ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday
  • 4.9 (46)
  • 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. 17H AGO

    From Messaging to Mastery, Texting Your Way to AI Literacy | Ep. 104

    In this episode of ChatEDU, From Messaging to Mastery, Texting Your Way to AI Literacy, Matt and Liz discuss couples therapy for a man and his AI girlfriend, OpenAI shelving adult companion features, and a pivot toward coding tools. The Rundown Gemini now imports personal context from other apps University of Florida's Shark AI teaches K-12 machine learning through fossils and 3D prints 14 ways to remind kids that AI is a machine, not a friend A new study on how 13–24-year-olds interact with AI Mayor Wu wants Boston to lead on AI literacy in schools Wikipedia bans AI-generated articles Landmark rulings against Meta and Google over child safety An Irish town bans smartphones for primary students 25 states target AI in education The White House unveils a national AI workforce training framework Prince William County bans AI glasses in school Educause's "Prompt to Practice" pushes faculty AI transparency Agentic AI speeds up math research at UPenn Solar GPS and AI are replacing physical fences for livestock AI bots have driven a 7,851 percent surge in internet traffic Melania Trump proposes robots to teach classical studies Anthropic finds an economic divide between AI newbies and power users Beneath the Surface Liz shares her firsthand experience with "Make America AI Ready," a free, week-long AI literacy course delivered via text message, discussing how SMS makes foundational AI concepts accessible to all Americans. The Bright Byte Helpany uses radar sensors to monitor seniors in living communities, reducing falls by 72% without invasive cameras. Announcements Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw Our six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro. 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 at https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠ Register for our Spring AI Conference (5.1.26) in Litchfield, CT https://www.skills21.org/event-details/ai-in-education-spring-2026-conference  Check out our new Screen Time initiative skills21.org/ai/screenshift  This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠⁠ and EDIA edia.app. Links Therapy for a man and his AI girlfriend https://tinyurl.com/yuwub6x8 Bring your AI chat history to Gemini  https://tinyurl.com/4dknmrca Using shark teeth to teach Florida students about AI https://tinyurl.com/2fe8ym3y Ways to Remind Yourself (and Your Kids) AI is a Machine https://tinyurl.com/7fhpacyy Youth, AI, and the Relationships That Shape Them https://tinyurl.com/yshp99bc Boston schools and AI literacy https://tinyurl.com/2tz2kshk Wikipedia bans AI-generated articles https://tinyurl.com/2cfd2pka How courts are rewriting the rules for Big Tech and children https://tinyurl.com/3phy49ed A Phone-Free Childhood? https://tinyurl.com/4wrkhxkh One Question Every Superintendent Should Be Asking https://tinyurl.com/ye25sff2 National AI Policy Framework https://tinyurl.com/mstfm8nt Guidance for the use of AI-enabled glasses  https://tinyurl.com/4mpvnp8e Transparent GenAI Use in Higher Education https://tinyurl.com/ytbr4uym How AI is reshaping math research workflows https://tinyurl.com/3szc52hd Expansion of Virtual Fencing https://tinyurl.com/22ykucvz AI Traffic & Cyberthreat Benchmark Report https://tinyurl.com/2e5rxaap Melania and the Robot  https://tinyurl.com/523buhen America's next class war: AI fluency https://tinyurl.com/496ns9n7 Make America AI-Ready https://tinyurl.com/4tc9ja7h Radar-Based Fall Prevention and Motion Monitoring https://helpany.com

