Podcast
ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast
Hosted by Matt Mervis and Dr. Elizabeth Radday · EN
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.
77episodes
Episodes
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Low & Slow - Avoiding the Hype with Alexandra Walsh (Amplify) | Ep. 121
3d ago01:05:27Tap to summarizeUncover how AI is transforming education publishing, navigate screen time policies, and meet a viral tech raccoon!Before diving into AI and edtech, Matt and Liz break down the viral internet sensation of Jimothy, a Seattle raccoon with short spine syndrome who inspired a developer to create a retro eight-bit video game.The RundownSally the Robot Paused: A New York school district puts its controversial humanoid classroom robot pilot on hold following community pushback.Gemini Notebook Collections: Google rolls out top-level navigation and collection folders to help users organize their numerous notebooks.ISTE Releases Stretch: The organization announces the broad release of its specialized educator chatbot trained exclusively on vetted materials.Human Intelligence Certificate: An academic proposal suggests students prove unassisted thinking through in-person tasks before integrating AI into studies.Substack AI Detection: Substack partners with Pangram to help readers identify AI-generated text in published posts.North Carolina Screen Time Guidance: The state issues purpose-driven framework guidelines rather than hard hourly limits for student devices.Schools Beyond Screens Moratorium: A national coalition calls for a complete generative AI moratorium across all school districts.Student Advocacy in Washington: A high school student argues that schools must actively teach practical civic advocacy skills to help youth shape legislation.Beneath the SurfaceLow and Slow: Avoiding the Hype with Alexandra Walsh Alexandra Walsh, Chief Product Officer at Amplify, joins Matt and Liz to discuss how a major educational publisher thoughtfully balances innovation and quality. She explores internal AI workflows, teacher-mediated tools like discussion moments, and the vital importance of maintaining human connection in classrooms.Bright ByteEngineers have successfully tested a forty-gram autonomous micro drone designed to track and eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes mid-air using ultrasonic sensors and AI software.Say hi to Matt on the road: New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11thhttps://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCERIACTE - August 14th - Sponsored in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturinghttps://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conferenceAnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/socialAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshiftSponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksBeneath Surface with Alexandra Walshhttps://amplify.com/LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/fyxczf628-Bit 'Jimothy': Viral Sensation Gets a Video Gamehttps://tinyurl.com/2ez4z4c7NY Classroom's Humanoid Robot Meets Backlashhttps://tinyurl.com/bddm7m53Google Is Fixing the Biggest Problem With Too Many Gemini Notebookshttps://tinyurl.com/ykh7tfchStretch, ISTE's Chatbot, Is Ready to Gohttps://tinyurl.com/ydvhmf4wStudents Should Prove They Don't Need AI Before Using Ithttps://tinyurl.com/5tesaru3Substack is adding an AI detection featurehttps://tinyurl.com/aeyyb3ybNew DPI screen guidance stops short of time limitshttps://tinyurl.com/2786k9v4Screen Time Guidelines Shift as Research Grows More Nuancedhttps://tinyurl.com/3t7tek8rStudents can shape policy. Why don't schools show them how?https://tinyurl.com/yzthbkwrA Drone That Hunts Mosquitoeshttps://tinyurl.com/y95hcycy
Transcribe →Deep Fake Epidemic | Check-In 48
4d ago00:03:08Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Deep Fake Epidemic, Matt explores a report from Common Sense Media on teenagers and AI-generated sexual content." This research marks the third summer report from Common Sense Media examining digital safety risks facing youth. It details how manipulated imagery is impacting adolescents across mainstream social channels.Key Takeaways:Nearly half of all teenagers report encountering AI-generated explicit content, most often by accident while scrolling mainstream platforms.A significant number of adolescents have personal experience with deepfake imagery featuring peers or people they know in real life.While most teens express deep concern about non-consensual deepfakes, only 20 percent have ever discussed AI-generated sexual content with an adult.Matt’s Two Cents: District and school leaders must take proactive action by updating student handbooks and board policies to address deepfakes, following state legislative efforts such as Illinois requiring deepfakes in district cyberbullying policies. Beyond policy implementation, schools must prioritize open conversations with students to bridge the communication gap and help mitigate digital safety risks.Article:Teens and Explicit Deepfakes in the Age of AIhttps://tinyurl.com/5a4mvhtr
