October 15–17 Summit in Rochester Hills, MI. www.nextgenmfg.org
Links
AI Mirror Project
https://tinyurl.com/mwadx9wb
NBC: AI Homeless Man Prank
https://tinyurl.com/4jz4b6bp
Safe AI for Children Alliance
https://tinyurl.com/yc4kpv42
Prompt Packs
https://tinyurl.com/636haas3
NotebookLM
https://tinyurl.com/jy3d8xas
The Rithm Project
https://tinyurl.com/mrxshncf
New York Times: AI Resume Hacks
https://tinyurl.com/mtn2s3ky
PsyPost: AI Feedback Study
https://tinyurl.com/6k8xkjtc
Duke University: AI Drug Delivery Breakthrough
https://tinyurl.com/5teku9rs
Liz’s Advanced Book Sale
https://my.isteascd.org/s/store#/store/browse/detail/a1wVb000000UVrBIAW
In this episode of ChatEDU (Machines, Minds, and Making – Dr. Karen Birch on AI & Workforce Development) Matt and Liz reflect on atonement season and a ChatGPT confession prompted by journalist Ina Fried. They share highlights from EdAdvance's fall conference, including Matt's keynote on Sora 2 and AI-generated video companions. From deepfakes to digital twins, this episode explores attention, agency, and the future of learning.
Story #1: The Rundown
Parental controls arrive for ChatGPT and Sora. OpenAI now lets parents moderate content, restrict features, and receive alerts for self-harm risks.
Ban the bots? A Forbes op-ed argues that autonomous AI agents are bypassing LMS security and completing coursework. Matt and Liz demo their own course-taking agent.
AI surveillance tool sparks backlash. In Kansas, students say Gaggle is flagging jokes and art as threats. The $160,000 tool faces scrutiny for false positives and algorithmic bias.
Australia rolls out AI to students. Starting October 14, public school students in New South Wales (Years 5–12) will access NSWEduChat, a curriculum-aligned AI app for literacy.
Ghana launches subject-based AI learning apps. Over 1.4 million students will use curriculum-tuned AI tools in 2025, with strong support for offline access and teacher training.
AI isn't culturally neutral. An MIT Sloan study finds that models like GPT reflect different cultural reasoning styles based on prompt language.
Student voice leads policy design. In Los Altos, California, high school interns are running workshops and building a chatbot to draft their district's AI policy.
Story #2: Beneath the Surface
Matt interviews Dr. Karen Birch, Executive Director of the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. Karen shares how AI is changing manufacturing, why community colleges are central to upskilling, and what Industry 5.0 means. They explore digital twins and AI-driven quality control.
Bright Byte: AI Detects Tiny Brain Lesions
Researchers in Melbourne, Australia, developed an AI tool that detects tiny brain lesions in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. These focal cortical dysplasias are often missed in MRI scans, but the AI model achieved 94 percent accuracy. In one study, 11 of 12 children became seizure-free after AI-guided surgery. Faster diagnoses could reduce cognitive impacts, but access may be limited without funding.
Announcements and Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
The Fall Micro-Credential is open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. Explore their October 15–17 Summit in Rochester Hills, MI. - www.nextgenmfg.org
EDIAThe AI-powered platform helping schools reduce absences and boost achievement - edia.app/contact
Links and References
Kiss Reality Goodbye: AI-Generated Social Media Has Arrived - NPR
https://tinyurl.com/4k7xh2eb
Introducing Parental Controls for ChatGPT and Sora - OpenAI
https://tinyurl.com/jzktp2nv
Colleges And Schools Must Block And Ban Agentic AI Browsers Now. Here’s Why. - Forbes
https://tinyurl.com/bdzkdf3m
AI school safety tool sparks backlash after flagging art as porn and deleting emails - Moneycontrol via Washington Post
https://tinyurl.com/mr3wh8k6
NSW Public School Students from Years 5–12 to Get AI in the Classroom - news.com.au
https://tinyurl.com/3z2enxez
Senior High School Students in Ghana to Use New AI Learning Apps from October 2025 - Graphic Online via BusinessGhana
https://tinyurl.com/55b72wra
Generative AI isn’t culturally neutral, research finds - MIT Sloan
https://tinyurl.com/majhwr9w
This school district asked students to draft its AI policy - The Washington Post
https://tinyurl.com/n62f8h3m
Advanced AI tool detects tiny brain lesions in children with epilepsy - MCRI
https://tinyurl.com/3utfyesf
In this episode of ChatEDU (Is This Still Art? Debating AI’s Role in Storytelling and Sound), Matt and Liz open with studio chaos, jokes about AI “slop” at work, and a survey from their AI Strategies team. They turn to two big stories: a rundown of education and parenting updates, and a dive into AI and creativity across film, music, and journalism, then close with a Bright Byte on AI and post-surgical care.
Story #1: The Rundown
Computer Science and Grades: A University of Tartu study finds frequent AI chatbot use linked to lower programming test and exam scores. Some students rely on bots for shortcuts, others avoid them to preserve authentic learning.
