News/Education
AI readiness initiative gains expert trainers from the Consortium for School Networking
A national initiative is scaling artificial intelligence adoption in K-12 education through a strategic train-the-trainer approach. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the Association of Educational Service Agencies have selected 12 education technology experts across eight states to develop professional development materials and lead training sessions for school districts nationwide, with particular focus on small and rural communities. This initiative addresses the growing need for structured AI implementation in schools by leveraging educational service agencies as regional hubs for AI education expertise. The big picture: Twelve education experts have been selected to develop a nationwide AI training program aimed...
read May 5, 2025How Beethoven can inform our thinking about AI
The blending of music and artificial intelligence reveals a new paradigm for learning that transcends traditional educational models. John Nosta's reflection on Beethoven's Seventh Symphony illuminates how the rhythms of music mirror cognitive patterns, suggesting that AI-enhanced learning is less about data transfer and more about creating resonant experiences through thoughtful interaction and collaborative exploration. The big picture: AI learning emerges as a collaborative symphony rather than a one-way information transfer, requiring us to reconsider how knowledge forms through resonance between human and machine. This perspective shifts our understanding from AI as a teaching tool to seeing it as a...
read May 5, 2025KaiPod Learning’s innovative EdTech seeks VP of Engineering
KaiPod Learning is searching for a visionary VP of Engineering to lead the development of Newton, their microschool management platform. The role involves partnering with leadership to execute the product roadmap while integrating AI technology, writing code, and building an engineering team. This opportunity highlights the growing intersection between education technology and artificial intelligence, signaling how specialized platforms are evolving to support alternative education models in the post-pandemic landscape. The big picture: KaiPod Learning is reimagining education through a microschool management platform that requires technical leadership to advance its development and AI integration. The company seeks a VP of Engineering...
read May 5, 2025UAE launches AI curriculum for students to lead tech innovation
The United Arab Emirates is taking a bold step toward positioning itself as an AI leader in the Middle East by integrating artificial intelligence education into its public school system. Starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, students from kindergarten through 12th grade will receive AI education that combines technical knowledge with ethical considerations, representing a significant investment in developing future AI talent and literacy across the entire educational pipeline. The big picture: The UAE is implementing AI education across all grade levels in public schools beginning this academic year, signaling the country's commitment to becoming a regional AI powerhouse. The...
read May 3, 2025AI-powered private schools are rewriting the rules of American education
Private schools like Alpha School in Brownsville, Texas are pioneering AI-driven education models that redefine the teacher's role in response to widespread parental dissatisfaction with traditional education. This shift toward technology-facilitated personalized learning represents a significant evolution in American education, occurring against the backdrop of Trump administration initiatives to integrate AI into K-12 classrooms and a national climate where only 6% of Americans rate the U.S. education system as "very good." The big picture: Alpha School exemplifies a new breed of private institutions using artificial intelligence to deliver customized education while transforming teachers into facilitators rather than traditional instructors. The...
read May 3, 2025Google’s Gemini AI will soon be available to kids — with privacy guardrails
Google's move to offer Gemini AI to children under 13 marks a significant shift in how AI companies approach younger users. This rollout represents one of the first major AI chatbot deployments specifically designed for children, occurring amid ongoing debates about digital safety, homework integrity, and the appropriate role of AI in child development. The initiative navigates complex regulatory frameworks while attempting to address parental concerns about content safety and data privacy. The big picture: Google plans to make its Gemini AI chatbot available to children under 13 starting next week, but only through parent-managed Google accounts via Family Link...
read May 3, 2025Intel partners with IndiaAI to boost AI skills nationwide
Intel and MeitY's IndiaAI partnership represents a significant milestone in India's AI development strategy, establishing a framework to cultivate AI skills and adoption across education, entrepreneurship, and governance sectors. This collaboration, formalized within the government's ambitious IndiaAI Mission, aims to democratize AI access while fostering indigenous innovation—positioning India to compete in the global AI landscape through targeted skills development and support mechanisms. The big picture: Intel has partnered with India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to advance artificial intelligence capabilities and skilling initiatives nationwide under the IndiaAI mission. The memorandum of understanding focuses on equipping students, professionals, startups, and...
read May 2, 2025AI boosts exam prep for free without plagiarism: 6 Tips
Final exams season brings peak stress for students, but artificial intelligence has evolved to become a powerful study partner rather than just a plagiarism threat. As AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, they offer innovative ways to optimize studying without compromising academic integrity. With most helpful features available for free and requiring no technical expertise, these tools can transform how students prepare for their most challenging academic tests. 1. Essay Help AI tools can support the essay writing process without writing the paper for you: Creating structured outlines helps organize thoughts and ensure logical flow before you begin writing....