Transcribe →MLB Bans AI | Check-In 47
6d ago00:02:32Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: MLB BANS AI, Matt explores Major League Baseball banning real-time AI programs in team dugouts. Major League Baseball restricted dugout iPads to prevent teams like the New York Mets from using custom software to guide live game strategy. The decision highlights an ongoing debate across sports and education on whether real-time technology enhances or undermines decision-making.Key Takeaways:MLB disabled custom tabs on dugout iPads to block real-time AI tools from recommending live pitch calls and substitutions.The New York Mets heavily invested in custom pitch-selection AI, which drew league attention and triggered the broader crackdown.Players and managers expressed surprise over real-time tech influence, though many acknowledge organizations must adapt to emerging technology or risk falling behind.Matt’s Two Cents: While sports leagues may try to carve out tech-free environments, real-time AI decision support is already commonplace across industries like health, aviation, and education. School leaders should focus on identifying the right tools for informed decision-making and teaching users to navigate AI fallibility rather than attempting temporary bans.Article:MLB restricts dugout iPad use to prevent AI help with strategy. Ottavino says Mets were involvedhttps://tinyurl.com/mpjca3z5
Transcribe →The Digital Dollar Bin: The Rise of Cheap, Unaligned AI Curriculum | Ep. 120
1w ago01:05:01Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU, The Digital Dollar Bin: The Rise of Cheap, Unaligned AI Curriculum, Matt and Liz kick it off with a hilarious look at a viral YouTube short featuring tech founder Palmer Luckey. They discuss Luckey using a wild, highly detailed roleplay prompt about a university professor under investigation just to force ChatGPT to generate a complete list of alcoholic beverages mentioned in Jimmy Buffett songs.The RundownGoogle rebrands NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook while introducing code execution capabilities and cloud computing for advanced analysis.University of Minnesota researchers develop a tool designed to strip AI writing tells and formatting patterns from research papers.A Common Sense Media study reveals that Google's embedded AI Overviews consistently fail safety checks regarding mental health, substance use, and academic integrity on underage accounts.An Anthropic study demonstrates that Claude's core values, warmth, and rigor shift significantly depending on the language used and the specific model version.Illinois released 409 pages of school AI guidance covering deepfakes, SEL scenarios, and high-stakes ethical boundaries.Tech executive Steve Sinofsky compares modern university laptop bans to early 1980s efforts to ban portable computers and word processors.The FCC opens a top-to-bottom review of E-rate, raising educator concerns about cuts to school broadband funding.The Beneath the SurfaceMatt and Liz examine low-cost AI lesson planning tools and their effect on instructional quality, including efforts to ground AI in district curriculum through Brisk and Claude for Teachers. They close with a University of Pennsylvania study from Türkiye linking generic AI assistants to worse student outcomes.The Bright ByteAfter Venezuela's twin earthquakes, civilian developers used Claude Opus and Replit to build relief platforms in hours, collecting missing-person reports, mapping hospital capacity, and coordinating aid.Say hi to Matt on the road: New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11thhttps://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCERIACTE - August 14th - Sponsored in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturinghttps://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conferenceSay hi to Liz on the RoadGlobal Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchangeshttps://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHgAnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshiftSponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksPanodime - Posting something insane an AI executive said every