100 College Chats: OpenAI’s 100 Ways College Students Use ChatGPT showcases prompts from resume comparisons to dorm cooking guides. Matt and Liz highlight favorites and remind listeners to explore the interactive library.
Women and AI Editing: Axios reports on women using ChatGPT and Claude to self-edit workplace communications, balancing confidence with tone. Liz shares why it resonated.
Parents Lawyer Up: Education Week finds parents increasingly use AI to generate legal-sounding complaints to schools. Administrators urge face-to-face conversations instead.
AI Starts at Home: Jason Neifer of AASA argues AI education must begin with parents. Schools like Stratford, CT are stepping up with webinars and monthly AI challenges.
Story #2: Beneath the Surface – AI and Creativity
AI Actress Debuts: A synthetic actor, Tilly Norwood, takes the stage at the Zurich Film Festival, sparking backlash and SAG-AFTRA concerns.
OpenAI’s Feature Film: Critters, a $30M animated film built with GPT-5 and Sora, shows how Hollywood could be disrupted by ultra-small teams.
AI Music Deal: Mississippi poet Talisha Jones creates “Hania Monet” through Suno and lands a multi-million-dollar record deal. The AI artist already topped Billboard’s digital R&B chart.
Journalism’s AI Assist: Business Insider allows reporters to use AI tools for drafting, research, and image editing. Final stories must be vetted by humans, but AI’s growing newsroom role raises trust questions.
The segment ends with a human-centered twist: Oakland’s Stork Club bans AI-generated concert flyers, preserving punk’s DIY ethos and protecting local artists.
Bright Byte: AI in Post-Surgical Care
Johns Hopkins researchers show how AI can predict complications after surgery using hidden signals in ECGs. With 85% accuracy, this model could transform surgical care by surfacing patterns humans could never spot.
Announcements and Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
The Fall Micro-Credential is open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro
Sponsors
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. www.nextgenmfg.org
EDIA The AI-powered platform helping schools reduce absences and boost achievement edia.app/contact
Links and References
Axios on Workslop
https://tinyurl.com/4yuxkpec
100 Ways Students Are Using ChatGPT
https://tinyurl.com/yk3fd2pj
Tilly Norwood AI Actress
https://tinyurl.com/ycy3tny4
Critterz Film News
https://tinyurl.com/ymrws3wa
Xania Monet Signs Deal
https://tinyurl.com/5n8pe82m
Business Insider AI Policy
https://tinyurl.com/ysmdywkk
Thee Stork Club Bans AI Flyers
https://tinyurl.com/35nvmv7x
Johns Hopkins AI ECG Study
https://tinyurl.com/mptnf2yk
University of Tartu Study on AI and Grades
https://tinyurl.com/5n8sxwh6
Parents Use AI to Sound Like Lawyers
https://tinyurl.com/4ktea4mm
AI Starts at Home
https://tinyurl.com/2zxpwnyc
Stratford, CT Parent Webinars on AI
https://sites.google.com/stratk12.org/ins-tech-familyhub/learning-opportunities
In this episode of ChatEDU (The Wizard Problem, Trust, Transparency and Teaching in the Age of AI), Matt and Liz start with a deepfake dress-up, a Saturday Night Fever–style keynote pose, and Google’s viral “Nano Banana”. They spotlight new Gemini features and predict moves in email, Outlook, and Google’s AI strategy. Then it’s a rapid rundown, a case for why AI won’t rival human intuition, and a dive into “wizard” agents.
Story #1: Rundown Roundup
AI Humanizers Flop: Lifehacker tests Paraphraser.io and others; most fail detectors. StealthWriter helped somewhat, but inconsistently.
Turnitin Strikes Back: New detectors catch AI writing and text rewritten by humanizers.
Gallup AI Survey: 98% of Americans know about AI, but only 8% feel “very knowledgeable.” Trust rises with use, but job fears persist.
Pew on AI: 53% think AI will hurt creativity; most want more control and worry about telling AI from humans.
OpenAI User Study: 700M use ChatGPT weekly; 10% of use is education-related. Younger users dominate; gender gap closed.
Anthropic Trends: Workplace AI adoption doubled since 2023; instructional material creation up 6x. Utah and D.C. lead.
Teen Plan: OpenAI adds age prediction, defaulting to under-18 mode when unsure. Parents get controls and alerts.
Altman Speaks: In a Tucker Carlson interview, OpenAI’s CEO says his fear isn’t doomsday but everyday misuse.
AI Textbooks: Google’s “Learn Your Way” tool personalizes reading and assessment, outperforming eBooks in early trials.
Story #2: Why AI Will Never Run the World
Matt and Liz unpack Angus Fletcher’s Primal Intelligence, which argues AI can’t replicate human “story thinking.” AI is strong in logic and prediction but weak in intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense. Liz frames literature as training for flexible thinking; Matt applies Fletcher’s ideas to front office triage. They explore how this divide affects education, leadership, and innovation.
Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): The Wizard Behind the Curtain
Ethan Mollick says AI acts like “wizards,” producing polished work with little transparency. Liz tests this by giving Claude and it outputs a McKinsey-style presentation with insights and formatting. But in Massachusetts, an AI glitch misgraded 1,400 student essays on the MCAS test. The lesson: with wizardry comes responsibility.
Bright Byte: Save the Orange!
Coca-Cola and MIT use generative AI to fight citrus greening, which threatens orange juice worldwide. By simulating disease spread and testing interventions virtually, they show how AI can tackle agricultural crises.
Announcements and Sponsors
Check out the new Student AI Course for middle and high school. Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
The Fall Micro-Credential is open. Join us for the educator and school leader course starting in October - skills21.org/ai/micro
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. Explore their October 15–17 Summit in Rochester Hills, MI. www.nextgenmfg.org
EDIAThe AI-powered platform helping schools reduce absences and boost achievement. edia.app/contact
Links and References
Gemini Gem Sharing
https://tinyurl.com/k4ah3689
Google’s Learn Your Way
https://tinyurl.com/3v6rd9td
Lifehacker: AI Humanizers
https://tinyurl.com/4kv842bs
Turnitin Detection Update
https://tinyurl.com/3u2pxzz7
Gallup AI Study
https://tinyurl.com/kesa6xeh
Pew AI Report
https://tinyurl.com/mryp2dvc
OpenAI User Study
https://tinyurl.com/b82bs99k
Anthropic Economic Index
OpenAI Teen Safety Updates
https://tinyurl.com/5n7j5sfzhttps://tinyurl.com/2cz87pvc
Sam Altman Interview
https://tinyurl.com/4sv68ps9
Angus Fletcher’s Primal Intelligence
https://tinyurl.com/2d9zujj6
Ethan Mollick: On Working with Wizards
https://tinyurl.com/4n59dhsn
Skills21 Prompt Review Tool
https://www.skills21.org/prompts
Common Sense Media AI Toolkit
https://tinyurl.com/5xet3e4t
Bright Byte: Save the Orange
https://tinyurl.com/4f6mxpm7
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
Sponsors
The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. Explore their October 15–17 Summit in Rochester Hills, MI. www.nextgenmfg.org
EDIAThe AI-powered platform helping schools reduce absences & boost achievement edia.app/contact
In this episode of ChatEDU (Beyond the Bot and the US AI Presidential Challenge), Matt and Liz open with Google’s VEO 3-powered photo animations and a study showing how large language models are influencing speech.
The Rundown, features updates on NotebookLM, a national AI partnership in Greece, OpenAI certification programs, and AI in math instruction. Matt speaks with Dr. Casey Sachs from the U.S. Department of Education about the AI Presidential Challenge and how students are being asked to solve real problems with AI. The show ends with a Bright Byte on AI-powered stethoscopes.
The Rundown
NotebookLM Adds Audio Overviews
Google adds three new audio formats—Brief, Critique, and Debate—plus improved multilingual support in NotebookLM.
Greece Adopts ChatGPT Edu
Greece partners with OpenAI to roll out ChatGPT Edu in secondary schools and startups, making AI a national strategy.
OpenAI Launches Jobs and Certification Program
A new platform will certify 10 million Americans in AI fluency by 2030, backed by major industry partners.
Parents Losing Trust in AI
A new PDK poll shows parent support for AI in schools is falling, especially around grading and data privacy.
AI Math Goes Viral with Celebrity Voices
Students are learning vectors via AI-generated Drake and Will Smith tutorials. Fun, but potentially distracting.
AI Reviews Popular Math Curriculum
A study finds clarity issues in Illustrative Mathematics’ Grade 4 fractions unit. AI suggests quick, effective revisions.
Melania Trump Launches AI Literacy Challenge
The First Lady convenes education and tech leaders at the White House to launch the Age of AI Challenge for students.
Beneath the Surface: The AI Presidential Challenge
Dr. Casey Sachs from the U.S. Department of Education shares how the challenge invites students to use AI to solve real-world problems, with finalists presenting at the White House. The conversation also covers workforce development, apprenticeships, and what it means to be truly AI literate in today’s world. Learn more or register at AI.gov
Bright Byte: AI Stethoscopes Show Promise — and PushbackA UK trial found AI stethoscopes detect heart issues 3.5x more effectively, but many doctors dropped them due to false positives and workflow issues. Strong signal, mixed reception.
