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.