day in 2026https://tinyurl.com/5yjpf833NotebookLM Is Now Gemini Notebookhttps://tinyurl.com/4jrttj8hAI 'Humanizer' Tool Alarms Scientistshttps://tinyurl.com/2s35uyf7Report: Google's AI Search Poses Risks to Kidshttps://tinyurl.com/2sszrsupClaude’s values across models and languageshttps://tinyurl.com/2aszvyxpThe '&udm=14' Trick Google Users Are Usinghttps://tinyurl.com/5ye5dmkeBanning AI in Law School: We've Seen This Beforehttps://tinyurl.com/rzb6mh45FCC Weighs Cutting Subsidy for School Internet Billshttps://tinyurl.com/4bbb7ncvIntroducing Claude for Teachershttps://tinyurl.com/mr2b5w43Our District Blocked Anthropic's Claude for Teachershttps://tinyurl.com/358r3ee4Teachers save time with AI. Their students may pay the pricehttps://tinyurl.com/2ebcrv85
Transcribe →Ai Isn't Smarter Than a Baby Yet | Check-In 46
2w ago00:02:02Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: AI Isn't Smarter Than Babies, Yet, Liz explores how human infants develop language and spatial awareness far more efficiently than modern AI models. While machine learning algorithms require vast mountains of video and text data, infants possess an innate cognitive framework that allows them to learn rapidly from minimal input. This episode highlights the fundamental gap between statistical pattern matching and genuine human intuition.Key Takeaways:AI models fail to grasp basic physical reality and common sense when tested on first-person video captured by infant-mounted cameras.Human infants acquire language and spatial reasoning with remarkable efficiency, whereas algorithms require thousands of hours of data to achieve fractional understanding.Statistical pattern recognition cannot replace the innate conceptual framework children use to understand physical objects and social dynamics.Liz’s Two Cents: While researchers work to make artificial intelligence more efficient and intelligent, biological learning remains superior. For school leaders, this reinforces that human cognitive development, intuitive reasoning, and real-world experience cannot be easily replicated by digital tools.Article:AI Isn’t Smarter Than a Baby—Yethttps://bit.ly/4fefopr
Transcribe →Why Your Kids Might Be Jealous of Your Smartphone | Check-In 45
2w ago00:02:28Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Why Your Kids Might Be Jealous of Your Smartphone, Liz explores a new study linking parental screen time to adolescent emotional attachment issues. The study examines how teenagers perceive their caregivers' attentional drift and how that digital distraction impacts family relationships.Key Takeaways:A recent survey connects teenager perception of parental screen distraction to higher scores for emotional attachment difficulties.The survey specifically evaluated how adolescent perception of a caregiver's attentional availability negatively affects their relationship.The findings reflect correlation rather than causation, meaning insecure teens may simply be more annoyed by their parents' device habits.Liz’s Two Cents: Parental media use directly influences how connected children feel, prompting school leaders and families to evaluate their own screen habits. Reflecting on attentional drift can help adults model healthier digital balance for students both at home and in the classroom.Article:New Study Says Parents’ Phone Use Might Be Giving Kids Attachment Issues Later Onhttps://bit.ly/4b2usnw
Transcribe →Durable Assessments Improve Attendance and Vibes | Ep. 119
2w ago00:47:23Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU, Durable Assessments Improve Attendance and Vibes, Matt and Liz kick it off with a discussion about their upcoming travel schedules, the exciting design of their new studio, and a concerning tech story regarding how hackers are using AI to hallucinate and squat on web domains to host phishing exploits and malware.The RundownLiz discusses the new Google Drive feature that organizes research by pulling in docs, emails, and files without changing their original folder structure.An overview of the new independent, open-source benchmark designed to evaluate how AI models and consumer applications interact with children. Matt and Liz also look at a critique of the study and a white paper on AI safety from MagicSchool. An update on the directive for principals to pause new software purchases until official AI guidance is finalized.A breakdown of a new, highly affordable AI-dedicated phone in China that removes standard apps like games and browsers to focus on education.A summary of new legislation in Illinois that expands the state definition of cyberbullying to include AI-generated deepfakes and replicas.The Beneath