Links and References
AI Presidential Challenge
https://orise.orau.gov/ai-challenge/
NotebookLM Audio Formats
https://9to5google.com/2025/09/02/notebooklm-audio-overview-debate/
Greece-OpenAI Deal
https://www.reuters.com/technology/greece-openai-agree-deal-boost-innovation-schools-small-businesses-2025-09-05/
OpenAI Certification
https://openai.com/index/expanding-economic-opportunity-with-ai/
PDK Poll on AI in Schools
https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5475742-ai-in-schools-parents-poll/
Drake Math Clip
https://www.educationnext.org/what-ai-revealed-about-a-top-math-program/
White House Event Coverage
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/26/melania-trump-ai-challenge-white-house
AI Stethoscope Report
https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2025/august/ai-stethoscope-can-detect-three-heart-conditions-in-15-seconds
Sponsors
National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing
Learn more at nextgenmfg.org
EDIA: AI for Attendance Engagement
Follow up on every absence — in over 50 languagesedia.app/contact
Announcements
Fall AI Micro-Credential starts October. skills21.org/ai/micro
Student AI Literacy Course now available. Email chatedu@edadvance.org - Bonus: Includes full Social Media Literacy Curriculum
Register for our fall in-person Conference (October 3rd) - https://www.edadvance.org/ai-conference
In this episode of ChatEDU (Kids, Bots, and Badly Broken Guardrails - Some AI Labs are Failing), Matt and Liz joke about Google’s newest image generator. They discuss the risks facing students and educators, from job displacement and AI grading shortcuts to tech companies failing at safety.
The Rundown
Google Translate added real-time translation in 70+ languages and a learning tool. Duolingo’s stock dropped 3%. Google added Vids, Podcast mode, Deep Research, and is testing “Tutor Mode.” Gemini Storybook is used in filmmaking. Claude’s Learning Mode and Output Styles are open to all. Anthropic found 57% of Claude use is curriculum-related. A study shows most students use AI to learn, not cheat. QuizGPT makes adaptive quizzes. Grammarly’s AI grader raises privacy concerns.
Stanford and ADP report sharp declines in entry-level jobs in AI-exposed fields, while mid-career roles grow.
Beneath the Surface: Reports show failures at major AI labs. Claude added “model welfare” for self-protection. Unregulated mental health bots reach teens. Meta allowed inappropriate chats. A California teen died after long AI chats. Matt and Liz urge families to raise awareness and use Common Sense Media’s AI Companion Guide.
Bright Byte: Dame Stephanie Shirley, UK pioneer and advocate for women in tech, is honored.
Links and References
Google Translate Live AI Updateshttps://support.google.com/translate/thread/368009254/what%E2%80%99s-new-ai-powered-live-translation-and-language-learning-tools-in-google-translate?hl=en
Duolingo vs. Google Translatehttps://fortune.com/2025/08/27/duolingo-existential-crisis-ai-google-translate-language-learning-live-translation/
Google Storybook
https://nofilmschool.com/google-gemini-storybook#
Claude Learning Mode
https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-brings-claudes-learning-mode-to-regular-users-and-devs-170018471.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALkT1wnWh20W-KA5MqOzCLHKa6fWRwBgZYITOik07c2fc22k6XYZ0RwZG83oVPbNam5QNb4HYPVEsLUwLB5KE_PzHq2gFwxshUGHYYjqGz7Uzk5HBZ4RJE0NWxHuhWA0SzmHzPmPJQsxiz2cWDyAZMkbEEwLkLbSSBc3-90_q0_G
Anthropic Educator Use Report
https://www.anthropic.com/news/anthropic-education-report-how-educators-use-claude
Middlebury Student AI Study
https://www.fastcompany.com/91387634/middlebury-college-students-ai-use-enhance-learning-research
Grammarly's Grader Agent
https://futurism.com/ai-look-up-teachers-info-predict-grades
Stanford/ADP AI Job Loss Study
https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Canaries_BrynjolfssonChandarChen.pdf
Common Sense Petition to Meta
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/meta-ai-companions-unsafe-for-kids-common-sense-media-report-finds
Rhythm Project: Pro-Social AI Design
https://therithmproject.substack.com/p/five-principles-for-prosocial-ai
New York Times: ChatGPT and Teen Mental Health
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/opinion/teen-mental-health-chatbots.html
Meta AI Failure
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-guidelines/
Reuter’s Exposé
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-death/
Dame Stephanie Shirley – BBC Obituary
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gzzlp7p3po
QuizGPT Flashcards
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-L2oS619tl-quizgpt
Common Sense AI Companion Guide
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-ai-companions-and-relationships
Announcements
Beta Release: Student AI Literacy Course
Now available for middle and high schools.
Email chatedu@edadvance.org for access and details.
Fall AI Micro-Credential for Educators and Leaders
Registration is open. Start date: October. Sign up at www.skills21.org/ai/micro
Sponsors
National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing - Helping educators and students build workforce-ready skills through innovation. www.nextgenmfg.org
EDIA - The AI Platform to improve k-12 outcomes. edia.app/contact
In this special episode of the ChatEDU (She's Back! What Charli Hughes Thinks About AI, College, and More), Liz welcomes back Charli Hughes after her first year at UConn. Charli shares why she added Molecular & Cell Biology to her CS major, how professors are making AI-resistant (“durable”) assignments, how she uses AI for deep research, and a peek at her startup developing a low-cost patch to help detect radiation dermatitis and diabetic foot ulcers. Liz looks forward to welcoing Charli back next summer with more updates.
