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
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
