From Think Tank to Action Tank | Ep. 107

In this episode of ChatEDU, From Think Tank to Action Tank, Matt and Liz kick it off with a lighthearted look at the bizarre collaboration between Starbucks and OpenAI. They discuss a new ChatGPT widget designed to recommend drinks based on a customer's outfit or mood, which Matt jokes is perfect for Liz’s "fashionista" reputation but perhaps less helpful for baristas dealing with AI-hallucinated "Mango Dream" energy drinks.

The Rundown

Anthropic’s Andan Labs opened a physical pop-up store in San Francisco managed by "Luna," an AI agent that signed the lease, hired workers, and curated a collection of ironic books.

A deep dive into how the zSpace ExpansionDanbury Public Schools is scaling immersive AR/VR technology to 30 devices per building to support STEM and career pathways.

An update on how federal funding is being steered toward AI initiatives in special education, early intervention, and personalized learning.

A study by Dr. Tori Trust analyzed 450 AI-generated lessons, finding they often default to passive, teacher-centered activities like worksheets rather than tech-rich experiences.

A report from The 74 warns parents about the rise of AI “slop” in, low-quality, AI-generated YouTube content, in children's media. This content often contains factual errors and safety hazards like infants eating honey.

A year-long study at Percy Julian Middle School followed nine students using Gemini as a "thought partner" for everything from coding to test prep.

Beneath the Surface

Matt sits down with Emily Musil, Managing Director at the Milken Institute, to discuss the shift from being a "think tank" to an "action tank." Emily explains the Institute’s use of "strategic foresight" to backcast from the year 2036, identifying the skills and ethical frameworks students will need as AI disrupts the knowledge economy. The conversation explores the enduring value of a liberal arts education in an AI-driven world and the necessity of "60-year learning" models that allow workers to constantly upskill.

The Bright Byte

Liz highlights a comprehensive report on the societal impact of AI in 2026. While acknowledging risks like job displacement, the segment focuses on massive gains in healthcare, including a 40% improvement in cancer detection and the compression of drug discovery timelines from 15 years down to five.

Announcements

Check out our middle / high school Student AI Literacy course - ​​⁠⁠⁠www.skills21.org/ai/learnai⁠⁠⁠

Explore Skills21’s FREE social media literacy curriculum - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.skills21.org/social-balance⁠⁠⁠

Register for the Spring AI Conference (5.1.26) in Litchfield, CT - ⁠https://www.skills21.org/event-details/ai-in-education-spring-2026-conference⁠

Address Screen Time concerns - ⁠skills21.org/ai/screenshift⁠

Sponsors

The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing: Your Gateway to Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing - https://www.nextgenmfg.org

Links

Milken Institute, "Computing Imperative: Building America’s Talent Engine in the Age of AI": https://milkeninstitute.org/content-hub/research-and-reports/reports/computing-imperative-building-americas-talent-engine-age-ai

Starbucks' Baffling ChatGPT Collab Treats Customers Like Empty Cups
https://tinyurl.com/37djbxm2

We gave an AI a 3 year retail lease and asked it to make a profit

https://tinyurl.com/2t93kmkp

Danbury Schools Expand zSpace for Career-Connected Learning

https://tinyurl.com/ye43dzcj

How the Ed Department Will Prioritize AI in Grants

https://tinyurl.com/49ch2yw9

Ed Researchers Earn Top Paper at National Ed Tech Conference

https://tinyurl.com/5xvtv3ke

May 12, 2026 | Berkshire Community College. Register: ⁠https://lnkd.in/gHFFjEjX⁠

AI 'Slop' Is Taking Over Children's Media

https://tinyurl.com/3yn29cps

Students Dove Into AI. Here's What They Told Teachers

https://tinyurl.com/38yy6wfe

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society in 2026

https://tinyurl.com/ya3zf4j5