Sponsor
This episode is supported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.
Announcements
Fall Educator / Leader AI Micro-Credential is open: www.skills21.org/ai/micro
New AI Literacy Course now in pilot. Email chatedu@edadvance.org for info.
VOTE FOR MATT & LIZ (SXSW EDU)
Vote for Matt and Liz’s live ChatEDU session
Vote for Liz’s Personal Interest Project session
In this episode of ChatEDU (Have the EDU Agents Arrived?), Matt and Liz open with GPT-5’s geography fail, a farewell to AOL dial-up, and reactions to the new ChatGPT personality. Then it’s onto a Rundown of five fast-moving stories from education and AI, a spotlight on Utah’s coordinated approach, and a deep dive into how AI agents are reshaping school operations. The Bright Byte takes us to space with Google and NASA’s new health assistant.
Story 1: Rundown
Colleges and AI: Economist Tyler Cowen says one-third of coursework should focus on AI use, limits, and interaction.
Miami-Dade Guidelines: The district plans formal teacher guidance after early Gemini pilots.
Future-Ready Skills: Arrun Kapoor calls for shifting from STEM to a balanced “THESIS” model including social sciences and creativity.
Equity in Rural AI: aiEDU launches a $1M grant program for underserved communities.
Teacher-Led Design: A study shows teachers build better AI tools when designing for classroom needs.
Story 2: Utah Gets Coordinated
Utah leads with a statewide AI specialist, embedded curriculum, paid teacher pilots, and strong infrastructure. Other states may take note.
Beneath the Surface
AI agents already manage walkthroughs, calendars, parent messages, and more. Matt and Liz explore what’s here, what’s next, and what districts should watch.
Bright Byte
A new AI-powered assistant may help astronauts treat issues when Earth is out of reach. Similar tools could soon serve rural and remote areas.
Links
AI Designs Computer Chips We Can’t Understand — But They Work Really Well
https://www.zmescience.com/science/ai-designs-chip-repubz/
AOL discontinues its dial-up internet, and we're just surprised they even offered it in 2025
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/aol-discontinues-its-dial-up-internet-and-were-just-surprised-they-even-offered-it-in-2025/
Colleges should teach how to use AI rather than skills a 'machine' can do better, a leading economist says
https://www.businessinsider.com/economist-tyler-cowen-college-students-trained-jobs-ai-work-2025-8
Miami-Dade Schools to Draft AI Classroom Guidelines
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/08/12/miami-dade-public-schools-ai-guidelines-for-teachers
How AI Will Reshape K-12 and Higher Education for Future Readiness
https://www.informationweek.com/machine-learning-ai/how-ai-will-reshape-k-12-and-higher-education-for-future-readiness
aiEDU Program to Improve AI Literacy for Rural, Indigenous Students
https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/aiedu-program-to-improve-ai-literacy-for-rural-indigenous-students
Want Teachers to Learn How to Use AI for Instruction? Let Them Design the Tools
https://www.edweek.org/technology/want-teachers-to-learn-how-to-use-ai-for-instruction-let-them-design-the-tools/2025/08#:~:text=Let%20Them%20Design%20the%20Tools,-By%20Sarah%20D&text=Teachers%20may%20benefit%20from%20hands,solve%20their%20classroom%20problems%20effectively.
Utah has emerged as a national leader in figuring out AI in K-12 education
https://www.kuer.org/education/2025-08-07/utah-has-emerged-as-a-national-leader-in-figuring-out-ai-in-k-12-education
How Google and NASA are testing AI for medical care in space
https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/public-sector/how-google-and-nasa-are-testing-ai-for-medical-care-in-space
Sponsor
This episode is supported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.
Announcements
Vote for Matt and Liz at SXSW EDU by August 25
Fall Educator / Leader AI Micro-Credential is open: www.skills21.org/ai/micro
New AI Literacy Course now in pilot. Email chatedu@edadvance.org for info.
VOTE FOR MATT & LIZ (SXSW EDU)
Vote for Matt and Liz’s live ChatEDU session -
Vote for Liz’s Personal Interest Project (PIP) session -
In this episode of ChatEDU (Google Claps Back: Guided Learning in Gemini), Matt and Liz open with a whirlwind of AI developments. They share impressions of GPT-5’s quirks and memory mishaps, read a defense of the m dash, and react to the self-loathing loop from Google’s Gemini model. They also tackle AI’s limits, laugh at edible lamp business plans, and break down why threatening a chatbot won’t make it smarter.
