ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday
  • 4.9 (43)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast , 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. 21H AGO

    Cheaters Gonna Cheat | Check-In 4

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Security Breaches and Digital Cheating on the New SAT, Matt explores the sophisticated methods students and bad actors are using to compromise the integrity of the digital SAT. The transition to a computer based format has introduced technical vulnerabilities that go beyond traditional cheating methods. Key Takeaways: Specialized hardware, such as video capture devices disguised as peripherals, and "sandbox" software allow students to bypass the security of the Bluebook testing platform.International websites are leaking authentic test questions from the College Board's active bank, facilitating large scale cheating across different time zones.The practice of allowing students to use their own laptops is a primary security vulnerability that hardware based exploits can easily target. Matt’s Two Cents: While the shift to digital was marketed as a definitive solution to paper based security flaws, the BYOD model has proven to be the Achilles' heel of the entire scheme. By allowing students to use personal devices, the College Board has moved the battlefield to a technical arena where hardware exploits are nearly impossible to fully neutralize. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/5n6vbydc Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning with practical tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai/.

    4 min

  2. 2D AGO

    Meta: More AI = $$$ | Check-In 3

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Meta Ties Bonuses and Performance Reviews to AI Usage, Matt explores the shift toward performance metrics that prioritize AI integration in the corporate world. Meta has introduced a new system to track how employees leverage automated tools to drive efficiency and impact. Key Takeaways: Meta launched Checkpoint, a performance tracker that analyzes over 200 data points, including AI generated code volume and error rates, to inform manager reviews.New bonus structures offer up to 300 percent multipliers for top performers who demonstrate high impact through aggressive AI adoption.The company is flattening its organizational structure, using AI to allow single contributors to manage projects that previously required entire teams. Matt’s Two Cents: The aggressive move to tie employee survival and financial success to AI acumen highlights a massive structural gap between corporate expectations and the current state of education. As industry leaders hard-wire these tools into the workforce, schools and universities face the daunting task of evolving fast enough to ensure graduates are not obsolete before their first performance review. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/jnysczhd Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace designed for real classroom planning, offering tools like grade-level evaluators and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai.

    4 min

  3. 6D AGO

    AI Literacy is the Floor, Judgment is the Ceiling | Ep. 97

    In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Literacy is the Floor, Judgment is the Ceiling), Matt and Liz examine whether judgment tops AI literacy, touch on AI-packed Super Bowl ads, a satirical AI book, and “OpenClaw,” then dive into the news. The Rundown Time Studios and Darren Aronofsky have launched "On This Day," a high-fidelity AI-animated series bringing 1776 to life for the semi-quincentennial. India has become Google’s largest AI test bed, shifting to a decentralized, teacher-driven model for 247 million students. Google Classroom is adding built-in recording tools for multimedia feedback and student oral or code submissions. Matt and Liz highlight NotebookLM’s “pencil” for custom slides and infographics as Gemini tests ChatGPT chat imports. Unsealed court docs show Google plans to leverage its 80% school hardware share to lock in lifelong users. The duo explores Genie 3, where descriptive "gamer language" is used to define physics, friction, and even the perspective of the poison in Hamlet. The “Godfather of AI” backs Alpha School’s model: two hours of AI-driven mastery in the morning, freeing afternoons for workshops. A University of Adelaide study finds AI tutors can spot math anxiety through typing, deletion, and hesitation patterns. Matt and Liz argue the humanities are future-proof and showcase a Gem that analyzes student chats for the 4 C’s. Why markets shed $300 billion in a week: fears that AI “vibe coding” could replace giants like Salesforce and Adobe. NWEA has released a comprehensive directory of tools for formative assessment, from Kahoot to Edpuzzle, posing a challenge for future "vibe coders." EdSafe warns schools about AI companions’ “artificial intimacy” and urges removing empathy-mimicking features from edtech bots. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz examine the “AI Paradox”: if AI handles entry-level work, how do leaders build judgment? They argue students need digital maturity, not just how to use AI, but when and why. Bright Byte NASA’s JPL used Claude to plan the first AI-driven Mars rover route, cutting Perseverance’s planning time in half across a 500,000-variable simulation with minimal human tweaks. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links On This Day in 1776 https://tinyurl.com/bd45ufmf India Scaling AI in Education https://tinyurl.com/mr36r5ws Record directly in Google Classroom https://tinyurl.com/bdt9e4ta Google adds Video Overviews https://tinyurl.com/3bysbruw Google Eases ChatGPT-to-Gemini Switch https://tinyurl.com/3suv2ejm Google Eyes Students as Future Users https://tinyurl.com/24tbaehd Prompting Smarter with Genie 3 https://tinyurl.com/48mmspcv AI Pioneer Hails School’s AI Strategy https://tinyurl.com/43ptthrp AI That Reads Math Anxiety https://tinyurl.com/mvjpszts Why AI Makes the Liberal Arts Invaluable https://tinyurl.com/3nsrcb2s The SaaS-Pocalypse Has Begun. https://tinyurl.com/mvmzarkb 75 Digital Tools for Formative Assessment https://tinyurl.com/ye2yksc2 Entry-Level Jobs Need a Residency Model https://tinyurl.com/mrdpcb2t S.A.F.E. BY DESIGN https://tinyurl.com/us6n2djs AI Is Changing How We Build Judgment https://tinyurl.com/2j7r5sbe States Press On With AI School Rules https://tinyurl.com/ytjk4fns Teach Digital Maturity, Not Just Literacyhttps://tinyurl.com/48hysc4v Claude AI Takes the Wheel on Mars https://tinyurl.com/murz85z4

