AI in Education Podcast

Most Australian students won't graduate into global tech companies. They'll build careers in small and medium businesses. So are schools and universities preparing them for that reality? In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by Amanda Rose  - Co-founder and Director of Women in AI Australia and Founder & CEO of Entrepreneurial & Small Business Women Australia (ESBWA) -to explore what education c...

This week, Ray and Dan dive into a mountain of new AI in education research, so you don't have to. They unpack major reports from around the world covering how students are really using AI, why schools are still struggling to provide clear guidance, and what the latest AI literacy and education readiness frameworks mean for teachers and leaders. Along the way they discuss Norway's AI restrictions...

AI systems are increasingly being used in education, but what happens when those systems introduce hidden bias into learning, feedback, assessment and career advice? In this episode, we're joined by Victoria Hedlund (AKA The AI Bias Girl), founder of GenEd Labs , former physics teacher, consultant and researcher specialising in AI bias in education. Victoria shares practical examples of how AI too...

What happens when AI helps students earn more A grades, and also contributes to more failures when it's taken away? In this episode, Ray and Dan explore new research on AI's impact on student performance, assessment integrity, and learning. They discuss studies linking AI to rising grades, the risks of over-reliance on AI, and growing evidence that AI tutors may support learning better than genera...

What does it mean to put humans first in the age of AI? Recorded at the Flourish Conference, this special episode brings together three school leaders who are using AI in very different ways, and with a common focus on human agency. You'll hear how students are designing their own learning agents, how AI can help teachers make better use of student data while keeping information secure, and how on...

Why would a leading law school ban AI entirely while other countries are giving every citizen access to ChatGPT? In this news-focused episode, Ray and Dan unpack some of the biggest developments shaping AI and education around the world. They discuss China's new national AI education strategy, Malta's ambitious "AI for All" programme, Harvard's expansion of student AI access, and Anthropic's $200...

What is the purpose of education in an AI-driven world? In this thought-provoking episode of the AI in Education Podcast, Ray and Dan sit down with Pasi Sahlberg to explore one of the biggest questions facing schools, universities, and society today. Drawing on global research, OECD trends, and decades of educational leadership, Pasi explains why traditional measures of success - achievement, cred...

This special live episode of the AI in Education Podcast was recorded at the CEnet Future:Forward Conference "Flourish 2026" , where Dan and Ray explored one of the biggest questions facing education today: how do schools find the "happy middle" with AI? The conversation dives into the shifting narrative around AI and jobs, the growing role of human agency in education, and why wellbeing, flourish...

Inside Sydney's AI Hub: Building University Automation That Works In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by Dan Hart , now leading the Automation and Innovation Hub at the University of Sydney. Dan shares how the Hub has evolved from a robotic process automation team into a university-wide service using automation and AI to improve everyday work. With around 400 automated processes running across...

We kick off Series 17 with a multi-interview episode! Recorded live at the  The Anglican Schools Corporation " Day of AI " in Western Sydney , this episode brings together three educators who are reshaping teaching, assessment and student learning in real classrooms with AI. You'll hear from Maria Mertzanakis at Oran Park Anglican College on how teachers are building shared "Brains" in NotebookLM...

This week's episode explores a defining moment for education in the age of AI. Fresh from a week of major events in Sydney, including the Microsoft AI Summit, Dan and Ray unpack the newly released  Castlereagh Statement - a collaboration between 70+ education leaders calling for urgent change across schools, universities, and training systems. Their message is clear: education isn't ready for the...

In this episode, we're joined by Dawn Knight , a sustainability lead and specialist support educator working with deaf students in a UK secondary school ( Epsom and Ewell High School ). Dawn shares how she's using AI in simple, practical ways to make learning more accessible - not just for students with additional needs, but for everyone in the classroom. From generating transcripts and differenti...

In this episode, Dan and Ray explore how AI is rapidly reshaping education, workplaces, and policy - often faster than institutions can respond. They unpack new guidance from NSW's NESA on student AI use, highlighting the growing tension between rules, real-world behaviour, and the need for clearer, more consistent policies across education systems. The conversation expands globally with insights...

