ChatEDU: AI in Education Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday

In this special summer episode of ChatEDU (The Predication Show - Forecasting AI in Edu), Matt and Liz explore potential futures for AI in education using a forecasting prompt from Professor Ethan Mollick.

First, Matt and Liz introduce the episode concept, explaining how they’ll use Professor Mollick's "Four Futures" AI scenarios to make predictions about various educational topics. Then they dig into the forecasting on topics including: 


Universal translators implanted in earlobes



Potential for real-time translation across languages


Possibility of animal or even alien language translation


Timeline estimates for development



AI in early learning environments



Interactive storytelling and personalized tutoring


Potential for AI playmates and emotional intelligence


Concerns about over-reliance on AI and human teacher roles



AI addressing or exacerbating educational inequities



Potential for free AI tutoring and leveling the playing field


Risks of widening gaps between well-funded and under-resourced schools


AGI's potential to revolutionize education access (with caveats)



AI influence on student creativity and project-based learning



AI as a brainstorming and project management tool


Concerns about balancing AI assistance with original thinking


Potential for immersive simulations and personalized mentorship



AI-generated excuses for late homework (a lighthearted exploration)



Increasingly sophisticated and personalized excuses


Ethical concerns and the importance of honesty




The hosts discuss the implications of these scenarios, balancing excitement for potential benefits with awareness of risks and ethical considerations.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org 

Related Links:


Professor Ethan Mollick's "Four Futures" AI Forecasting Prompt: skills21.org/prompts (See Leadership)

In this episode of ChatEDU (Gemini Splashdown - Will Google Dominate AI in Education Next Year?), Matt and guest co-host Jonathan Costa explore two big moves from Google that will potentially redefine the educational landscape for K-12 in the years ahead.

First in our Intro: 

Matt welcomes Jonathan Costa as a guest co-host while Liz is on the road. They obviously discuss Jonathan’s dog who has been featured in the podcast, as well as a cool AI feature of the upcoming Paris Olympics. 

Then in the News:

OpenAI and Thrive Global Partnership - Matt and Jonathan discuss the new partnership between OpenAI and Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global on Thrive AI, an AI-infused health coach.

Framework for AI in Schools - Jonathan introduces a framework for schools thinking about AI, anchored around the three C's: conceptual understanding, capacity, and curiosity. Have a question? Email Jonathan at costa@edadvance.org 

Beneath the Surface: 

Matt and Jonathan explore how Google may reign supreme in AI for education:


Google's announcement of LearnLM for teacher productivity
Responsible Gemini experience for teens in personal Google accounts
Additional safety measures and guardrails for student use
Double check response feature for fact-based questions
Teen-friendly onboarding experience with AI literacy video
Upcoming learning coach feature powered by LearnLM
Potential impact on the educational AI market, including competitors like Magic School AI and Khan Academy's Khanmigo

Together, the hosts discuss the implications of Google's expansion in the educational AI space, including privacy concerns, equity issues, and the potential for market dominance.

Related Links:

Sal Khan and Son Using GPT 4o

Short Stack Chat Back: Rockefeller-Style - Claude provides a three-sentence analysis of Google's expanding dominance in the education sector in the writing style of John D. Rockefeller.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

In this episode of ChatEDU (What a Character - The Secret Life of character.ai and Teens), Matt and Liz explore the wildly popular character.ai platform and how its approach might be leveraged for AI in K-12 education.

First in our Intro Matt welcomes Liz back from her international travels and they discuss the reported perils of AI use and drinking (though it does not appear to apply to them!). 

Then in the News

AI Content Detection Updates - After a detailed sidebar on custom bots, Matt provides an update on two recent studies (higher ed / K-12) illustrating the limitations of educators in identifying AI-generated writing. They discuss the implications for academic integrity and assessment strategies.

PISA Assessment Results - Liz discusses the latest PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) results, focusing on the new creativity assessment and the performance of U.S. students compared to other countries.

