ChatEDU – The AI & Education Podcast25 Apr 2025

Beyond the Bot - When a High Schooler Rewrites NASA’s Playbook | Ep. 55

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 discuss whether courtesy helps or hurts, citing a Waseda study linking impolite prompts to more bias and less accuracy. They also spotlight SaveTheAI.ai, a satirical campaign urging energy conservation for AI as a funny but thoughtful nudge toward sustainability.

Story 2 – Google’s Higher Ed Land Grab

Google now gives U.S. students free access to Gemini Advanced (NotebookLM, Gemini Pro 1.5, and full Workspace tools_ through Spring 2026. Matt and Liz call it a strategic move to dominate student AI use. They ask: is this about access or dependency? With built-in study tools and AI analysis, schoolwork is shifting. As Matt says, it’s nonstop content but less reflection.

Story 3 – AI Cosplay Goes Viral

OpenAI’s growth came from anime, not upgrades. Ghibli-style selfies let users turn photos into Studio Ghibli characters via GPT-4. Matt and Liz explore what this says about creative AI use. They also touch on copyright law and how AI art is reshaping ideas of originality. Liz demos it live with fun results.

Story 4 – Your AI Image Library Is Here

ChatGPT’s new image library lets users save, organize, and edit visuals. It improves how students and teachers use AI-generated media in class. Liz shares how she used it for Skills21’s College and Career Accelerator, making visuals about kindness. It hints at a more collaborative AI future.

Story 5 – When Helpful Bots Hallucinate

Cursor, an AI coding tool, drew backlash when its support bot “Sam” invented a device policy. It was a hallucination. The company refunded users and now labels AI responses. Matt and Liz ask: are bots ready for schools? When AI slips, the fallout can be serious.

Beneath the Surface – A Teen’s AI Discovery Stuns NASA

Teen Mateo Paz used AI to find 1.5 million hidden space objects in NASA’s NEOWISE archive. With Caltech’s Davey Kirkpatrick, he built a model tracking brightness to classify stars and quasars. His solo paper in The Astronomical Journal shows the power of student-led science. This isn’t AI for homework, it’s discovery!

Bright Byte – AI for the Visually Impaired

Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University created a wearable for the blind using AI and haptics. It beats canes by detecting obstacles in real time. It’s a reminder that AI boosts mobility and not just productivity.

Episoder(165)

Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here | Ep. 118

In this episode of ChatEDU, Postcards from ISTE - The Student AI Revolution is Already Here, Matt and Liz open with the perils of being an author, including AI-generated knockoffs flooding Apple Books...

10 Jul 59min

How Queer Youth Navigate AI | Check-In 42

“In this ChatEDU Check-In: How queer youth navigate AI, Liz explores how LGBTQ+ young people interact with artificial intelligence tools, focusing on their ethical stances and unique use cases." This ...

9 Jul 3min

An Unusual Response to AI in the Classroom | Check-In 41

In this ChatEDU Check-In: An Unusual Response to AI in the Classroom, Liz explores a professor's decision to award perfect scores and cancel a final assignment after discovering widespread AI use. The...

7 Jul 3min

Keeping Student Thinking Visible: Why AI is Making Classrooms Harder (In a Good Way) | Ep. 117

In this episode of ChatEDU Keeping Student Thinking Visible: Why AI is Making Classrooms Harder (In a Good Way), Matt and Liz kick it off with an informal pop quiz distinguishing Artificial General In...

3 Jul 1h 4min

Silicon Over Ivy - The Shift from the Traditional B-School MBA | Ep. 116

In this episode of ChatEDU, Silicon Over Ivy - The Shift from the Traditional B-School MBA, Matt and Liz kick it off with a hilarious look at the "In the Weights" web app, a tool that reveals how peop...

26 Jun 1h 6min

How Teens and Tweens Use AI in 2026 Part 2 | Check-In 40

In this ChatEDU Check-In: Teens, Tweens, and AI Part Two: AI Use Outside of School, Matt explores how youth are interacting with artificial intelligence platforms outside the classroom for personal, s...

25 Jun 3min

How Teens and Tweens Use AI in 2026 Part 1 | Check-In 39

In this ChatEDU Check-In: The Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens (2026), Matt explores how students are leaning on AI to complete their schoolwork. A substantial majority of childre...

23 Jun 4min

Librarians at the Center, the Unsung Leaders of School AI | Ep. 115

In this episode of ChatEDU, Librarians at the Center, the Unsung Leaders of School AI, Matt and Liz open with a wild legal story out of Mississippi, where a federal judge canceled a trial and disquali...

19 Jun 1h 2min