In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by psychologist and cyber psychology expert Jocelyn Brewer , founder of Digital Nutrition , to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing education today: how schools and parents can support student wellbeing in an AI-driven world. Jocelyn introduces the concept of " digital nutrition " - a more balanced, intentional approach to technology use that moves be...

This week's episode dives into a wave of new research shaping how AI is actually being used in education. We explore what works (and what doesn't) when it comes to AI-generated feedback, including why blended, "hybrid" feedback may be the most effective approach - and why more feedback doesn't always lead to better outcomes. The conversation then turns to one of the most important emerging issues:...

Tina Austin joins Ray and Dan for a wide-ranging conversation about what AI adoption really looks like in US education beyond the hype, the headlines and the endless frameworks. Tina is an educator, consultant, policy adviser and the founder of GAInable. She works with schools, colleges and faculty teams on responsible AI adoption. In this episode, she shares how her work evolved from teaching bio...

In this AI News episode, Dan and Ray explore the fast-moving reality of AI in the workplace - and why many of us might not be as prepared as we think. They unpack a striking story of a KPMG partner fined for using AI to cheat on an AI ethics course, raising questions about assessment, responsibility, and what "cheating" even means in an AI-enabled world. The conversation then shifts to a growing t...

Professor Stephen Heppell joins Dan and Ray for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of schools, assessment, and learning in the age of AI. Stephen reflects on more than four decades of innovation in education technology — from early experiments with AI and HyperCard through to today's generative AI systems. Drawing on work around the world, he shares stories from radical learning environm...

In this news-packed episode, hosts Ray and Dan explore Purdue University's bold new requirement for all graduates to demonstrate AI competency; and the strategic partnerships between Harvey.ai (the specialised system for the legal profession) and universities in Sydney, Oxford and Chicago. The conversation turns to the "first in the world" move by the University of Manchester to provide Microsoft...

AI in Universities: Why Connection, Not Content, is Now King This was an exciting episode, because we recorded it on campus at the world's newest university - Adelaide University. It officially started on-campus delivery this week, as it finally opened the doors after merging the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. Amid the buzz of students arriving for week 1,  Eddie Maj...

Research Update: 8 papers on AI in Education you need to know for 2026   In this episode, Ray and Dan provide a rapid-fire rundown of the most significant research papers hitting the AI in Education space so far in 2026. After a series of news-heavy episodes, the hosts catch up on the data behind synthetic avatars, grading accuracy, and the psychological biases we hold against AI.   Key highlights...

Is AI an "efficiency engine" or a "cognitive crutch"? In this episode, Dan and Ray explore the OECD's latest warnings regarding "metacognitive laziness" - the risk of students offloading the thinking process entirely to generative tools. As the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 suggests, without pedagogical guardrails, we may be sacrificing long-term learning for short-term performance.   The di...

In this special "flipped" episode, the tables are turned on your usual hosts, Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming. Interviewed by Dr. Michael Hallissy from (and for) the  teachnet Ireland podcast, Dan and Ray step into the guest seats to share the "AI in Education" podcast origin story - from its 2019 "skunkworks" beginnings at Microsoft to its current status as an independent voice in the global edtech con...

Welcome to our first episode of 2026. In this heavy-hitting season opener, hosts Dan and Ray are joined by Dr. Mark Bassett, Academic Lead for AI at Charles Sturt University and a "superhero" of AI activism. Mark's an ally in our long standing mantra on the podcast, as we know you've got tired of hearing just Dan and Ray say "AI detectors don't work". Dr. Bassett breaks down his landmark paper, "...

AI in Education's Christmas Special: Hallucinations, Headbands, and Bad Ideas In this end-of-year Christmas special, Ray and Dan squeeze in one final episode to reflect on a whirlwind year in AI and education - with a healthy dose of festive chaos. They unpack the latest AI news, including Australia's National AI Plan, OpenAI's Australian data centre and teacher certification course, major univers...