    1h 8m

  4. FEB 12

    What Can We Learn From China? | Check-In 2

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: What U.S. schools can learn from how China is teaching students to work with AI, Matt explores What can US schools learn about AI education from their Chinese counterparts?. The episode examines the differences between China's centralized, infused approach to AI education and the fragmented landscape in the United States. AI "infusion" over abstract literacy, focusing on collaborative use and human direction within core subjects.Coordinated national strategy that aligns infrastructure, research, and workforce needs into a single operating system.The pivotal role of U.S. states in establishing guardrails and designing large-scale implementation models suited to local values. Matt’s Two Cents: The comparison isn’t about copying China’s system, but about recognizing the cost of moving slowly. When coordination is absent, momentum doesn’t disappear, it just fragments. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/38hss9va Sponsored by: Eduaide.Ai Eduaide is an AI-powered workspace built by teachers, for teachers, featuring evaluators for grade-level appropriateness and classroom-ready graphic organizers. Take advantage of our special offer: 50% off an Eduaide subscription with checkout code ChatEDU at https://www.eduaide.ai.

    5 min

  5. FEB 10

    Dartmouth AI Drama | Check-In 1

    Dartmouth College’s recently announced partnership with Anthropic has sparked a significant rift between the administration and faculty members involved in a historic class-action lawsuit. While the college aims to lead in institutional AI adoption, many professors view the collaboration with a company accused of mass copyright infringement as a fundamental breach of trust and shared governance. Key Takeaways Institutional Tension: The partnership with Anthropic positions Dartmouth as an early adopter of the Claude model, yet it has been met with fierce criticism from 130 faculty members whose books were allegedly used to train the AI without permission. Litigation Context: Anthropic recently agreed to a landmark $1.5 billion settlement to resolve claims that it used pirated "shadow libraries" to train its models, an amount that a federal judge previously questioned as potentially insufficient given the scale of the infringement. Governance Disputes: Faculty leaders argue that the administration failed to consult them until the decision was finalized, reducing their role to helping shape the public message rather than influencing the strategic direction of the partnership. Technological Expansion: Beyond the controversy, Dartmouth continues to embed AI in campus life through initiatives like Evergreen, an AI wellness platform, and the exploration of developer tools like Claude Code that leverage vast datasets for agentic software generation. The Bottom Line for Education The Dartmouth case underscores the ethical dilemma schools face when the rapid pace of AI implementation clashes with the intellectual property rights of the very scholars who make up the institution. As colleges move to provide enterprise-level AI access, the tension between administrative efficiency and faculty trust will likely redefine how universities negotiate tech partnerships. Article Link https://tinyurl.com/yc2tn862 Sponsor Eduaid.ai: AI Created For Teachers is an AI-powered teacher development platform built by teachers for teachers to help turn rough ideas into classroom-ready lessons. Visit eduaid.ai and use the discount code CHATEDU for 50 percent off. Catch the ChatEDU every Friday with Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Reid and join us for Check-In episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    5 min