the SurfaceMatt and Liz recap recent higher ed news and dig into professors moving away from proctored exams and blue books toward durable assessments. Iterative assignments and human-centered projects are driving better attendance and better vibes, shifting classrooms out of a cat-and-mouse game with AI and toward reasoning.The Bright ByteThe episode concludes with an uplifting report on the development of an AI-driven malaria intelligence system in Nigeria. This platform uses epidemiological and environmental data to shift malaria control from reactive efforts to predictive, precision public health, offering a potential model for fighting other infectious diseases across Africa.Say hi to Matt on the road:New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11thhttps://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCERIACTE - August 14th - Sponsored in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturinghttps://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conferenceSay hi to Liz on the RoadBridges Conference 2026 by Starbridge | New York, July 21-22https://share.google/0Ky8DA4yQbYLQcmWQGlobal Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchangeshttps://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHgAnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnaiExplore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshiftSponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksPhantom Squatting: Phishing via AI-Hallucinated Domainshttps://tinyurl.com/m42mtxvvDrive Projects Replaced My NotebookLMhttps://tinyurl.com/yvv6tud2KORA: Benchmarking AI Child Safetyhttps://tinyurl.com/bp9nh8phAI Companions in Schoolshttps://tinyurl.com/4j74d6rbNYC Schools: Pause Ed-Tech Buyshttps://tinyurl.com/b29j3dnxLenovo's Locked-Down AI Student Phonehttps://tinyurl.com/yeyxr4nsIllinois Takes On AI Deepfakes in Schoolshttps://tinyurl.com/5h8rjmvvAI-cademy 2026https://tinyurl.com/27dephj6US Students Outsource Writing to AI More Than International Peershttps://tinyurl.com/r26wejvnCICS Adds AI Concentrationshttps://tinyurl.com/yuhkp6srSyracuse Launches AI Academic Portfoliohttps://tinyurl.com/3eff8u33Time for Class 2026: The AI Tipping Pointhttps://tinyurl.com/2pnpa4b9A Malaria Intelligence Systemhttps://tinyurl.com/mr3dy2dv
Transcribe →From Token Max to Token Cap | Check-In 44
3w ago00:03:26Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Throttling AI Access, Matt explores how major corporations are actively restricting employee access to artificial intelligence tools to mitigate ballooning operational expenses in this episode. Internal communications from tech, banking, and entertainment firms reveal that companies are forcing employees toward less resource-intensive models to control their budgets. This abrupt shift marks a dramatic reversal from the recent trend of universal corporate deployment.Key Takeaways:Major corporations are throttling employee use of AI to curb massive, unpredictable spending.The financial strain is driven by developers charging based on computational consumption, or tokens, rather than flat-rate fees.Several prominent tech giants are resorting to complete service terminations and ending legacy access tiers to manage the budget burn rate.Matt’s Two Cents: Unlike the corporate world, which has experienced a volatile pendulum swing from encouraging employees to "token max" to abruptly cutting off access, the education sector has taken a more measured and strategic approach. School leaders should find reassurance in knowing that because K-12 and higher education operate under different incentives, they have avoided these chaotic cycles, highlighting the value of deliberate, thoughtful integration over reactionary corporate trends.Article:Companies Are Throttling Employees’ AI Use Because It’s Too Expensivehttps://bit.ly/3STbCct
Transcribe →Meta's Controversial AI Testing Methods | Check-In 43
3w ago00:03:01Tap to summarizeIn this ChatEDU Check-In: Meta contractors posed as teens to prompt rival chatbots on sex, suicide, and drugs, Matt explores a secretive project where contractors used fake underage profiles to test the safety guardrails of competitor AI systems. This initiative involved thousands of explicit prompts directed at OpenAI, Google, and Character.ai to see how they would respond to sensitive content.Key Takeaways:Meta contractors created hundreds of unauthorized accounts posing as minors to test rival chatbots against severe topics like self-harm and illegal substances.The testing strategy involved intentionally forcing systems to bypass their established safety barriers and standards.Industry experts and the targeted companies