read May 2, 2025Nevada’s “STELLAR” framework suggests that AI and education can evolve together
Nevada's new "STELLAR" AI framework for education represents a significant shift in how schools approach artificial intelligence, providing comprehensive guidelines that balance innovation with responsibility. This 52-page document released by the Nevada Department of Education establishes a structured approach for administrators, teachers, and students to harness AI's educational potential while addressing critical concerns about data security, academic integrity, and equitable access. The big picture: Nevada has created a comprehensive framework for AI use in education built around seven key principles captured in the "STELLAR" acronym. The 52-page guide provides specific recommendations for administrators, teachers, and students on responsible AI implementation...
read May 2, 2025AI researcher Kawin Ethayarajh is redefining how AI learns from human behavior
Princeton AI researcher Kawin Ethayarajh is bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world AI deployment through his innovative work on "Behavior-Bound Machine Learning." As a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton Language and Intelligence, Ethayarajh focuses on understanding how AI operates within human systems before he transitions to his assistant professor role at UChicago Booth this summer. His research challenges traditional perspectives on AI limitations, suggesting that real-world performance is often constrained more by human behavior than by technical capabilities. The big picture: Ethayarajh's research centers on making AI systems more effective by considering how they interact with human behavior rather...
read May 1, 2025Entry-level jobs are disappearing as AI gains ground
The job market is experiencing a significant shift as generative AI begins to impact employment opportunities, particularly for college graduates. Recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows young graduates facing unprecedented challenges finding jobs that match their qualifications. While multiple factors contribute to this trend, economists point to AI's growing ability to perform the synthesis, research, and presentation tasks traditionally assigned to entry-level college graduates. This emerging disparity between education and employment prospects signals a fundamental transformation in how businesses value human skills versus algorithmic capabilities. The big picture: Young college graduates are struggling to find suitable employment at...
read May 1, 2025Prompt engineering skills are holding back government AI adoption
State technology leaders are highlighting a critical skills gap in prompt engineering that's limiting the effectiveness of generative AI adoption in government. Recent pilots across multiple states reveal that while AI tools show promise, their success hinges on employees developing specialized abilities to craft detailed, context-rich prompts that elicit high-quality outputs from AI systems. The big picture: State governments are discovering that generative AI implementation requires more than just deploying technology—it demands a workforce capable of effectively communicating with these systems through properly structured prompts. Pennsylvania's year-long ChatGPT Enterprise pilot with 175 employees across 14 agencies found that despite 85...
read May 1, 2025Bringing history to life for a new generation in the Scottish Borders
A young Scottish man's AI-enhanced historical videos have become a cherished community resource, bringing the past to life through animated vintage photographs. Marketing officer Marc Edwards initially created the videos to impress his grandparents, but his work has since evolved into an educational tool used in local classrooms and a source of nostalgia for elderly residents throughout Scotland's Borders region. This creative application of AI technology demonstrates how emerging tools can transform static historical archives into dynamic experiences that bridge generational gaps and enhance historical understanding. The big picture: Edwards' AI videos transform static historical photographs of Scottish towns into...
read May 1, 2025Novel idea: BBC Studios offers AI Agatha Christie writing course
BBC Studios is resurrecting Agatha Christie through AI technology, creating a digital likeness of the renowned mystery author for an educational series on crime novel writing. This unprecedented use of deepfake technology for creative education raises intriguing questions about digital resurrection for educational purposes, blending human expertise with AI to preserve the wisdom of literary masters who are no longer with us. The big picture: BBC Studios has launched an AI-recreated version of mystery writer Agatha Christie to teach aspiring authors how to craft crime novels through its online education platform. The digital recreation combines the performance of actor Vivien...
read May 1, 2025Duolingo’s cosmopolitan corpus grows with 148 new courses in language learning
Duolingo's massive language course expansion marks a significant shift in language learning accessibility, more than doubling its offerings to support diverse linguistic backgrounds. This strategic move demonstrates how AI is transforming educational content creation, as the company pivots to an AI-first approach that dramatically accelerates course development from years to months, potentially reshaping how language education scales globally. The big picture: Duolingo is adding 148 new language courses to its platform, more than doubling its current offerings and making its seven most popular languages available across all 28 supported language interfaces. Key details: The seven most popular languages—Spanish, French, German,...
read Apr 30, 2025Former athletic director jailed for racist AI-generated recording
The use of AI to create deepfake content has reached a disturbing legal landmark with the sentencing of a school official who weaponized the technology for personal retaliation. This case highlights the real-world consequences of AI misuse in educational settings and establishes precedent for criminal penalties when synthetic media is deployed to harm reputations and disrupt institutions. The verdict: A former Baltimore-area high school athletic director received a four-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to creating a racist and antisemitic deepfake audio impersonating the school's principal. Dazhon Darien, 32, entered an Alford plea to the misdemeanor charge of disturbing school...
