In this episode of the Future Tech & Policy (FTP) Podcast, the panel weighs the pros and cons of AI notetaking apps and digital meeting transcriptions, reminding us that not everything needs to be written down! Additionally, the panel chats about both the legal and academic scholarship pipeline and what happens when papers get retracted in the modern day, as well as some recent headlines that require us to keep cybersecurity at the top of our minds.

Links to articles discussed

- All those A.I. note takers? They're making lawyers very nervous (NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/09/business/dealbook/ai-notetakers-legal-risk.html

- Influential study touting ChatGPT in education retracted over red flags (Ars Technica)
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/05/influential-study-touting-chatgpt-in-education-retracted-over-red-flags/

- A million baby monitors and security cameras were easily viewable by hackers (The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/tech/926487/meari-technology-hack-baby-monitor-security-camera

- Chaos erupts as cyberattack disrupts learning platform Canvas amid finals (Ars Technica)
https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/05/chaos-erupts-as-cyberattack-disrupts-learning-platform-canvas-amid-finals/

- Thousands of Vibe-Coded Apps Expose Corporate and Personal Data on the Open Web (Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/thousands-of-vibe-coded-apps-expose-corporate-and-personal-data-on-the-open-web/

Panelists

- Zachary McDowell, Associate Professor, Communication, University of Illinois Chicago
https://comm.uic.edu/profiles/zachary-mcdowell/

- Jeremy Riel (Host), Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago & IGPA Science and Technology Working Group Co-Lead
https://education.uic.edu/profiles/riel-jeremy/

- Ken Suh, Adjunct Professor, UIC and UIUC Law, University of Illinois
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kensuh

About The FTP Podcast

The FTP podcast brings together a panel of interdisciplinary faculty experts across the University of Illinois System to discuss trends and news from recent weeks in tech and policy while looking toward the future. Produced by the Science and Technology Working Group, Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA), University of Illinois System.

https://igpa.uillinois.edu

All opinions expressed on the FTP Podcast are those of the individual panelists and not the opinions of the University of Illinois System, The Institute of Government and Public Affairs, or the three UI universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, or Springfield.