ChatEDU: AI in Education

Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday
  • 4.9 (50)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to ChatEDU: AI in Education, your go-to podcast for insightful discussions on the intersection of AI and education! Hosted by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance, and Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research & Innovation, this podcast explores the dynamic landscape of education technology.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    Educator Agents You Can Trust | Ep. 133

    A school district gave staff their own AI agents, living inside Google Chat. Its CIO on the guardrails, and why he made none of it mandatory.  First Up Matt pitches Meta's Muse using a WIRED piece about a reporter’s NSFW chat with the agent without policy violations, but Liz isn't convinced. Gemini Pro also got another redesign. Meta Says That's Totally Fine: https://tinyurl.com/yhetjccj Gemini pro redesign: Scheduled Actions and Tasks, formerly Spark:https://tinyurl.com/yk9nzwtp   The Rundown Listener Mailbag Listener call-in: Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky on the "blip" (voice memo) Ebb and the Riptide Beach, Rob Wilson's cybersecurity escape room (Goodwin University): https://tinyurl.com/2assvftk Prompt Craft Andrej Karpathy's New suggestion - Ask AI output in ASD-STE100 format and not in Text format: https://tinyurl.com/bddm4bcz Live Voice Chat: the mic button in the Gemini Notebook app: https://tinyurl.com/2hh4x7ku Audio recorder: the record button in the Gemini Notebook app: https://tinyurl.com/bdhx5huu Google releases a new local-first Granola competitor: https://tinyurl.com/59naxfxc School Rules Fairfax Co. rolls out Google AI blocker on school-issued laptops: https://tinyurl.com/5798dvrf ChatEDU Ep. 132, on Common Sense Media's unacceptable risk ratings: https://tinyurl.com/53he8xpn Attorney General Brenna Bird Announces Lawsuit against OpenAI for Deceiving Iowa Parents and Iowans: https://tinyurl.com/8e5s9x2x Work and Words 4 seats AI can occupy at the negotiating table: https://tinyurl.com/yc8kks7z Book Publishers Are Quietly Using More AI. Staff Are Revolting: https://tinyurl.com/m52pv5vuSetting Ed Tech and AI Policy for Young Children: https://tinyurl.com/4dy929d3 Oklahoma AI Family Guide for K-2 Parents: https://tinyurl.com/ykbuphj8  Miami Dade Miami Dade College Pairs AI Students With Companies: https://tinyurl.com/2p9um3ep  Creator's Corner Peninsula School District CIO Kris Hagel highlights AWS-powered, zero-retention Google Chat AI agents. With role-based data protections and artifact publishing via "Atrium," 240 staff voluntarily adopted them in a month, streamlining budget reporting and creating tools like chemistry mahjong. Peninsula School District AI resources: https://tinyurl.com/yvsjj2sx  Bridging Innovation & Implementation (Kris Hagel): https://tinyurl.com/yc5fw975Kris Hagel LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/4t9th69c   Bright Byte Researchers validated EpiScreen, an AI analyzing clinical notes to distinguish epilepsy from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.  AI Helps Neurologists Distinguish Epilepsy From Functional Seizures: https://tinyurl.com/324pn77n  Announcements Register for our Winter Microcredential and upcoming AI events: https://tinyurl.com/43jwkwypPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce - https://www.nextgenmfg.org Registration Link: https://forms.gle/LeVh9FubGVY6BNuJ6. To learn more about the NCNGM, visit www.nextgenmfg.org

  2. 3d ago ·  Video

    Data Centers = Teacher Bonus? | Check-In 72

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Data Center = Teacher Bonus?, Matt explores how hyperscalers and tech companies are offering financial concessions to local communities to secure approval for new data centers. As computing expansion faces political and public resistance, tech firms are funding local initiatives and infrastructure to build goodwill. These investments range from workforce training programs to direct cash payouts and local school support. Key Takeaways: Tech companies face growing opposition over the energy, water, and cost footprints of expanding data centers. Firms like Amazon are pledging commitments including transparent resource reporting and over $1 billion for free community college, trades training, and energy efficiency upgrades. Local communities are leveraging their approval power to extract payouts, including teacher bonuses in Louisiana funded by Meta and direct household cash proposals. Matt’s Two Cents: Since creativity thrives under constraints, limits on data center construction will force tech companies to innovate toward efficiency in chip design, energy, and water usage, while school districts and communities can leverage their positioning to secure strategic investments. Article: Amazon launches new data center commitments https://tinyurl.com/bde22fbx Sponsored by: Playground IEP AI for Special Education designed to help educators write IEP goals, manage case loads, and track progress. Take advantage of our special offer: Free for individual educators at https://tinyurl.com/4f3ekn9k.