Beneath the Surface: Matt and Liz explore character.ai, a hugely popular but underreported AI platform among teens. They discuss:


The platform's massive user base (233 million users worldwide)
High engagement rates (average 2 hours per user)
Types of characters available (historical figures, fictional characters, etc.)
New voice call feature
Potential applications and concerns for K-12 education

Together, the hosts provide some guidance on how educators might explore character-based AI interactions in their classrooms.

Short Stack Chat Back: Tolkien-Style - Claude provides a three-sentence summary of the future of chatting with AI characters in the style of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

In this episode of ChatEDU, Matt and Liz interview Charli Hughes, a recent high school graduate heading to the University of Connecticut in the fall. Charli discusses her summer internship at Medtronic (where she works on the Hugo Robot Assisted Surgery System), and her journey into computer science through robotics competitions. 

Charli is one of the most thoughtful voices out there on AI, it just so happens that she is a recent high school graduate. Don’t miss her insights and opinions on what’s next for AI in K-12 education.

In this episode of ChatEDU (Bottom-Up AI: Where Proactive Educators Lead), Matt and Liz explore how educators at all levels can advance their work with AI, regardless of what state or federal policies are in place where they live.

In the News:


AI as Moral Expert - Matt discusses a recent study comparing GPT-4's moral advice to that of professional ethicists, finding that the AI often outperforms humans in areas like moral soundness and thoughtfulness. Matt and Liz put AI to the test on a juicy moral dilemma. The Skills21 prompt library mentioned by Matt in this section can be found at www.skills21.org/prompts




Social Media Warning Labels - Liz talks about the U.S. Surgeon General's call for warning labels on social media, similar to those on cigarettes, and Jonathan Haidt's book "The Anxious Generation" about the impact of phone-based childhoods on mental health. Liz goes on to explore a new study exploring the role of AI in child development. 



Beneath the Surface:

Matt and Liz provide an update on AI state guidance, and the imperative/opportunity for educators to lead irrespective of guidance from “above” (fed, state, district, or building level)


The hosts emphasize the importance of looking within to determine AI priorities rather than waiting for top-down guidance.


They recommend resources like the Teach AI Toolkit, COSN Readiness Checklist, and Michigan Virtual's planning framework for schools implementing AI.


Recent state level reports include - UT, AZ, NC, OH, and NJ. 



Short Stack Chat Back

Claude (via ElevenLabs) provides a Ben Franklin-style response on the pros and cons of using large language models for ethical advice.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

In this episode of ChatEDU (Dear AI, Slow the Heck Down), Matt and Liz discuss the disruptive and problematic consequences of large tech companies moving too fast in the AI space. They unpack various incidents, and the implications of rapid AI advancements on education.

First in Our Intro

Matt and Liz discuss the emergence of non-human AI models, including meerkats, whales, dogs, and elephants. They humorously explore the idea of translating animal noises into “language” and the challenges it poses, particularly with Liz's silent dog, Aloe.

Then in the News:

Voice Mode Updates - Matt provides an update on the much-anticipated ChatGPT 4.0 voice mode. Together, Matt and Liz poke fun at the delay, but also explore how this advanced voice mode might be used in schools. 

OpenAI's Library - Liz talks about Sam Altman's focus on creating an old-timey library at OpenAI's headquarters, blending high-tech AI work with a Victorian academic feel. Liz goes on to explore the relevance of libraries in modern education and AI development.

Beneath the Surface:

Matt and Liz discuss the consequences of the "move fast and break things" ethos in the tech industry. They review several AI-related incidents, including, but not limited to: 


ChatGPT's Gibberish Incident: A night of bizarre outputs from ChatGPT.
Google's Gemini Image Issue: Controversial AI-generated images that sparked debates on diversity and historical accuracy.
Scarlett Johansson Voice Scandal: The controversy around OpenAI's voice persona, Skye, and its unintended resemblance to Johansson's voice.
Rock Eating and Glue on Pizza: Logical recommendations from Google’s AI search summaries. 

Together, the hosts provide some guidance on how educators might navigate these disruptive AI episodes. 

Short Stack Chat Back:

Shakespeare-Style - ChatGPT + ElevenLabs provide a three-sentence summary of the consequences of AI companies moving too fast (in the style of the Bard…the real Bard not the Bard turned Gemini). 

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org