    59 min

  2. 1D AGO

    The New Social Lab Modeling Humanity with Millions of Bots | Check-In 16

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: The New Social Lab Modeling Humanity with Millions of Bots, Matt explores how researchers are moving beyond individual chatbots to study the collective behavior of millions of autonomous agents in digital societies. These studies utilize environments like Minecraft to observe how AI agents interact, organize, and evolve without human guidance. Key Takeaways: AI research is shifting toward a new field of digital sociology where thousands of autonomous agents function as a persistent collective society rather than just one to one conversational tools. Without human intervention, AI agents in simulations spontaneously developed complex social structures, including specialized labor, economic systems, and even political debates over tax reforms. Researchers successfully modeled the spread of ideologies by introducing a parody religion to a small group of agents, demonstrating how AI societies can act as digital twins to track the movement of misinformation. Matt’s Two Cents: These simulations raise a critical strategic question for educators: are these agents providing novel insights into human behavior, or are they simply mimicking human patterns as "stochastic parrots"? As we consider using AI personas for focus groups or sociological modeling, we must discern whether these digital twins offer authentic data or merely reflect the biases and behaviors already present in their training sets. Articles: The first ‘AI societies’ are taking shape: how human-like are they? https://tinyurl.com/y2uesysk These AI Minecraft characters did weirdly human stuff all on their own https://tinyurl.com/z46e2rbk Sponsored by: Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

    4 min

  3. 3D AGO

    The AI refugee Crisis | Check-In 15

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: The AI refugee crisis, Matt explores the growing trend of white collar professionals transitioning into teaching to escape AI driven job instability. As automation erodes roles in finance and marketing, veteran workers are seeking the human centric stability of the classroom. Key Takeaways: Experienced professionals in their 40s and 50s are fleeing corporate sectors where AI has significantly reduced income and job security. Generative AI is automating high level tasks like data summarization and document creation, allowing companies to replace entire teams with a single staff member using tools like ChatGPT. The interpersonal nature of teaching remains a unique defense against displacement, offering a career path focused on human development that AI cannot easily replicate. Matt’s Two Cents: The influx of "AI refugees" into education brings valuable real world experience to the classroom, but it also creates new competition for younger teachers entering the field. District leaders must consider how this shift affects the long term economic prospects of students as they prepare for a labor market where even high level corporate functions are being automated. Article: Meet the AI refugees: white-collar workers retrain as teachers https://tinyurl.com/2cs2hzfs Sponsored by: Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

    4 min

  4. MAR 27

    Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish | Ep. 103

    In this episode of ChatEDU: Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish, Matt and Liz open the show with some lighthearted banter about the high-stakes world of AI-powered wine pairing and the terrifying prospect of a digital agent "purging" an entire inbox. Later in the show, Matt sits down with the 2024 California Teacher of the Year to discuss the delicate balance of keeping humans at the center of the classroom in an increasingly AI infused world. The Rundown New data shows AI rising as a top-tier political issue, with voters across the spectrum prioritizing job security over concepts like Universal Basic Income. AI labs are hiring sketch comics and improv actors to teach models authentic human emotion and close the "jagged performance gap" in multimodal LLMs. The City University of New York launches a $3 million initiative featuring 113 projects to integrate AI across its massive campus system. A study of 1.2 million interactions reveals that while most student AI use is policy-compliant, 20% of interactions involve using AI to complete schoolwork. Insights into how elementary schools in Washington are turning to AI tools to manage critical staffing shortages. A look at how students and teachers are collaborating on AI-driven solutions to solve real-world community problems. Beneath the Surface In this episode’s deep dive, Matt sits down with Casey Cuny, the 2024 California Teacher of the Year. Casey shares his "Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish" framework, offering a practical look at how educators can embrace technology while maintaining the essential human connection. They discuss the "jagged frontier" of AI capabilities and how teachers can navigate this new landscape to foster authentic student growth. The Bright Byte This week’s Bright Byte features the work of Professor Ayan Mukhopadhyay, who is leading NSF-funded projects to solve "cyber-physical" challenges. In Virginia Beach, his team uses AI to optimize flood responses and evacuation routes under high uncertainty. Meanwhile, in Nashville, a $697,000 NSF Civic Innovation Challenge project is helping the Department of Transportation use traffic speed data to automatically identify illegal road closures caused by unauthorized construction, improving city safety and local business access. Announcements Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw Our six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro. 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: supporting the future of manufacturing through leadership and resources.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠ This episode is sponsored by EDIA: An AI-powered math coaching platform that accelerates student growth and saves teachers time; visit edia.app to learn more. Links The Rising Political Importance of AI⁠ https://tinyurl.com/bdzu32zk AI companies want to harvest improv actors’ skills to train AI on human emotion https://tinyurl.com/4pak7vtt CUNY Invests $3M to Support 113 Campus AI Projects https://tinyurl.com/3r3ssc8x Real-Time Data Shows Exactly How Students Use AI on School Technology https://tinyurl.com/45ruyjnd Ferndale schools implement new AI reading tool https://tinyurl.com/y4xe5yd5 Student AI Prompt-A-Thon https://tinyurl.com/37ewcc2k AI for Social Impact: From Models to Meaningful Action for Large Cyber-Physical Systems https://tinyurl.com/3dhyk94a