read Apr 29, 2025Zuckerberg-backed school for low-income kids to close in 2026
Mark Zuckerberg's Chan Zuckerberg Initiative-backed elementary school serving low-income students is shutting down in 2026, highlighting the complex relationship between tech philanthropy and educational sustainability. The closure of The Primary School in East Palo Alto, which serves predominantly Latino children needing specialized educational support, comes amid CZI's strategic pivot toward science research at the intersection of biology and AI, raising questions about the long-term commitments of tech-driven educational philanthropy. The big picture: A tuition-free elementary school funded by Mark Zuckerberg's nonprofit will close in summer 2026, affecting approximately 550 predominantly Latino students across its East Palo Alto and San Francisco...
read Apr 29, 2025How software engineers can transition into AI safety work
The transition from traditional software engineering to AI safety work represents a significant career pivot that requires careful planning and consideration of various pathways. As artificial intelligence capabilities advance rapidly, the demand for professionals who can help ensure these systems develop safely continues to grow, creating diverse opportunities for those with technical backgrounds to contribute meaningfully to this field. Understanding the available options and required skills is crucial for software engineers looking to redirect their careers toward addressing AI safety challenges. The big picture: A software engineer with four years of full-stack development experience is considering pivoting to AI safety...
read Apr 28, 2025AI empowers rural communities in agriculture and more, closing digital gaps
Artificial Intelligence technologies offer transformative potential for bridging the digital divide in rural communities, where access to technological resources remains significantly limited compared to urban centers. By strategically implementing AI solutions in agriculture, education, and healthcare, these technologies can address longstanding challenges that have hindered rural development while supporting several UN Sustainable Development Goals. This approach represents a crucial opportunity to ensure technological progress benefits all segments of society rather than exacerbating existing inequalities. The big picture: AI implementation in rural areas requires a thoughtful approach that addresses infrastructure limitations while respecting local needs and building community trust. Approximately 2.9...
read Apr 26, 2025Columbia dropouts launch Cluely, an AI tool designed for cheating in interviews and exams
Two Columbia University dropouts have created an AI tool designed explicitly for cheating on job interviews, exams, and calls. Cluely, an undetectable desktop assistant that overlays on users' screens, represents a bold and controversial challenge to conventional notions of fairness and merit in academic and professional settings—forcing questions about how society will adapt to increasingly sophisticated AI assistance tools. The big picture: Cluely positions itself as an undetectable cheating tool that runs as a translucent window visible only to the user, even during screen sharing. The tool "sees your screen and hears your audio" according to the company website, providing...
read Apr 26, 2025The future of humanities education in an AI world
The integration of artificial intelligence into higher education is forcing a profound rethinking of humanities disciplines that have defined Western intellectual traditions for centuries. As AI systems demonstrate increasingly sophisticated abilities to engage with philosophical concepts, literary analysis, and complex cultural discourse, universities face an existential question about the purpose and future of humanities education. Rather than signaling the end of these disciplines, however, this technological disruption may ultimately reinvigorate them by redirecting attention to fundamental questions about human consciousness, experience, and meaning that machines cannot authentically address. The big picture: Universities are struggling to develop coherent approaches to AI's...
read Apr 26, 2025Navigating AI in the classroom while preserving critical thinking
As artificial intelligence increasingly finds its way into classrooms across America, teachers face a critical challenge: how to embrace these new technologies while preserving and cultivating students' ability to think critically. The recent executive order to increase AI education in K-12 schools and the rise of AI writing tools have created an urgent need for educators to develop new approaches to writing instruction that work with, rather than against, these technological changes. Why this matters: The National Writing Project (NWP) and NoRedInk are launching resources to help teachers adapt writing instruction to an AI-powered world. The partnership will debut a...
read Apr 25, 2025Cognitive offloading and the decline of critical thinking in the AI era
New research suggests artificial intelligence may be negatively impacting human intelligence through cognitive offloading. As AI adoption accelerates globally, experts are raising concerns about potential declines in critical thinking skills, IQ scores, and memory functions when people routinely rely on digital tools rather than exercising their own mental capabilities. This growing dependence on AI for information retrieval and problem-solving may be reshaping human cognition in ways that deserve closer scrutiny. The big picture: Researchers have observed worrying cognitive trends coinciding with the rise of AI, including declining IQ scores and diminishing critical thinking abilities among digital natives. A 2018 study...
read Apr 25, 2025The “unbundling” of the traditional university experience
Artificial intelligence's rise is prompting a fundamental rethinking of higher education's business model and value proposition. Elite institutions like Harvard face an existential challenge as AI threatens to "unbundle" the traditional university experience, similar to how digital disruption transformed journalism and cable television. This potential transformation raises profound questions about the future role of universities, the nature of teaching, and how educational institutions can adapt to a world where AI can increasingly replicate their core functions. The big picture: Ivy League schools and other higher education institutions are confronting AI's potential to fundamentally disrupt their long-established business models. Former Harvard...
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