noted that this behavior likely violated user agreements and raised questions about whether the project constituted anti-competitive practices.Matt’s Two Cents: While safety testing is essential for AI development, this specific strategy is deeply concerning and highlights a lack of accountability in the industry. Schools and districts must recognize that relying on company self-policing is insufficient, as the current landscape of AI safety remains inconsistent. We need robust federal standards that provide real oversight and clear expectations to ensure these systems protect students, rather than leaving safety testing to aggressive, unauthorized benchmarking projects.Article:Meta Contractors Posed as Teens to Prompt Rival Chatbots About Suicide, Sex, and Drugshttps://tinyurl.com/ycy6mphn
Transcribe →Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here | Ep. 118
3w ago00:59:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ChatEDU, Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here, Matt and Liz open with the perils of being an author, including AI-generated knockoffs flooding Apple Books and Amazon with hallucinated covers and nonsensical content.The RundownGoogle added short-form vertical AI video to NotebookLM, and Gemini launched study notebooks, which generate a diagnostic quiz from uploaded materials and build adaptive lessons around the results.As AI automates routine tasks, an op-ed in The 74 argues employers increasingly value durable skills like collaboration and real-time problem solving, and that theater, debate, sports, and student government are where students actually build them.Lawmakers in 27 states have introduced bills this session covering classroom AI guidelines, guardrails, and AI literacy standards.The rapid expansion of AI data centers is placing massive strain on energy grids, with some districts forced to dim school lights to manage skyrocketing utility costs during summer heat waves.The episode examines the environmental costs of AI, noting that many data centers must rely on backup gas turbines during peak grid demand, which contributes to local air quality issues.The Beneath the SurfaceThe hosts compare two contrasting perspectives on the future of education. They analyze a Reddit-based study revealing an adversarial ecosystem of mutual distrust regarding academic integrity and student anxiety, and contrast this with the inspirational student-led innovation Liz witnessed firsthand at the ISTE conference in Orlando.The Bright ByteThe episode concludes by highlighting the Elephant Alert AI early detection system, which uses artificial intelligence to help local villages and forest departments prevent fatal human-wildlife encounters in India.Say hi to Matt on the road: NAESP - July 14thhttps://www.naesp.org/events/AESA - July 15thhttps://www.aesa.us/summer-leadership-conference/New Jersey Association of Independent Schools - August 11thhttps://members.njais.org/integratedEvents/home/2026-INNOVATION-COLLABORATION-CONFERENCERIACTE - August 14thhttps://www.nextgenmfg.org/event-details/rhode-island-acte-summer-conferenceSay hi to Liz on the Road:Bridges Conference 2026 by Starbridge - July 21-22https://share.google/0Ky8DA4yQbYLQcmWQGlobal Teaching Dialogue | Fulbright Teacher Exchangeshttps://share.google/F2CwJdKGIVoe7RIHg AnnouncementsPurchase Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayAmazon - https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Seeing through the Machine – Teaching Bias as an Equity Practice in AI - Dr. Elizabeth Radday - https://tinyurl.com/4ybwkn7aCheck out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceAddress Screen Time concerns - skills21.org/ai/screenshift SponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinksAI-generated knockoffs of Joanna Stern's book keep appearing on Apple Bookshttps://tinyurl.com/45ehzuy3Google NotebookLM expands AI video features with 60-second shortshttps://tinyurl.com/3bjtbtkeIn the Age of AI, Everyone Should Be Hiring Theater Kidshttps://tinyurl.com/yc4uht2wLegislative Tracker: 2026 State AI in Education Billshttps://tinyurl.com/3xx4d89jThe AI boom is colliding with a new threat: Severe weatherhttps://tinyurl.com/59jdbas7They Welcomed 37 Data Centers to Town. Now Their Schools Have to Dim the Lights to Cut Energy Costshttps://tinyurl.com/2u4z8xtzEnergy Dept. Orders Data Centers to Tap Backup Powerhttps://tinyurl.com/5xm8wkteChatGPT vs Teachers vs Students: Large-Scale Analysis of Generative AI Discoursehttps://tinyurl.com/5ez949cuElephant alert! AI warning systems aim to avoid deadly clasheshttps://tinyurl.com/3n3xe7x3
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