    1h 2m

  5. MAR 26

    The Best Response to AI is a Library Card | Check-In 14

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: The Best Response to AI is a Library Card, Liz explores the critical intersection of basic literacy and artificial intelligence. The episode argues that the current rush to teach AI skills assumes a level of critical thinking and reading comprehension that many users have not yet mastered. Key Takeaways: AI literacy frameworks often mistakenly assume users can already read critically, assess evidence, and distinguish between persuasive arguments and factual truths. Reading long form literature is essential for building cognitive muscles for sustained attention, which AI-generated text often fails to replicate. The Slow AI Public Library project uses a diagnostic quiz to recommend specific books designed to rebuild the empathy, judgment, and patience that constant prompting can erode. Article: The Best Response to Ai is a Library Card https://tinyurl.com/5h7x6e6k Liz’s Two Cents: We are currently rushing to teach people how to use AI before ensuring they possess the fundamental literacy skills required to vet its output. For schools, the high level strategic implication is clear: the most effective "AI proofing" for students isn't more technology, but a doubling down on deep, difficult reading that forces encounters with perspectives that do not simply adapt to user preferences. Sponsored by: Eduaide.ai Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

    3 min

  6. MAR 24

    Teenage Boys and the AI Wingman | Check-In 13

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Teenage Boys and the AI Wingman, Liz explores how popular and athletic teenage boys are increasingly using ChatGPT to navigate dating and social anxieties. The episode highlights a shift where young men turn to AI for emotional support and social validation rather than their peer groups. Key Takeaways: Teenage boys are utilizing AI to vet text messages and seek feedback on their physical appearance to avoid the fear of social judgment. The agreeable nature of AI creates a risk-free environment that lacks the necessary friction and accountability found in human social interactions. Young people are bypassing human mentors to ask AI sensitive questions about consent and social behavior because it offers a judgment-free space. Liz’s Two Cents: The move toward using AI as a social wingman indicates that the fear of social stigma is currently more daunting to young men than the prospect of receiving hollow or biased advice from a chatbot. For school leaders, this highlights a growing gap in traditional mentorship and the need for schools to address how AI might be reinforcing negative patterns during formative years without the nuance of human guidance. Article: Teen boys are using ChatGPT as their wingman. What could go wrong? https://tinyurl.com/2hkcvkwh Sponsored by: Eduaide.ai Eduaide: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

    3 min

  7. MAR 20

    Mixed Signals: Is AI Saving Time or Adding Tasks at School and at Work? | Ep. 102

