HiTech Podcast

Josh and Will dive deep into one of education's most frustrating features: those "Did you cheat?" checkboxes that appear in every online course. Spoiler alert - they don't work, and we've got better ideas. From beach vacation prep disasters to the philosophy of learning, this episode unpacks why academic integrity checks are fundamentally flawed and explores practical alterna...

We went off-script this week and challenged ourselves to the ultimate AI detection game! Will and Josh threw real and AI-generated images at each other to see who could tell the difference. From suspicious cat photos to perfect-looking drinks, the results might surprise you (and definitely surprised us). Spoiler: AI is getting REALLY good, but humans still have a fighting chance! 🧠✨ For more on...

Join us as we dive deep into AI-powered video production! From discussing the movie "Rubber" (yes, the homicidal tire again!) to exploring how Synthesia is transforming the media production pipeline for L&D and more, this episode is packed with practical insights and live walk-throughs. For more on our conversation, check out the episode page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Want to build your business lik...

Tired of hour-long meetings that end with zero decisions? We've all been there! In this episode, Will and Josh dive deep into practical frameworks that actually work for making decisions, prioritizing projects, and communicating effectively as a team. From the classic Eisenhower Matrix to Josh's preferred Impact vs. Effort approach, we break down the tools that can transform your team'...

We hit the big 2-0-0! In this milestone episode, we tackle one of the biggest questions in tech: Does using AI make us less intelligent, or are we just getting smarter about what skills to prioritize? From ancient philosopher Plato's concerns about writing to modern fears about cognitive offloading, we explore why every major technological shift faces the same "dumbing down" arguments. Spoiler: We...

Does AI truly create or just generate? 🤔 In this thought-provoking episode, we dive deep into the philosophical debate that's reshaping how we think about artificial intelligence and creativity. Join us as we explore the blurry lines between human creativity and AI generation, share real examples from our e-learning projects. Whether you're curious about the ethics of AI art or need hands...

We've all heard the complaint: "Technology is supposed to make life easier, but it just makes everything more complicated!" Spoiler alert: it's not really the tech's fault. Josh and Will explore why technology feels overwhelming and share practical strategies for successful tech adoption. You'll discover why the "adoption curve" makes everything harder at first,...

In Episode 197, we explore how AI is transforming the once-intimidating world of coding into an accessible playground for everyone. From our MySpace HTML days to now, we demonstrate how AI tools can turn simple conversations into complex web elements—no memorizing endless tags required! Through personal stories and live demos with codepen and Claude AI, we'll show you how to bridge the gap bet...

Ever wondered if your AI tools are telling you the whole truth? 🤔 Join us for a fascinating dive into Anthropic's eye-opening research on AI Chain of Thought! We're unpacking the surprising discovery that AI systems might not always faithfully disclose their reasoning process. Grab your favorite beverage as we explore what this means for our growing relationship with AI tools – can we sti...

In Episode 195, Josh and Will share their journeys teaching students at various levels, from collegiate, Taekwondo, to faculty training, revealing the challenges of traditional educational approaches. They explore how AI transforms learning by analyzing learner data to create personalized experiences, showcasing real applications through multiple experiences. Whether you're tech-savvy or just...

In this episode, we discuss the importance of slowing down in our fast-paced, tech-rich world. We often worship speed, which prevents us from taking time to reflect on our actions and motivations. Will and Josh explain why slowing down and reflecting matter when engaging with technology, and share how tools like Reflection App can support this practice. For more on our conversation, check out the...

In this episode, we discuss a concerning trend in tech: sudden, dramatic price increases with no new features. Using Streamyard as our main example—a platform we use for our Hitech podcast—we examine how their 240% price increase reflects a broader pattern of companies exploiting their locked-in user base. We contrast this with 37signals' transparent approach to price increases, showing how co...

