On April 14, we recorded a live episode on the Fusion stage at the ASU/GSV education conference in San Diego. We dove into what I would argue is one of the most important questions, not just in education, but for us as a species: Does AI Expand or Atrophy Human Intelligence?

Is AI making us smarter, or is it actually eroding our cognitive capabilities?

Embed video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WQpwAl8Tm0&t=2s

I’d like to give a big thank you to the team at ASU/GSV for inviting us back for another great conversation. Huge thanks to Mary McCall Leland, Lucy Baldwin, Deborah Quazzo, and the incredible production team at Clarity Experiences.

The Questions:

Do AI Tools enhance an individual’s cognitive capabilities or erode them?
What is the right approach to deploying AI to students without longitudinal data?
How pervasive and harmful is “cognitive offloading”?

The Guests

Benjamin Riley is the founder of Cognitive Resonance, a new venture dedicated to improving the understanding of human cognition and generative AI. Previously, he founded and served as CEO of Deans for Impact, a nonprofit education organization working to improve teacher training through the use of cognitive science.

James Donovan is the head of learning and cognitive outcomes at OpenAI. His work focuses on how AI use affects learning outcomes and the cognitive processes that support them. James’ work has focused on translating research into practical tools designed to support human cognition.

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