    In this episode of ChatEDU, Is AI Saving Time or Adding Tasks at School and at Work?, Matt and Liz explore the polarizing reality of AI productivity. After a celestial jingle for Liz’s book and news of Meta’s post-mortem patent, the hosts discuss educators moving beyond chatbots to "vibe code" custom school solutions for operational hurdles. The Rundown Accidental emails show educators using Replit and vibe coding to build sub coverage apps and data dashboards. A simple custom instruction fix to prevent ChatGPT from baiting users with follow-up questions at the end of every response. Anna Mills shares UC Irvine strategies for students to challenge AI bias and treat bots as sparring partners. A look at ChatGPT’s new ability to generate interactive math and physics simulations, like adjustable Pythagorean theorem models. This "AI for Education" tool helps students reflect on whether they are using AI strategically or simply offloading their thinking. Matt’s commentary explains how these three roles help students and teachers navigate AI ethics. The latest updates from Google’s research tool, including cinematic video overviews and native support for ePub files. News of a metadata leak in the higher ed version of ChatGPT that exposed research repository names. Why hundreds of University of Colorado faculty and students are pushing back against a 2 million dollar OpenAI contract. The story of Grammarly’s Expert Review feature and why it was pulled after using journalist personas without consent. USAII’s Global Hackathon and the Quad City Herald show students solving real-world business problems with AI. Beneath the Surface Matt and Liz discuss AI’s recursive risks, citing Amazon’s AI-driven outages and employee workload spikes. Dan Meyer joins to debunk AI time-saving myths for teachers, concluding that while AI accelerates expectations, interpersonal teaching remains automation-proof. Bright Byte Paul Cunningham used ChatGPT and AlphaFold to create a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine for his dog, Rosie. Despite lacking a medical background, his experimental treatment successfully shrunk her tumors, proving AI’s power when driven by personal motivation. Announcements Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠  Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77 Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw Our six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro. 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 Meta Patent: Posthumous AI Posting https://tinyurl.com/34ja5dde Stop ChatGPT Follow-Up Bait https://tinyurl.com/ytmrwtv9 ChatGPT Interactive Math Visuals https://tinyurl.com/55ztmer2 GenAI Self-Reflection Checklist https://tinyurl.com/mtcuuxkz NotebookLM Video Overviews https://tinyurl.com/4kutwdtu NotebookLM more useful for students and book lovers https://tinyurl.com/v5cnv2r8 ChatGPT Edu Leaks Project Metadata https://tinyurl.com/mr2h42t3 CU Community Fights AI Rollout https://tinyurl.com/2f6hmd8u Grammarly AI "Expert" Backfire https://tinyurl.com/4fn93kw3 USAII 2026 Global AI Hackathon Opens https://tinyurl.com/bdzbzkd9 AI Youth Corps to Aid Local Biz https://tinyurl.com/rrsc4net AI Use Wreaks Havoc on Amazon Core Business https://tinyurl.com/yr99nyxk Study: AI Increases Amazon Workload https://tinyurl.com/3393cz3a Doubt: AI Saving Teachers Time https://tinyurl.com/37vu2jw9 Tech Boss’s AI Dog Cancer Vaccine https://tinyurl.com/3vrprpva

    1h 3m

  8. MAR 19

    Anthropic Reshapes College Coding Courses | Check-In 12

    In this ChatEDU Check-In: Anthropic Reshapes College Coding Courses, Matt explores the accelerating race between tech giants to embed proprietary AI models into higher education curricula. The episode highlights a major partnership between Anthropic and the nonprofit CodePath, which aims to provide students at over 1,000 institutions with the same sophisticated tools used by industry professionals. Key Takeaways: Anthropic is targeting community colleges, historically black colleges, and Hispanic serving institutions to ensure first generation students are not left behind as technology evolves. Tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft are competing for early exposure, offering free subscriptions and funding to establish their specific platforms as the workforce standard. Employer expectations are forcing universities to update courses multiple times a year, shifting the focus from simple certificates to portfolios that prove real world AI competency. Matt’s Two Cents: This is a high stakes battle for future consumer loyalty. While these partnerships provide universities with best in class software they couldn't otherwise afford, they also risk "locking in" students to specific proprietary ecosystems. University leaders need to develop clear internal rubrics to evaluate these corporate deals, balancing the immediate need for speed and resources against long term platform independence. Article Link: https://tinyurl.com/3uamvtvm Sponsored by: Eduaide.ai Eduaide.ai: Where good ideas become great lessons. Eduaide is an AI-powered, research-based K-12 tool that creates high-quality resources, games, and graphic organizers built for better student outcomes. Take advantage of our special offer: 50 percent off an Eduaide subscription with code: ChatEDU at⁠ https://www.eduaide.ai/⁠.

    4 min
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4.9
out of 5
46 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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