Concerns About AI Companions and Emotional Design

In this episode of ChatEDU: Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish, Matt and Liz open the show with some lighthearted banter about the high-stakes world of AI-powered wine pairing and the terrifying prospect of a digital agent "purging" an entire inbox. Later in the show, Matt sits down with the 2024 California Teacher of the Year to discuss the delicate balance of keeping humans at the center of the classroom in an increasingly AI infused world.

The Rundown

New data shows AI rising as a top-tier political issue, with voters across the spectrum prioritizing job security over concepts like Universal Basic Income.

AI labs are hiring sketch comics and improv actors to teach models authentic human emotion and close the "jagged performance gap" in multimodal LLMs.

The City University of New York launches a $3 million initiative featuring 113 projects to integrate AI across its massive campus system.

A study of 1.2 million interactions reveals that while most student AI use is policy-compliant, 20% of interactions involve using AI to complete schoolwork.

Insights into how elementary schools in Washington are turning to AI tools to manage critical staffing shortages.

A look at how students and teachers are collaborating on AI-driven solutions to solve real-world community problems.

Beneath the Surface

In this episode’s deep dive, Matt sits down with Casey Cuny, the 2024 California Teacher of the Year. Casey shares his "Human Start, AI Feedback, Human Finish" framework, offering a practical look at how educators can embrace technology while maintaining the essential human connection. They discuss the "jagged frontier" of AI capabilities and how teachers can navigate this new landscape to foster authentic student growth.

The Bright Byte

This week’s Bright Byte features the work of Professor Ayan Mukhopadhyay, who is leading NSF-funded projects to solve "cyber-physical" challenges. In Virginia Beach, his team uses AI to optimize flood responses and evacuation routes under high uncertainty. Meanwhile, in Nashville, a $697,000 NSF Civic Innovation Challenge project is helping the Department of Transportation use traffic speed data to automatically identify illegal road closures caused by unauthorized construction, improving city safety and local business access.

Announcements

Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday

ASCD:⁠ ⁠https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn⁠⁠ 

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77

Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zw

Our six-week AI Micro-Credential course launching this spring in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. Group discounts are available at Skills21.org/AI/Micro.

EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email chatedu@edadvance.org to bring it to your district. ​​⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠

Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course. Check it out here -⁠ ⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: supporting the future of manufacturing through leadership and resources.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextgenmfg.org⁠

This episode is sponsored by EDIA: An AI-powered math coaching platform that accelerates student growth and saves teachers time; visit edia.app to learn more.

Links

The Rising Political Importance of AI⁠

https://tinyurl.com/bdzu32zk

AI companies want to harvest improv actors’ skills to train AI on human emotion

https://tinyurl.com/4pak7vtt

CUNY Invests $3M to Support 113 Campus AI Projects

https://tinyurl.com/3r3ssc8x

Real-Time Data Shows Exactly How Students Use AI on School Technology

https://tinyurl.com/45ruyjnd

Ferndale schools implement new AI reading tool

https://tinyurl.com/y4xe5yd5

Student AI Prompt-A-Thon

https://tinyurl.com/37ewcc2k

AI for Social Impact: From Models to Meaningful Action for Large Cyber-Physical Systems

https://tinyurl.com/3dhyk94a