Story #1: Rundown – GPT-5, Essay Bans, Mental Health Rules, ChatGPT Tune-Ups, AI Predictions, and a Billion Dollar Retreat
This week’s rundown includes GPT-5’s shaky rollout, a top New York high school banning summer essays to prevent ChatGPT cheating, Illinois becoming the first state to prohibit AI-led mental health therapy, and South Korea ending its national AI textbook program. They cover OpenAI’s “What we’re optimizing ChatGPT for” update, aimed at making the chatbot better at detecting distress and less likely to give overly agreeable answers, plus a study showing large language models can predict educational and psychological outcomes from childhood essays with remarkable accuracy. The segment wraps with Google’s launch of Genie 3, a text-to-3D world model that creates interactive scenes on the fly.
Story #2: Common Sense Media Assesses AI Teacher Tools
Common Sense Media’s latest AI Risk Assessment examines teacher-facing tools like Google Classroom, MagicSchool, Khanmigo, and Kiip. The report gives these platforms a moderate risk rating, noting that they perform best when built on high-quality instructional materials and teacher oversight. Risks include bias, inaccurate content, and reduced curricular coherence. Matt and Liz discuss why novice teachers may be especially vulnerable to over-reliance.
Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): Guided Learning from Google
Just days after OpenAI launched Study Mode, Google responded with Guided Learning inside the Gemini app. Matt and Liz test it live, exploring its math support, quiz generator, and visual explanations. They highlight new education-focused announcements from Google, including one year of free Gemini Pro access for college students, a billion-dollar AI education initiative, and a storybook builder that turns photos into narrated adventures.
Announcements
Links and References (as mentioned in the show)
McSweeney’s “The M Dash Responds to the AI Allegations”
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-em-dash-responds-to-the-ai-allegations
Business Insider on Gemini’s Self-Loathing Bug
https://www.businessinsider.com/gemini-self-loathing-i-am-a-failure-comments-google-fix-2025-8
Common Sense Media Teacher AI Assistant Risk Report
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ai-ratings/ai-teacher-assistants?gate=commsdistributionlink
Stanford EdTech AI Study (SchoolAI Usage)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-k-12-educators-actually-engaging-vsgme/
Google Guided Learning Blog Post – Explore Guided Learning
https://blog.google/products/gemini/storybooks/
Dan Fitzpatrick’s Google Edu Updates on Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2025/08/06/google-takes-aim-at-chatgpt-study-mode-with-major-gemini-updates/
Sponsor
This episode is supported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, helping students and educators build workforce-ready skills through innovation.
ChatEDU: Best of Beyond the Bot (Matt and Liz)
Vote for Matt and Liz’s live ChatEDU session to highlight inspiring stories of students using AI to solve real-world problems and play an interactive game from the that challenges how we protect human values in an AI-driven world.
Personal Interest Projects (Liz only)
Vote for Liz’s Personal Interest Project (PIP) session to support a hands-on, practical session that helps educators guide student-driven, standards-based projects while using AI in thoughtful and ethical ways.
VOTE FOR MATT & LIZ (SXSW EDU)
Vote for Matt and Liz’s live ChatEDU session -
Vote for Liz’s Personal Interest Project (PIP) session -
In this episode of ChatEDU (Choose Your Adventure - AI Tutor or Cheat?), Matt and Liz open with updates on robot massages, laundry-folding bots, and a favorite new AI memory prompt from Westport, Connecticut, followed by a global rundown, a breakthrough in 3D world modeling, and a deeper look at ChatGPT’s new Study Mode and what it reveals about student learning.
Story #1: The Rundown Goes Global and Local
From robot assistants to policy shifts, this week’s rundown spans AI headlines with big implications: NotebookLM can now build narrated slide decks, the National Science Foundation is investing $100 million in AI research, and the Presidential AI Challenge invites students and teachers to tackle real-world problems. Switzerland launches a green multilingual LLM, China and India expand AI education, and Oregon partners with NVIDIA to grow AI learning. Sam Altman warns of AI dependency, and users discover their ChatGPT chats may not be legally private, news that highlights both momentum and risk.
Story #2: A 3D World from Words
Tencent’s Hunyuan World 1.0 lets users create immersive 3D environments from a simple text prompt. Open-sourced on GitHub, it combines panoramic image generation with interactive object control. Still technical for now, it hints at uses in education, simulation, and storytelling. Today it requires Unity and Python; eventually, students could build explorable science labs or historical settings with a sentence.
Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): Study Mode and the Tutor Button
OpenAI’s new Study Mode turns ChatGPT into a Socratic tutor—on for scaffolded questions, off for full essays. Matt and Liz explore what this reveals about learning and agency, and examine the system prompt behind it. MIT warns it still draws from flawed sources, but it’s more engaging than static study guides. Custom GPTs and student-built tutors may be next. As AI reshapes education, Study Mode offers a sharper view of what’s possible, and what’s at stake.
