ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast

In this episode of ChatEDU (Nice Try, Tech Bro: Schools Aren’t Daycare and AI Isn’t in Charge), Matt and Liz dive into three stories shaping the future of learning and tech. They start with a prank, then cover an Axios AI survey, Google’s new Beam tech, and a hot debate over whether Duolingo’s CEO dissed teachers. It’s a fast ride across the AI-in-education frontier, ending with a bright byte that...

In this episode of ChatEDU (What are we protecting? AI, learning, and the myth of the good old days) , Matt and Jonathan return to the ChatEDU studio while Liz globe-trots her way to ASCD authorship, to tackle two big stories shaping the AI-in-education conversation. First, they dive into NASA’s spring guidance warning that generative AI is too unreliable for mission-critical applications, and unp...

In this episode of ChatEDU (Screens, Hallucinations, and Steak Sauce), Matt and Liz return from a cross-country swing through Wyoming and Oregon to tackle two big stories shaping the AI-in-education conversation. First, they explore Sam Altman’s generational breakdown of how people use ChatGPT and what Gen Z’s habits reveal about the skills schools value. Then they go Beneath the Surface with a fi...

In this episode of ChatEDU (AI... But for Who?) , Matt sits down with guest co-host and longtime friend Dan Noyes to examine the overlooked side of the AI boom: who it benefits, who it leaves behind, and what equity really means in the age of intelligent machines. With Liz traveling for work, Dan joins the pod to share his experience as a digital inclusion leader, bringing both humor and hard trut...

In this episode of ChatEDU (Scroll State vs. Flow State: The Battle for Student Attention), Matt and Liz explore the growing tension between distraction and deep learning in the age of AI. They kick things off with a rapid-fire roundup of AI safety updates affecting students, then turn to Israel’s bold bet on AI avatars in education. Finally, they go Beneath the Surface with a provocative Time Mag...

As educators convene for the EdAdvance Spring AI Conference, this episode is sponsored by Kiddom , the AI-powered curriculum platform helping teachers save time and improve outcomes with high-quality instructional materials and human in the loop tools. In this episode of ChatEDU (AI for All: A National Plan to Teach America’s Youth), Matt and Liz open with a deep dive into lesson design bias, unpa...

In this episode of ChatEDU (Beyond the Bot – When a High Schooler Rewrites NASA’s Playbook) , Matt and Liz explore AI’s growing role in schools, cities, and culture. From prompt politeness and energy costs to anime selfies and a Google AI giveaway, AI is everywhere. They wrap with a teen whose AI research is changing how we see space. Story 1 – Please, Thank You, and Power Drain Matt and Liz discu...

In this episode of ChatEDU (Dear AI – Why We’re All Talking to Robots in 2025), Matt reunites with Liz after her trip to Ireland to unpack a shift happening in real time— (em dash on purpose) AI is moving beyond utility and entering emotional, educational, and existential territory. From new research tools that rethink how we teach synthesis, to universities baking AI into their business programs,...

Overview In this episode of ChatEDU (Murder, She Prompted: High School English with AI Twists) , Matt sits down with guest co-host Joanne Mumley to explore the unexpected and creative ways AI is reshaping the high school English classroom. With Liz off knitting in Ireland, Joanne steps in to share her powerful blend of innovation, curiosity, and care as both a teacher and department head in Connec...

Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (Flipped Out: How AI Might Save the Flipped Classroom) , Matt and Liz explore three views of AI intelligence, spotlight student-led projects using AI in real-world STEM challenges, and revisit the flipped classroom model through the lens of AI support. Plus, a new AI weather tool could make forecasting more accessible than ever. In the News: Three Views on AI I...

Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU ("Spring Tool Time with Abbe Waldron"), Matt and Liz welcome back one of their most popular guests: Abbe Waldron, a professional learning specialist at EdAdvance. Abbe shares her spring picks for the most effective AI tools in K–12 education. From lesson planning to curriculum development, she offers real-world insights into how teachers and students...

ChatEDU Episode 50: AI Cut My Work Week by Seven Hours Overview In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Cut My Work Week by Seven Hours), Matt and Liz celebrate the show’s 50th episode with a look at AI’s growing impact on education. They explore China’s national push for AI education, Google’s latest personalization updates for Gemini, and key findings from the 2025 Carnegie Education Report. Plus, they h...

Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (Turnitin's Big 180 – From AI Detector to AI Platform), Matt and Liz explore Turnitin’s surprising shift from an AI detection tool to an AI-assisted writing platform and what this means for educators and students. In the News: - The Humanities Strike Back: Notebook LM’s editorial director makes the case for why humanities degrees are more relevant than ever...

Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (ChatGPT Goes Nationwide – Will Other Countries Follow Estonia's Lead?), Matt and Liz explore the first national adoption of ChatGPT-EDU in Estonia's schools and what it could mean for AI in education worldwide. Before they get started, Matt and Liz explore some ink blots and have a great convo with Maya and Miles, a new research AI voice model well worth check...

Overview In this episode of ChatEDU (Career Dreaming with Liz – Google's New Gen AI Career Counselor), Matt and Liz explore how AI is shaping career exploration, with a deep dive into Google’s new experimental Gen AI Career Counselor. In the News AI Literacy Resource Update from Stanford – A look at the newly updated CRAFT AI literacy resource collection, which provides educators with classroo...

Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (Taking the Wheel – How Students and Teachers Are Driving AI in Schools), Matt and Liz explore how educators and students are leveraging AI to enhance learning, rather than being passive recipients of AI-driven tools. From workforce trends to assessment feedback, they break down the latest research and real-world applications of AI in classrooms. In the News: -...

Overview: In this episode of ChatEDU (The Kids Are Not All Right – Teens, Trust, and AI), Matt and Liz explore the complex relationship between teens and AI. They cover a groundbreaking AI deployment in higher education, unpack new research on AI’s surprising social biases, and dive into a revealing study on how teens view technology and trust in the age of AI. In the News: 1. OpenAI and Cal State...

Episode Summary In this episode of ChatEDU ( No Copyright for AI – The Line Between AI Help and Human Work ), Matt and Liz celebrate the one-year anniversary of the podcast before diving into major developments in AI and education. They explore Harvard’s latest research on AI in project-based learning, three new AI startups pushing boundaries beyond chatbots, and a landmark ruling from the U.S. Co...

In this episode of ChatEDU, "Bots Gone Bad: Why Educators Should Pay Attention," Matt and Liz explore concerning developments in AI-driven chatbots and their implications for students and educators. In the News: Two new studies highlight different perspectives on AI in education. One study from Nigeria claims AI tutors significantly improved student performance, while another found an AI bot succe...

ChatEDU Episode 42: Exploring AI and Project-Based Learning (From the Elevate Education Podcast) In this special crossover episode of ChatEDU, Matt and Liz join Jason Firestone of the Elevate Education Podcast from Jeffco Public Schools in Golden, Colorado. This lively conversation dives into how AI and project-based learning (PBL) are transforming K-12 education. From real-world applications to e...

ChatEDU Episode 41: AI Whisperers in the Classroom – Teachers Already Have the Tools In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Whisperers in the Classroom – Teachers Already Have the Tools), Matt and Liz explore AI hallucinations in science, OpenAI’s O3 reasoning model and its implications for coding education, and why teachers are uniquely equipped to master generative AI in the classroom. Getting Started:...

Distributed Cognition: The Human-AI Partnership Transforming Healthcare Learning | Ep. 40 In this episode of ChatEDU, hosts Matt Mervis and Liz Radday explore the significant impact of AI-powered assistive technology for students with disabilities, presenting inspiring stories and emphasizing the ethical considerations of AI in education. Additionally, the duo features an intriguing segment on AI-...

Flipping the Script: English Class Post-ChatGPT In this episode of ChatEDU (Flipping the Script: English Class Post-ChatGPT), Matt Mervis and Liz Radday kick off 2025 with special guest Jonathan Costa. They unpack a fascinating story about alignment faking by the Claude AI model from Anthropic, drawing parallels to personal life decisions and their long-term impacts. Next the hosts also explore a...

AI in 2025 - What’s Next for Education In this episode of ChatEDU (AI in 2025 - What’s Next for Education), Matt Mervis and Liz Raddy reflect on the emerging trends and future of AI in education as they prepare to ring in 2025. They discuss Liz's cautious venture into making prank calls and then dive into Niantic Labs' creation of a large geospatial model from Pokemon Go data. The conversation shi...

The AI Firehose - End of Year News and Updates Join Matt and Liz in this episode of ChatEDU as they explore critical AI developments. They dive into the potential of AI as a brutally honest mentor, discuss new tools like Google's Gemini 2.0 and Harvard's free AI dataset, and address serious concerns such as the rise of non-consensual intimate imagery in schools and the environmental costs of AI. T...