AI in Education Podcast

Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming
  • 3.5 (11)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming are experienced education renegades who have worked in many various educational institutions and educational companies across the world. They talk about Artificial Intelligence in Education - what it is, how it works, and the different ways it is being used. It's not too serious, or too technical, and is intended to be a good conversation. Please note the views on the podcast are our own or those of our guests, and not of our respective employers (unless we say otherwise at the time!)

  1. 5d ago

    Pasi Sahlberg on AI and Flourishing in education

    What is the purpose of education in an AI-driven world? In this thought-provoking episode of the AI in Education Podcast, Ray and Dan sit down with Pasi Sahlberg to explore one of the biggest questions facing schools, universities, and society today. Drawing on global research, OECD trends, and decades of educational leadership, Pasi explains why traditional measures of success - achievement, credentials, and test performance - may no longer be enough in the age of AI. The conversation explores: Human capital vs human flourishing Why wellbeing and agency matter more than ever The future of assessment and PISA AI's impact on work, learning, and society Why "hope is not a strategy" What schools should prioritise over the next decade The episode also reflects on parenting, teacher accountability, screen time, and the human skills that may become most valuable as AI capabilities accelerate. Referenced in this episode:  OECD Education for Human Flourishing.  https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-for-human-flourishing_73d7cb96-en.html  An accidental guru: The making of an education warrior https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073805932600060X  Sir Ken Robinson at TED - Do Schools Kill Creativity? https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity    .

    32 min

  2. May 21

    Flourish: The Human Role in AI and Education

    This special live episode of the AI in Education Podcast was recorded at the CEnet Future:Forward Conference "Flourish 2026", where Dan and Ray explored one of the biggest questions facing education today: how do schools find the "happy middle" with AI? The conversation dives into the shifting narrative around AI and jobs, the growing role of human agency in education, and why wellbeing, flourishing and trust must remain central as AI adoption accelerates. Along the way, they unpack new research on AI bias, AI detectors, cognitive debt, student safety, and the widening gap between individual innovation and organisational readiness. The episode also reflects on keynote insights from Pasi Sahlberg and discussions around OECD flourishing metrics, parent engagement, and what schools can do now to bring entire communities along on the AI journey. This is a thoughtful, practical and deeply human conversation about balancing opportunity, risk and responsibility in education's AI future. Topics covered: AI and the future of work Human flourishing and wellbeing AI bias in education Safe AI use in schools Parent and community engagement AI detectors and academic integrity The "happy middle" approach to technology adoption Research Papers, and links to things we discussed The changing tune of the AI leaders: The Jobs Apocalypse no more... See these tweets for last year's story: Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, and Mustafa Suleyman And this year's story: Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang   Microsoft's Work Trend Index report 2026 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/agents-human-agency-and-the-opportunity-for-every-organization  Pasi Sahlberg His website: https://pasisahlberg.com/  OECD research he discussed: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/pisa-education-and-skills/digital-leisure-outside-school.html (the chart was from Figure 2.4 here) Victoria Hedlund, the "AI Bias Girl' https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriamhedlund/ and on Substack at https://victoriahedlund.substack.com/ Her LinkedIn post that kicked off the SquashMallow test: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/victoriamhedlund_biasgirl-biasaware-stem-activity-7454786540133584896-E64  The retracted Nature research paper on AI in Education: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-04787-y Think U Know: https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

    33 min

  3. May 16

    Inside Sydney's AI Hub: Building University Automation That Works

    Inside Sydney's AI Hub: Building University Automation That Works In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by Dan Hart, now leading the Automation and Innovation Hub at the University of Sydney. Dan shares how the Hub has evolved from a robotic process automation team into a university-wide service using automation and AI to improve everyday work. With around 400 automated processes running across the university, the team helps staff remove repetitive, time-consuming tasks without taking away the human parts of their roles. The conversation explores practical examples, including AI-powered invoice processing, and how generative AI is changing the software development lifecycle. Dan explains how tools like Cursor and AI-assisted coding are speeding up development, while also raising important questions about security, code quality, workload intensity, and developer wellbeing. The episode also dives into vibe coding, what it means for enterprise systems, and why the future of software development may depend less on hand-writing code and more on communication, problem-solving, and understanding users.