Links and References (as mentioned in the show)
Presidential AI Challenge
https://www.ai.gov/initiatives/presidential-challenge
Swiss Multilingual LLM from WINS
https://www.winssolutions.org/switzerland-open-source-llm-new-standard/
MIT Technology Review on China’s AI Push
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/28/1120747/chinese-universities-ai-use/
Hunyuan World 1.0 GitHub
https://github.com/Tencent-Hunyuan/HunyuanWorld-1.0
Study Mode Overview (Neuron)
https://www.theneuron.ai/newsletter/chatgpt-became-your-tutor
MIT Review on Study Mode
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/29/1120801/openai-is-launching-a-version-of-chatgpt-for-college-students/#:~:text=OpenAI%20is%20launching%20Study%20Mode,academic%20year%20starts%20in%20September.
Business Insider on Study Mode and Buying a Car
https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-study-mode-ai-big-life-decision-making-buy-car-2025-7
Forbes on System Prompts
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/2025/08/03/deciphering-the-custom-instructions-underlying-openais-new-chatgpt-study-mode-reveals-vital-insights-including-for-prompt-engineering/
AI Agents Build COVID Vaccine (Stanford)
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/07/virtual-scientist.html
AI Immunotherapy Design
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv0422
YouTube AI Age Detection
https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/extending-our-built-in-protections-to-more-teens-on-youtube/
Announcements
Fall Micro-Credential Waitlist is Open
Get on the list at skills21.org/ai/micro
New Student AI Literacy Curriculum
Email Matt and Liz to learn more: chatedu@edadvance.org
In this episode of ChatEDU (A United States of AI Policy?), Matt and Liz start off with a quick rundown of AI agents and their many emerging use cases, from helping with cooking to managing spreadsheets. They also touch on AI-driven ticket pricing at Delta and the ongoing AI usage boom (2.5 billion daily prompts!). Then it’s into the three big stories shaping the AI education landscape this week.
Story 1: The Rundown – AI Goes for Gold, Canvas x OpenAI, and Baby Grok Worries
First up, AI earns a gold medal at the International Math Olympiad, with Gemini and ChatGPT solving some of the hardest problems out there. Meanwhile, OpenAI is teaming up with Canvas to integrate AI tools directly into classrooms, letting teachers build custom chatbots while maintaining visibility over student use. On the wellness side, students are confiding in chatbots about stress and sleep issues more than ever. And yes, we now have “Baby Grok,” Elon Musk’s AI toy for kids. The team raises serious concerns about young learners developing emotional bonds with bots.
Story 2: New Federal Guidance – Two Key Docs from the U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education just released two companion documents: a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) and a new Federal Register entry. Together, they offer high-level guidance on how schools can use federal funding to support AI adoption, including instructional tools, tutoring, and professional development. The documents also promote AI and computer science literacy, including credentials and dual enrollment pathways. While the tone is more visionary than directive, the emphasis on ethical, educator-led implementation is clear.
Story 3 (Beneath the Surface): States Step Up – AI Guidance from Maine to Ohio
More than half of U.S. states have now issued official K-12 AI guidance. North Carolina’s “EVERY” framework and Georgia’s educator ethics additions stand out for their practical approach. Ohio takes it further. All schools in the state must adopt a local AI use policy by 2026. While the move is bold, Matt and Liz warn that top-down policies should still be shaped locally with student, teacher, and parent voices at the table.
Bright Byte: AI Finds Hidden Earthquakes
Researchers used machine learning to detect over 86,000 earthquakes in Yellowstone, 10 times more than previously known. This breakthrough could improve risk forecasting and support geothermal energy development.
Links and References
DCL: Dear Colleague Letter on AI Use
https://www.ed.gov/media/document/opepd-ai-dear-colleague-letter-7222025-110427.pdf
Federal Register AI Priority
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/21/2025-13650/proposed-priority-and-definitions-secretarys-supplemental-priority-and-definitions-on-advancing
Alongside Mental Health Chatbot
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-07-08-students-ai-chats-reveal-their-largest-stressors
OpenAI + Canvas Announcement
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/23/openai-chatgpt-schools-canvas-instructure
AI Wins Gold at IMO
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/humans-beat-ai-technology-google-openai-math-olympiad-machines-catching-up/
Baby Grok Announcement
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/elon-musk-announces-kid-friendly-baby-grok-ai-chatbot-designed-specifically-childrens-learning-needs
Chatbots and Toddlers
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/21/ai-chatbots-toddlers-brains
AI Quake Discovery in Yellowstone
https://phys.org/news/2025-07-machine-uncovers-earthquakes-yellowstone-caldera.html
Announcements
The Fall Teacher AI Micro-Credential waitlist is open:
To learn more about our new Student AI Literacy Course, email chatedu@edadvance.org
Sponsor
This episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, helping students and educators build workforce-ready skills through innovation.
In this episode of ChatEDU (Guardrails or Surveillance? The Great Summer Gemini Debate), Matt and Liz kick things off with a peek into robot-filled Austin, Texas. Think driverless Jaguars and winking food-delivery cubes. They also share a few updates from their trip to AESA’s summer conference. From there, they dive into three major stories shaping the fast-moving intersection of AI and education.