  6. FEB 6

    Why Students Should Solve Real-World Problems, Not Just Learn About AI | Ep. 96

    In this episode of ChatEDU (Why Students Should Solve Real-World Problems, Not Just Learn About AI), Matt and Liz open with two weird AI stories that set the tone for a wide-ranging conversation about safety, policy, and purpose. From there, they move quickly through the week’s biggest headlines before closing with a powerful interview on why real-world problem solving is the most durable form of AI literacy. The Run Down A bipartisan Senate hearing raises alarms about student screen time, AI tools, and online safety. Lawmakers focus less on innovation and more on developmental impact, signaling a shift toward regulation and accountability in edtech. New court documents suggest Meta leadership was aware of risks tied to sexualized chatbot interactions with minors. Matt and Liz connect the story to growing political backlash and questions of corporate responsibility. Houston ISD announces new K–8 schools centered on AI, design thinking, accelerated learning, and whole-child development. Music, community service, and leadership skills are built into the model, though details are still emerging. The UK government plans to provide AI tutoring support to up to 450,000 disadvantaged students by 2027. Designed with teachers, the tools aim to supplement classroom instruction and expand access to one-to-one support. Denver Public Schools blocks student access to ChatGPT over safety and privacy concerns. Approved AI tools with stricter safeguards remain allowed, highlighting the rise of district-level AI governance. A BBC analysis explores why people increasingly turn to chatbots for emotional support. Research suggests AI often appears more attentive and compassionate than humans, raising questions about listening, attention, and connection. Beneath the Surface Matt speaks with Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Technovation, about why students learn AI best by solving real problems in their communities. Tara shares decades of evidence showing that project-based learning builds confidence, purpose, and true AI literacy. The conversation highlights Technovation’s free AI in Action curriculum and the power of mentorship and courage. Bright Byte: AI as a Scientific Collaborator OpenAI reports that over one million weekly users now use ChatGPT for advanced math and science research. From proofs to data analysis, AI is accelerating discovery across scientific fields. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠  Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links Technovation ⁠https://www.technovation.org/⁠ AI in Action Curriculum | Technovation  ⁠https://www.technovation.org/ai-in-action/ Alaska Student Arrested for Eating an AI Art https://tinyurl.com/3nbsf38x How an AI Schoolgirl Became a Far-Right Star https://tinyurl.com/2rwc24xe Senate’s Youth Tech Hearing: Signals for Education, Edtech, and AI Policy https://tinyurl.com/54smc83d Zuckerberg Rejected Teen AI “Off” Switch, Lawsuit Says https://tinyurl.com/9jt85kym HISD to Pilot AI-Focused K–8 Schools https://tinyurl.com/4kau6rdb AI Tools Could Help 450,000 Disadvantaged Pupils https://tinyurl.com/fpw4mxsf Colorado’s largest school district bans ChatGPT for students https://tinyurl.com/bdfw8b9s What AI can teach us about listening better https://tinyurl.com/bdcez369 AI as a Scientific Collaborator https://tinyurl.com/4pu6xyz8

    1h 6m

  7. JAN 30

    Has the One Feature Educators Demanded Arrived? | Ep. 95

    In this episode of ChatEDU (Has the One Feature Educators Demanded Arrived?), Matt and Liz open with a snowy update and a cautionary tale: a professor from the University of Cologne lost two years of research after turning off a ChatGPT setting. From there, the episode digs into AI’s influence across science, labor, classrooms, and edtech adoption, ending with the feature educators have been asking for. The Run Down OpenAI’s CFO Sarah Friar suggests the company could take a stake in scientific breakthroughs it helps power, raising questions about AI’s role in discovery and profit. The IMF warns that AI could impact 60% of jobs in developed countries, hitting young workers especially hard as entry-level roles disappear. Researchers use Dungeons & Dragons to test AI models’ ability to stay in character and track complex narratives. Claude 3.5 performed best, with GPT-4o trailing slightly. OpenAI launches a national-scale education initiative with countries like Estonia, Greece, and Jordan using ChatGPT Edu in classrooms. Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft are racing to win over schools. From Minecraft to Khan Academy, each company is pushing tools to shape how students learn with AI. A pilot in New York shows strong results when teachers co-design AI use in classrooms. Student outcomes improved, and teachers saved time. Reid Hoffman encourages schools and companies to focus less on flashy pilots and more on practical AI use for meetings, notes, and everyday tasks. A new study finds executives are gaining time with AI, while many frontline employees say it adds work or makes errors they need to fix. The Economist questions decades of edtech investment, calling it profitable but largely ineffective. Some countries, like Denmark, are returning to textbooks. Beneath the Surface The UK’s Department for Education released detailed AI safety standards, calling for transparency, student interaction logs, and protection against emotional manipulation. At BETT, Google responded with a major update: educators will soon get dashboards showing student use of Gems and NotebookLM, finally offering the visibility schools have been demanding. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠ Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links OpenAI’s Sarah Friar on Squawk Box https://tinyurl.com/h6jtz4bu AI Job Losses to Hit Young Workers Most, IMF Warns https://tinyurl.com/4a7hkbsx Using Dungeons & Dragons to Test AI Limits https://tinyurl.com/2eknyc95 Introducing OpenAI’s Education for Countries https://tinyurl.com/bdhnz4aw Anthropic, Google and Microsoft fight to win teachers https://tinyurl.com/57ch2zre AI in Schools Needs Teacher Buy-In https://tinyurl.com/4fnv2f3b Hoffman on Why Companies Are Getting AI Wrong https://tinyurl.com/nuursbkw Does AI save time? Executives say yes, employees say no. https://tinyurl.com/2xxuntaa Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless https://tinyurl.com/zbupby9e Generative AI: Product Safety Standards https://tinyurl.com/3z7rwtu5 Google Expands Gemini Features in Classroom https://tinyurl.com/4fufr84b The Leaders Turning AI Into Impact https://tinyurl.com/yxn76mdd

