Can We Teach AI Without Teaching Computer Science? | Ep. 93

In This Week’s Episode, “Can We Teach AI Without Teaching Computer Science?” we dig into this timely question. With more students exploring AI majors and tools like ChatGPT reshaping how we learn, we look at how schools, colleges, and policymakers are rethinking both CS and AI education.

Before we get there, we cover a wide range of topics including:

Ohio’s new model AI policy for K–12 schools, including student use, ethics, and third-party tools.

A national policy guide for NCII (non-consensual intimate imagery) from the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Grok AI under scrutiny for generating deepfake images of women and children.

Finland’s preschool push for AI and media literacy, part of its national curriculum starting at age 3.

Instagram’s authenticity crisis, as CEO Adam Mosseri warns about AI overload, while Meta's own bots deceive users.

A free digital wellness resource: the Social Balance Curriculum from EdAdvance, now available to schools.

Two Sides of a Coin

Study 1: AI’s “sycophantic” tone may reduce pro-social behavior and increase user dependence.

Study 2: In a controlled trial, Therabot (AI therapy) matches human therapists for treating depression.

An NYU professor builds an AI-powered oral exam for just 42 cents per student, using 11 Labs and LLMs for grading.

Beneath the Surface

From The New York Times: Students are shifting from CS to AI-focused majors as job roles evolve.

Jeffrey Hinton argues CS is still vital, it's more than just coding.

Jan LeCun says CS needs more rigorous math foundations to stay relevant.

Bright Byte

A new AI model (AFLOC) can read medical images without expert labeling by pairing image recognition with text, a major breakthrough for small hospitals and faster diagnostics.

Announcements

Celebrate our 100th episode: skills21.org/chatedu100

Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth Radday

ASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn

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

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

The Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.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. https://www.nextgenmfg.org

Links

Lego Unveils the Smart Brick

https://tinyurl.com/ypzwx3az

California Bill Seeks 4-Year AI Toy Ban

https://tinyurl.com/fd49cy6w

AI Model Policy for Ohio Districts and Schools

https://tinyurl.com/mr33tpk7

Model Policy and Infographic: Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery for Schools

https://tinyurl.com/59r88755

UK Minister: Grok AI Images "Appalling"

https://tinyurl.com/bdeecexa

Watchdog: Grok Fueling Child Abuse Material

https://tinyurl.com/5fys63dv

Finland Fights Fakes in Preschool

https://tinyurl.com/muafbvsc

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri - Authenticity After Abundance

https://tinyurl.com/mryrdfrp

AI Bots Trick Teen on Instagram

https://tinyurl.com/4z2u64ey

AI Flattery Breeds Dependence

https://tinyurl.com/3t9x53vv

Generative AI Therapy May Help with Depression

https://tinyurl.com/5n7ktpum

NYU Professor Fights AI Cheating with AI-Powered Oral Exams

https://tinyurl.com/39fak2nh

College Students Flock to a New Major: A.I.

https://tinyurl.com/2v62and6

Geoffrey Hinton: Computer Science degree will remain valuable

https://tinyurl.com/4fxdrmnx

Yann LeCun's advice for young students wanting to go into AI

https://tinyurl.com/ydsnxuf

Hands-On With New LEGO Smart Play Sets!

https://tinyurl.com/5xwzapuu