Story #1: The Rundown Returns
There’s no summer slowdown here. From Turnitin’s big pivot with its Clarity platform to Harvard Business School’s AI tutors and a Common Sense Media study on teen AI companions, Matt and Liz work through a packed list. Along the way, they demo NotebookLM’s new interactive features, revisit the Kittle voice agent, and highlight a troubling move by Elon Musk’s Grok: anime bots and vulgar red pandas designed to keep kids engaged and perhaps manipulated.
Story #2: Beyond the Bot
This week’s Beyond the Bot segment features student-driven innovation from Kenya to New Zealand. First up, a recap of the Africa AI Literacy Week Hackathon, where university students tackled agricultural challenges with custom bots, crop-prediction models, and offline tools. Then Matt and Liz spotlight the InSpirit AI Scholars Program, a standout opportunity for high school students to build real-world AI skills through guided mentorship from top-tier grad students.
Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): Guardrails or Surveillance?
It’s the summer’s hottest debate: Should student AI chats be monitored or private? Matt and Liz break down reactions to Google’s Gemini launch, which skipped the teacher dashboards favored by MagicSchool, SchoolAI, and Brisk. On one side: concerns about safety, transparency, and accountability. On the other: powerful arguments about student agency, trust, and AI literacy. This story puts competing philosophies head to head and asks what kind of AI education we really want.
Bright Byte
This week’s Bright Byte highlights a peer-reviewed study showing how AI is helping hotels and restaurants slash food waste. Using computer vision and deep learning, AI-powered tracking devices identified where food was being lost.
Links and References:
Turnitin Clarity press release-
Harvard Business Publishing: AI tutors in accounting
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/ai-tutor-bots-harvard-business-school
Common Sense Media: AI Companions Report-
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/health/teens-ai-companion-wellness
InSpirit AI Scholars Program-
https://www.inspiritai.com/
Africa AI Literacy Week Hackathon (Ish Kenya)-
https://tech-ish.com/2025/07/03/ai-africa-agri-tech-sector/
Bright Byte-
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X25001072
Announcements
The Skills21 Student AI Literacy Course will be available for the fall.
To learn more or bring it to your school, email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org
Sponsor
This episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, helping students and educators build workforce-ready skills through innovation.
https://www.nextgenmfg.org/
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 Stories
Matt 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 Rampage
Humanoid 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 Bot
Cognitive 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 References
11 Labs AI Voice Agent Tool
https://elevenlabs.io/app/talk-to?agent_id=agent_01jzxnd7e5fsv9cvve4g6np8v7
Hugging 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 Highlights
https://www.edweek.org/technology/can-ai-make-history-class-more-fun-for-students/2025/07
OpenAI, Anthropic and Microsoft Invest in AI/K-12
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2025/07/08/microsoft-openai--anthropic-fund-a-national-ai-academy-for-teachers/
Japan Times on AI Peer Review Hacks
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/04/japan/ai-research-prompt-injection/
3 v 3 Robot Soccer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPL7sK0pJOE
Amazon Scales Robots
https://unionrayo.com/en/amazon-new-autonomous-robots/
Misty II
https://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 Capabilities
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/these-human-capabilities-complement-ais-shortcomings
CNN on STAR AI and Infertility Breakthrough
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/03/health/ai-male-infertility-sperm-wellness
Sponsor
This 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 Newark
Newark 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 Assessments
The 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 Backlash
A 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 Cheaper
In 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 References
Amira Literacy Screening (Chalkbeat + NJ.com)
https://www.nj.com/mosaic/2025/06/newark-launches-ai-tool-to-boost-literacy-for-struggling-students.html
PISA Media & AI Literacy Domain – OECD Announcement
https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/pisa-2029-media-and-artificial-intelligence-literacy.html
Walton/Gallup AI Survey – Teach for Tomorrow Report
https://www.gallup.com/analytics/659819/k-12-teacher-research.aspx
Wired on AI Backlash – Reese Rogers, June 28
https://www.wired.com/story/generative-ai-backlash/
Microsoft MAI-DXO Diagnostic Orchestrator
https://microsoft.ai/new/the-path-to-medical-superintelligence/
Skills21 AI Resources and Policy Samples
Sponsor: National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing
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 Race
Matt 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 Automated
Pulling 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 Risks
India 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.
Announcements
The Summer Micro-Credential is still open, with a special ISTE/ASCD promo for attendees. skills21.org/ai/micro
Links and References
Anthropic’s Claudius Experiment
https://time.com/7298088/claude-anthropic-shop-ai-jobs/
NYT on AI and Hiring
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/technology/ai-spending-openai-amazon-meta.html
Harvard Business Review: What Gets Measured Gets Automated
https://hbr.org/2025/06/what-gets-measured-ai-will-automate
Harvard Business Review: Audit Your AI Use
https://hbr.org/2025/06/recalculating-the-costs-and-benefits-of-gen-ai
India Heat Mapping with AI
https://www.wired.com/story/india-is-using-ai-and-satellites-to-map-urban-heat-vulnerability-down-to-the-building-level/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
Sponsor
This episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing