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

In this episode of ChatEDU (Teens on Gen AI: A New Study from Common Sense Media), Matt and Liz dive into a new report from Common Sense Media that explores how teens are using and perceiving generative AI. The episode provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on this topic, shedding light on both the excitement and concerns surrounding AI among young people.

First in Our Intro

• Matt and Liz talk about interactive prompting and narcissism :). Check out www.skills21.org/ai (Prompts > Counselor > Role-Playing a Challenging Work Situation)

Then in the News:

• Cara: An AI-Free Space for Artists - Matt introduces Cara, a social media portfolio app created by photographer Jenga Zhang. Cara aims to protect artists' rights by providing an AI-free environment where they can share their work without the risk of it being scraped by AI models.

• Tribeca Film Festival - The festival features five short films created using OpenAI's Sora, a text-to-video tool. This marks the first time Sora is showcased at a major arts festival, highlighting the potential of generative AI in filmmaking. Matt and Liz discuss how schools will need to address each artistic field individually when it comes to generative AI.

• Illuminate by Google - Liz discusses Illuminate.withgoogle.com, an experimental tool that transforms dense academic papers into accessible NPR-style discussions. This tool aims to make academic research more engaging and easier to understand, while addressing issues like hallucinations in AI-generated content.

Short Stack Chat Back:

• Dumbledore-Style - ChatGPT + ElevenLabs provide a whimsical, yet insightful, three-sentence summary of the Common Sense Media report in the style of Dumbledore, capturing the essence of teens' perspectives on generative AI.

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

In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Surrender - Professors Throw in the Towel on Writing?) Matt and Liz discuss the controversial notion of AI taking over writing tasks. The episode deep dive is informed by the work of two professors from Carnegie Mellon University who are saying the quiet part out loud, with an AI tool aimed at assisting students with the writing process.

Fist in the news:

1. Mechanistic Interpretability - Matt explains the concept of mechanistic interpretability, likening it to an MRI for language models. This technique, championed by AI safety-focused company Anthropic, helps unpack the black box nature of AI models to understand how they generate their outputs and address issues like bias and hallucinations.

2. AI Tutors in Education - Liz revisits the topic of AI tutors, emphasizing the benefits they bring to students (particularly in math and science). These AI tools can serve as accessible and affordable tutors, helping students understand complex problems step-by-step as a means to increase educational equity.

Short Stack Chat Back - The episode concludes with an AI supported take on the Beneath the Surface topic.

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

In this first “Short Stack” episode of ChatEDU (AI Hope or Hype - A K-12 Reality Check) Liz and Matt unpack an important New York Times opinion piece titled "Press Pause on the Silicon Valley Hype Machine” by Julia Angwin. They explore key assertions in the article including:

1. Overstated Achievements: AI's claimed capabilities versus real performance.

2. Unreliable Performance: The effort required to correct AI output versus manual tasks.

3. Limited Improvement Potential: Constraints on AI improvements due to data and energy consumption.

4. Resource Allocation: The diversion of resources from practical innovations to AI developments.

In each area, Matt and Liz discuss how these points resonate in the K-12 context, emphasizing the need for balanced AI literacy and thoughtful resource allocation. They end with their own priority list of K-12 AI in education challenges.

First, in the News -

• Holographics and Wearables: Matt shares his excitement about the new Meta Ray-Ban glasses as well as lightweight AR/AI glasses being developed by Stanford researchers

• AI and Gender: Liz discusses the economic impacts of AI on women, highlighting bias in AI models and the underrepresentation of women in AI labs.

Short Stack Chat Back - The episode concludes with an AI supported take on the Beneath the Surface topic.

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