    22 min

  4. May 7

    What we learned from teachers at Sydney's Day of AI

    We kick off Series 17 with a multi-interview episode! Recorded live at the The Anglican Schools Corporation "Day of AI" in Western Sydney, this episode brings together three educators who are reshaping teaching, assessment and student learning in real classrooms with AI. You'll hear from Maria Mertzanakis at Oran Park Anglican College on how teachers are building shared "Brains" in NotebookLM to save time, improve differentiation and support pedagogy, while reducing workload by more than 50 hours a week across staff workflows. Nathan Jones from Marsden Park Anglican College shares how AI is opening new creative possibilities for students and teachers alike, and why schools needed to guide students toward using AI well rather than trying to ban it. And Patrick Ell from Roseville College explores what happens in a "post-product world", where assessment can no longer rely on trust in the final submission alone. His focus? Designing learning experiences that value process, thinking and cognitive craft. We had a lovely grounded, practical and optimistic conversation with these teachers, who are leading from the front as schools navigate the realities of AI in education. Really great to have been invited to attend and participate by Julian Ridden, the TASC Head of AI.

    34 min

  5. Apr 30

    The Castlereagh Moment: Education at a Turning Point with AI?

    This week's episode explores a defining moment for education in the age of AI. Fresh from a week of major events in Sydney, including the Microsoft AI Summit, Dan and Ray unpack the newly released Castlereagh Statement - a collaboration between 70+ education leaders calling for urgent change across schools, universities, and training systems. Their message is clear: education isn't ready for the speed and scale of AI disruption. But that's only part of the story. We're also seeing a growing pushback on technology in classrooms, with schools limiting screen time and universities questioning device use; while, at the same time, new AI-first models like AI-led tutoring and mastery-based learning are emerging rapidly. Add to that a widening gap between what employers expect and what graduates can actually do with AI, plus billions being invested in infrastructure and skills, and it's clear: something has to change. We also dive into the latest research on AI in teaching, from new peer learning models to rethinking assessment and feedback. This episode connects the dots across policy, practice, and innovation. Resources discussed this week Castlereagh Statement https://castlereagh.ai/ California schools introduce tech limits https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/22/los-angeles-school-district-screen-time Yale considering banning all electronic devices https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/device-free-classrooms-mooted-yale-plan-rebuild-public-trust Khan TED Institute announced https://blog.khanacademy.org/introducing-the-khan-ted-institute-a-new-approach-to-higher-education/  https://khanted.org/Home  LSI: The world's first AI-led university https://lsi.ac.uk/ Pearson/AWS survey of employers re students https://www.pearson.com/en-us/power-of-learning/ai-readiness.html The Pedagogical Promptbook https://edtechbooks.org/promptbook/ Microsoft's $25 billion AI in Australia announcement https://news.microsoft.com/source/asia/features/investing-in-australias-ai-future/ Harvard adds mandatory AI courses to English writing course https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/4/23/expository-writing-ai/ Research Papers Think–Pair–Chatbot–Share: AI-Facilitated Peer Learning in Chemistry https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c00438 Identifying what our students have learned: a framework for practical assessment validation https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2026.2620053 Using generative artificial intelligence to reimagine feedback in higher education: a collaborative autoethnography https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2026.2653889#abstract

    38 min

  6. Apr 23

    From Classroom to Impact: How Dawn Knight Uses AI to Help Students Thrive

    In this episode, we're joined by Dawn Knight, a sustainability lead and specialist support educator working with deaf students in a UK secondary school (Epsom and Ewell High School). Dawn shares how she's using AI in simple, practical ways to make learning more accessible - not just for students with additional needs, but for everyone in the classroom. From generating transcripts and differentiated resources to using AI as a planning "checklist," Dawn explains how these tools are helping her save time and reinvest it where it matters most: supporting students directly. The conversation explores how technology originally designed for accessibility - like captions and transcription - is now benefiting all learners, and why inclusive approaches to AI can unlock better outcomes across the board. We also dive into the realities of AI adoption in schools: what works, what doesn't, and why starting small is often the best approach. Dawn offers a refreshingly grounded perspective, showing that you don't need to be a technical expert to make a real impact. If you're looking for practical ways to use AI to support students and improve classroom experiences, this episode is full of ideas you can start using today. This might also be the ideal episode to share with any colleagues who are at the beginning of their AI in teaching journey

    36 min

  7. Apr 16

    Australia's AI moment: Fast adoption, slow policy, big questions

    In this episode, Dan and Ray explore how AI is rapidly reshaping education, workplaces, and policy - often faster than institutions can respond. They unpack new guidance from NSW's NESA on student AI use, highlighting the growing tension between rules, real-world behaviour, and the need for clearer, more consistent policies across education systems. The conversation expands globally with insights from the 2026 Stanford AI Index Report, revealing that while over 80% of students are already using AI, formal education and policy frameworks are struggling to keep pace. The distinction between 'AI in education', 'AI literacy', and 'AI education' becomes critical for understanding what schools and universities could actually be building. They also discuss emerging tools like Adobe Student Spaces, evolving AI workflows using tools like Claude and Copilot, and new data showing Australians are among the most advanced AI users globally. Finally, they revisit "real AI" use cases - specifically wildlife (crocs, turtles and quokkas) detection in Australia - as a reminder that AI's impact extends far beyond chatbots. News items discussed NSW NESA's "Use of Artificial Intelligence by students" rules https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/hsc/rules-and-procedures/artificial-intelligence    Adobe Student Spaces https://acrobat.adobe.com/studentspaces/home    The 2026 AI Index Report from Stanford University Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence (HAI) centre https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report    Anthropic came Down Under https://www.anthropic.com/research/how-australia-uses-claude  https://www.anthropic.com/news/australia-MOU    AI crocodile detection trials begin in north Queensland https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-26/ai-crocodile-detection-trials-begin-in-the-wild/106492460 Related stories from the past: Scientists use drones, cloud, and AI to protect Australia's Quokkas https://news.microsoft.com/apac/features/preserving-diversity-with-ai/ Indigenous knowledge and AI help protect baby turtles from predators on Australia's remote Cape York https://news.microsoft.com/apac/features/indigenous-knowledge-and-ai-help-protect-baby-turtles-from-predators-on-australias-remote-cape-york/ Strengthen your research workflow with generative AI https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/skills-hub-blog/strengthen-your-research-workflow-with-generative-ai/4501740

    36 min

  8. Apr 9

    Jocelyn Brewer - How schools and parents rethink student wellbeing in the age of AI

    In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by psychologist and cyber psychology expert Jocelyn Brewer, founder of Digital Nutrition, to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing education today: how schools and parents can support student wellbeing in an AI-driven world. Jocelyn introduces the concept of "digital nutrition" - a more balanced, intentional approach to technology use that moves beyond simplistic ideas like screen time limits. Together, they explore how young people are already using AI for everything from homework to navigating friendships, often in ways adults don't fully understand. The conversation dives into the risks and opportunities of AI as a companion, why banning technology rarely works, and how schools can shift from restriction to risk minimisation. Jocelyn also challenges educators and parents to engage more openly with young people, positioning them as experts in their own digital lives. This episode is a powerful reminder that there are no simple answers - but doing nothing isn't an option. We recommend you follow or connect with Jocelyn on LinkedIn to keep topping up with her fantastic advice!

    36 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming are experienced education renegades who have worked in many various educational institutions and educational companies across the world. They talk about Artificial Intelligence in Education - what it is, how it works, and the different ways it is being used. It's not too serious, or too technical, and is intended to be a good conversation. Please note the views on the podcast are our own or those of our guests, and not of our respective employers (unless we say otherwise at the time!)

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