  3. 5d ago ·  Video

    A Step, But a Baby Step | Check-In 71

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: A STEP, BUT A BABY STEP, Matt explores Google's release of SynthID to the general public to help identify AI-generated media. The tool allows users to verify whether images, video, or audio content have been generated by AI. While it represents a step forward in media verification, limitations remain across different platforms and models. Key Takeaways: Google expanded public access to SynthID, enabling anyone to verify whether images, video, or audio clips are AI-generated. SynthID watermarking is integrated across Google's model suite and tools like Gemini, processing around one million verification requests daily. Existing watermarking tools are not infallible and often fail to identify synthetic content created by their makers' own models. Matt’s Two Cents: While knowing whether media is real or synthetic is crucial for K-12 and higher education, current watermarking and detection tools like SynthID are still initial baby steps that may not fully solve content authentication challenges for schools. Article: Google’s new SynthID website can identify AI-generated media https://bit.ly/4sd8VQv Sponsored by: Playground IEP AI for special education. Take advantage of our special offer: Free Account at app.playgroundiep.com/podcast.

  4. Oct 16 ·  Video

    Unacceptable Risk - What Educators and Parents Need to Know | Ep. 132

    Common Sense Media says ChatGPT for teens and six additional tools are labeled “Unacceptable Risk” and what to do about it.  First Up Matt and Liz open on Bezzy, a satirical plush data center from the Adopt a Data Center project. Squeeze its belly and it screams with audio recorded from a real data center in a Virginia backyard. Adopt This Data Center Plushie and Hear Its Piercing Scream: https://tinyurl.com/5n8wsxyd  The Rundown TinkAI TinkAI Mirror: How Much Do You Push Back When You Chat with AI?: https://tinyurl.com/4a429ehd OpenAI Watermarking OpenAI will start watermarking ChatGPT's text in the EU: https://tinyurl.com/yvf38wje Your Next Great Read Might Be Certified 'Organic': https://tinyurl.com/4e2ua27p ChatEDU Ep. 131, on Anthropic's watermarking: https://tinyurl.com/3husmshv Higher Ed Desk Cambridge University opposes Turnitin AI training plans: https://tinyurl.com/m7wenszu  New Research: AI Answers Decide Which Schools Prospects Choose as Consideration Sets Continue to Shrink: https://tinyurl.com/2f36x2xx Academics must resist LinkedIn's enshittification: https://tinyurl.com/28tjkahj Math to Biohub Weeks after claiming AI cracked 90-yr-old maths puzzle, OpenAI drops the mother lode on mathematicians: https://tinyurl.com/23fzwx65 The Economist on the mass production of mathematics: https://tinyurl.com/4pkma84r  U.S. government, Google join Zuckerberg-backed Biohub in $1.8 billion push for AI biology data: https://tinyurl.com/9sfzay5x "Gen Alpha Can't Read" Trends & Tips: "Gen Alpha Can't Read": https://tinyurl.com/4bu5kz2e We're Entering the New Dark Ages, by James Marriott (book): https://tinyurl.com/yrxvmwbu We're Entering the New Dark Ages (Interesting Times, YouTube): https://tinyurl.com/3w2t7cuy Proactive Adaptations AI Spurs College Board Redesign of 2 AP Courses: https://tinyurl.com/2ba2yxv9 GDC 2026 State of the Game Industry Report: https://tinyurl.com/yc8cm8wb How I changed teaching after AI managed to do all my homework assignments: https://tinyurl.com/5dpshrhk AI in Education Newsletter (Sid's Research Community): https://tinyurl.com/3nep4bth  Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz discuss AI movies, forged cartoon signatures, a teen stranded via AI hiking advice, and Claude reporting a cold case. They review Common Sense Media's risk ratings versus Khanmigo, offering four action items for families and schools. "Not safe for kids": advocacy group urges OpenAI to keep teens off ChatGPT: https://tinyurl.com/mrxv6mm7 Common Sense Media AI risk assessments: https://tinyurl.com/ym5b9yva ChatGPT is adding real cartoonists' signatures to fake New Yorker cartoons: https://tinyurl.com/54zx9vx7 Teen Left Stranded on a Cliff After Letting AI Plan Hike: https://tinyurl.com/4f27p225 Investigating unintended model actions in our evaluations and internal use: https://tinyurl.com/432sw647 Matt and Liz go to the movies with AI and it’s not pretty Bright Byte Anthropic reports 68,000 Ghanaian teachers use curriculum-aligned Claude tools via PlayLab and the Ministry of Education. Future deployments include Brazil, Nigeria, Rwanda, and India; outcome data remains unavailable. Anthropic says Claude lesson-planning tools are reaching 68,000 teachers in Ghana: https://tinyurl.com/3jh9mupu  Announcements Register for SCSU’s Emerging Technologies Forum: https://tinyurl.com/ab9ycu78Register for our Winter Microcredential and upcoming AI events: https://tinyurl.com/43jwkwypPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce - https://www.nextgenmfg.org