    50 min

  8. JAN 23

    Deep Think: What If AI Could Help Us Reclaim Our Attention Spans? | Ep. 94

    In this episode of ChatEDU (Deep Think: What If AI Could Help Us Reclaim Our Attention Spans?), Matt and Liz open with an AI slip-up at the National Weather Service that invented fake towns, raising trust and oversight concerns, before launching into a wide-ranging rundown. The Rundown The episode opens on health and AI: OpenAI is piloting a Health tab in ChatGPT, raising privacy and legal questions, while MIT Sloan research suggests personalized generative AI can aid weight loss, but lacks community support. Matt and Liz discuss reports showing Google’s AI Overviews gave inaccurate medical advice, prompting Google to pull some health summaries and highlighting the risks of AI errors in high-stakes settings. The discussion shifts to safety and governance, with Google and Character.AI pursuing early settlements in teen chatbot death cases, highlighting regulatory gaps and OpenAI partnering with Common Sense Media on California’s Parents and Kids Safe AI Act. They also address backlash against X after Grok was used to generate nonconsensual sexualized images, prompting the company to rein in those capabilities. Education wraps the K–12 segment, with a deepfake response course co-created by Elliston Berry, a teen targeted by AI abuse, a practical deepfake detection infographic from Evan Harris, and Lego’s new hands-on AI literacy kits. The focus shifts to higher ed: U.S. college enrollment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, led by public schools and workforce credentials, as Google doubles down on skills and curiosity over degrees in hiring. The rundown closes with a Brookings report warning that AI’s risks in education currently outweigh its benefits, contrasted with a Brookings video offering a more nuanced take on AI’s impact on work and learning. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz ask whether AI can counter fragmented attention, using tools like Google Gemini to replace doomscrolling with focused interactions, before debating world models and whether they represent play or a shift from consumption to creation. Bright Byte In the Alps, rescuers used drones and AI to scan thousands of images, spot a single red helmet in the snow, and recover a missing mountaineer, showcasing AI’s growing role in search and rescue. Announcements Celebrate our 100th episode: ⁠skills21.org/chatedu100⁠ Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠ Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠ This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. ⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ Links AI Map Hallucinates Idaho Towns https://tinyurl.com/5n8kwx8r OpenAI’s Risky Health Push https://tinyurl.com/yw3p53uk Generative AI Boosts Weight Loss https://tinyurl.com/5yd26hds Google’s AI Health Safety Crisis https://tinyurl.com/ymhv9p3k Google Halts Medical AI Overviews https://tinyurl.com/3jtuxn8x Google Settles Teen AI Death Cases https://tinyurl.com/24pbmph3 Joint Push for California Child AI Law https://tinyurl.com/4w6ehwjf X Halts Grok AI "Undressing" https://tinyurl.com/2z6f4nbh Fighting Deepfakes: A Victim’s New Course https://tinyurl.com/f7upcs9k Lego uses bricks to demystify AI https://tinyurl.com/2dtpwa5n College Gains: Cost and Career Focus https://tinyurl.com/3p5p8tns Skills Over Degrees at Google https://tinyurl.com/2kexb69e Students in AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect https://tinyurl.com/mryx5mk7 Gemini better than doomscrolling https://tinyurl.com/3xmuwupz Can AI Restore Gen Z's Focus? https://tinyurl.com/yyac2u62 AI Solved Mystery of a Missing Mountaineer https://tinyurl.com/mpd34m8u Why Young Workers Are Hit First https://tinyurl.com/mp32zebb

    52 min
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4.9
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Welcome to ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast , 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.

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