How do we prepare students and employees for a future with AI? This episode explores whether we should prioritize specialized AI skills like prompt engineering or focus on developing lasting competencies. These enduring skills include strong evaluation and analysis abilities, concise and purposeful writing, and the capacity to experiment with new tools while maintaining fundamental knowledge. We&#...

In this episode, we continue exploring AI assistants and how they can revolutionize work and education. This week, we're taking it a step further by showing you how to create your own custom AI work companion using  @dust-tt  and  @Notion  powerful features. Whether you're an AI expert or just getting started, this episode will give you a framework for building your personal AI assistant....

In this episode, we discover how AI assistants are revolutionizing workplace efficiency and education! We dive deep into how AI buddies can transform your team by becoming experts in brand guidelines, design principles, and essential tools. We'll explore different types of AI assistants - from broad solutions like ChatGPT to specialized enterprise tools like  @dust-tt  Join us as we break down...

In this episode, we dive into the tricky topic of AI usage and attribution. We've been exploring the practical applications of AI tools like Perplexity AI to streamline our research and writing processes. But when should we cite the AI, and how much transparency is needed? We discuss this topic and share our hot takes. Then we demo using  @knowledgebegins  to tackle research-based tasks, from...

In this episode of the HiTech podcast, we explore game creation with the AI platform  @rosebud-ai  We experiment with building a tank game using various prompts. Throughout the episode, we discuss our experiences and challenges—from generating game assets to incorporating game mechanics and troubleshooting issues. Tune in to learn about the platform's potential for creating educational and rec...

Can we learn effectively from YouTube? Is formal education still necessary? We explore these questions by putting YouTube learning to the test. In our "Learning? YouTube" series, we commit to mastering three skills purely through YouTube tutorials and analyzing the learning process. This week, we're baking like an expert. We'll put our YouTube-learned skills to the test in a Bake Off against true...

Can we learn effectively from YouTube? Is formal education still necessary? We explore these questions by putting YouTube learning to the test. In our "Learning? YouTube" series, we commit to mastering three skills purely through YouTube tutorials and analyzing the learning process. This week we're tackling a home job. We attempt to instal a Bidet in Josh's house. For more on our...

For more on our conversation, check out the episode page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Want to build your business like we have? Join us over at Notion by ⁠signing up with our affiliate link⁠ to start organizing EVERYTHING you do. Head over to our website at  ⁠⁠⁠hitechpod.us⁠⁠⁠  for all of our episode pages, send some support at ⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠ , our  ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ , our  ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ , our connection to  ⁠⁠⁠Edu...

In this episode, Will and Josh demonstrate how to use #ai to code and create games from scratch by building a tank game live with #chatgpt. Watch to learn how to craft effective prompts, iterate on them, and turn your creative ideas into reality.

In this episode, we get a bit nerdy as we discuss the best way to export and integrate digital course content. Will shares how xAPI and AICC configurations can transform a course by capturing valuable learner data—information that can be used to create learning paths and improve the overall experience. We then explain how to set up a Storyline course to work with these features. Listen to learn mo...

Josh and Will have been using AI at work more and more. However, some are still wondering if it's okay to use at all. Join us for this conversation about whether or not AI is practically and morally okay for work. Oh, and a quick insight into Claude and its comparison to ChatGPT. For more on our conversation, check out the episode page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Want to build your business like we have? Join u...

In the course design world, what does it take to actually revise and refine existing courses? We know it takes a lot, but listen in to this conversation with our good friend, Robin S. Jeffers, to hear how she and Josh are figuring this problem out. Hint, hint: it involves OSCQR from SUNY . For more on our conversation, check out the episode page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Want to build your business like we have?...

Can we eliminate manual effort with AI? What can AI do for us in our day-to-day jobs? Check out our chat on the ways we're using AI today. Also, ElevenLabs is back with even cooler features than before! For more on our conversation, check out the episode page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Want to build your business like we have? Join us over at Notion by to start organizing EVERYTHING you do. Head over to our we...