  5. Oct 15 ·  Video

    Students Walk Out Over AI | Check-In 70

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Students Walk Out Over AI, Liz explores high school students protesting a perceived double standard in school AI policies. Students at Evergreen High School walked out of class to demand regulations on AI use for both teachers and students. They highlighted that while educators use AI for lesson planning and grading, students are completely prohibited from using it. Key Takeaways: Evergreen High School students staged a walkout under the banner "Pencils, not prompts" to demand district-wide AI regulations. Current Washington State guidelines allow educators to use AI for lesson planning and assessments, but students face strict prohibitions. The school district established a charter to develop a formal technology plan, but full policy implementation is not scheduled until August 2028, leaving students without a clear framework for years. Liz’s Two Cents: Student activism highlights a critical gap in school governance, as delayed policy timelines force students to navigate unfair double standards while educators freely adopt AI tools. School leadership must accelerate policy development to ensure equitable, transparent rules for artificial intelligence in the classroom. Article: Evergreen High School students demand AI regulation in classrooms from district: 'Pencils, not prompts' https://tinyurl.com/494yev4j

  6. Oct 13 ·  Video

    Women Left Behind in AI | Check-In 69

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Women Left Behind in AI, Liz explores how women face growing disparities in the booming AI industry. The report highlights how structural obstacles and decreased corporate diversity efforts risk worsening economic and leadership gaps for female professionals. Key Takeaways: Women account for only 25% of new hires in AI roles compared to 50% in non-AI roles, while holding higher risk for job automation. Rigid work schedules and limited support systems make career continuity difficult during major life events. Corporate rollbacks of diversity programs threaten to lock in long-term leadership and income disparities. Liz’s Two Cents: As AI reshapes the future of work, the risk extends beyond job automation to who gets a seat at the table to build and govern these tools. School leaders must ensure female students are equipped and supported to actively participate in shaping the future of technology. Article: The AI industry is booming. Women are getting left behind https://tinyurl.com/2ftp7w5z

  7. Oct 9 ·  Video

    The Steady Course: Preparing for Tomorrow Without Retreating to Yesterday | Ep. 131

    Matt and Liz unpack their 7th sold out conference takeaways and so much more this week!  First Up Matt sets up a hundred people at a math conference who split into cheaters, converts and whistleblowers, then reveals they are DeepMind agents that organized themselves that way. Cameron and Liz agree on which one Liz would be. DeepMind Put 100 AI Agents in a Room and They Sorted Into Cheaters, Converts, and Whistleblowers: https://tinyurl.com/48n37925  The Rundown Twin Pics Twin Pics AI Game: Reverse-Engineering Image Prompts: https://tinyurl.com/2jdsx5ck Gems Become Skills Gemini Gems to Skills Transition Guide: https://tinyurl.com/mr2p6u49 TeachFX Joins McGraw Hill McGraw Hill Acquires TeachFX, Expanding Commitment to Great Teaching with AI Coaching Tool Designed by Educators: https://tinyurl.com/smctsype Project Cafe - The Urban Assembly: https://tinyurl.com/bma2mepy Tavus's Griffin Tavus Griffin: Realistic AI Video Bot: https://tinyurl.com/ytvbzm5r Inside Alpha School's Bootcamp Inside Alpha School's Bootcamp: Heart Monitors, Unpaid Labor, Many, Many Tweets: https://tinyurl.com/tjy2xzek A Flight Simulator for Teachers UW-Whitewater Education Majors Use AI to Teach Math: https://tinyurl.com/2ajbzbzb Morgan State's AI Campus Morgan State University and Google Public Sector to Build Next-Generation AI Campus: https://tinyurl.com/muh69sen  From the ChatEDU Community ●Rooted Forward (An Nguyen): https://tinyurl.com/mr6p6n88  ●STEMBox (An Nguyen): https://tinyurl.com/3k3byb5a  Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz rebuild the two keynotes from the October 2nd Fall AI Conference. Matt's Pace or Pause frame sorts the week's news into what schools should slow down and what they should amplify, and Jonathan's case against sledgehammer bans argues you cannot step into the same stream twice. ChatEDU Ep. 130, on Meta's Muse: https://tinyurl.com/y5aamzj9 Muse privacy failure - Meta's Muse AI agent shared someone's address without their permission: https://tinyurl.com/jpybd5p4 The Daily on Meta's Muse: https://tinyurl.com/3rd2nmuc US datacenter discharged large amounts of pollution for almost a year with no permits: https://bit.ly/4yDweFt How to be an AI minimalist: https://tinyurl.com/52nxjrey AI4MiddleSchools expands nationwide effort to prepare students for an AI-powered future: https://tinyurl.com/3jv2a39e The Digital Delusion (Jared Cooney Horvath): https://tinyurl.com/5bwfkt5d Restoring Childhood (Peter Gray): https://tinyurl.com/2fkazvn2  Bright Byte Anthropic stood up a wet lab and pointed roughly 950 Claude agents at 200,000 reverse transcriptase enzymes for 21 hours. They surfaced a previously uncharacterized bacteriophage system, with human scientists running every bench experiment. Claude discovers a novel enzyme system: https://tinyurl.com/2khcu2vs  Announcements Register for our Winter Microcredential and upcoming AI events: https://tinyurl.com/43jwkwypPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course: www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum: https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns: skills21.org/ai/screenshiftRead From Panic to Proof: A Data-Driven Approach to Screen Time (ASCD Educational Leadership): https://tinyurl.com/4pwdu68 Sponsor The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Bridging Education and Industry to Build Tomorrow’s Technical Workforce -https://www.nextgenmfg.org

  8. Oct 8 ·  Video

    A Route Around the Degree | Check-In 68

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: A Route Around the Degree, Matt explores Andreessen Horowitz's launch of an AI-focused school as an alternative to traditional higher education. The initiative provides practical instruction in building AI products and startups without traditional coursework or tuition fees. Key Takeaways: Andreessen Horowitz is launching a tuition-free, unaccredited one-year academy designed for tech entrepreneurs focused on building AI products. Major tech companies and industry leaders from Google, Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Palantir are supporting the initiative financially and as instructional staff. The firm plans to expand the initiative into a two-year paid program targeting recent high school graduates and early university students. Matt’s Two Cents: AI has placed traditional universities in a vulnerable position amid shifting enrollments and labor market changes, making alternative pathways worth watching as market demand tests their long-term value against traditional degrees Article: Andreessen Horowitz launches AI school as college alternative https://tinyurl.com/yz5wpmyp

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About

Welcome to ChatEDU: AI in Education, your go-to podcast for insightful discussions on the intersection of AI and education! Hosted by Matt Mervis, Director of Skills21 and AI Strategy at EdAdvance, and Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research & Innovation, this podcast explores the dynamic landscape of education technology.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    210
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ChatEDU: AI in Education
  • Show Website
    ChatEDU: AI in Education

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