September 25, 2025 • 38 mins
During this age of AI, we will talk about the national movement, Responsible AI for America's Youth, which is a movement that ensures every child in the United States has the opportunity to become a responsible and confident user of artificial intelligence (AI). This effort puts students and educators at the center of shaping how AI is brought into schools, elevating their voices in the national conversation. Jeff Riley, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, now the Executive Director of Day of AI, checked in to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. If they don't do
it tonight and it's not looking good, they still have
three games with the Tigers who are just going down
the tubes, and of course the Astros would also have
to sweep. So I think the odds are pretty good
that they will make at least the playoffs in a
tiebreaker set of circumstances, and we'll have to see what
(00:31):
happens after that. However, before we introduce my next guest,
I need to disclose that my son, Daniel, my namesake
son Daniel, works with my next guest, who is the
executive director and a co founder of the Day of AI. So,
just in the spirit of full disclosure, this is an
(00:55):
organization that I'm familiar with through conversations with my son.
I think it's a very exciting organization. It's a combination.
Today there was a press release Day of AI and
mit rays that've launched a national movement to empower students
and educators in the AI age. With me. Is the
(01:18):
one of the co founders and also the executive director
of the Day of AI. A former Secretary of Education
here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Secretary of both Primary
in secondary Education, the Secretary of Education under both Governor
Patrick and Governor Healey. Jeff Riley, Jeff, welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I hope I got all that information correct. If there's
anything that we need to change or alter, let me know.
But you folks are doing some spectacular work and there
seems to me to be great promise. First of all,
why do we need need an organization? Let's make people
(02:02):
understand this because artificial intelligence is something that a lot
of people have questions about, and if you have questions,
you have an expert who can answer those questions. Not me,
but Jeff Riley. Why does the world need an organization
like Day of AI at this point?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Well, I think what we launched today is kind of
a national movement to empower students and educators in this
new age of AI. And what we're trying to do
is teach our kids to use this technology safely and productively.
I think we missed the boat fifteen years ago with
social media. And you know, there's you know, some research
(02:41):
out there that says, you know, we may have you know,
rising rates of anxiety depression, suicidal ideation because of what's
happened with social media, our cell phones. I mean, there's
a lot of it's a contentious issue, but what we
didn't have, for sure is a lot of discussion before
social media came on the scene. What we're trying to
do with Day of AI is to say, let's slow down,
(03:01):
Let's make sure kids understand what this is, what it's not,
what its possibilities are, but also what its limits are.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I saw a news article today that there is now
somewhere on social media a site where young girls or
teenage girls, you know, tweens or whatever can go and
get their physical looks rated compared to movie stars. I'm
just thinking, how sick is that? How did we ever
(03:32):
allow social media to take us to those sorts of places?
Because obviously, if a thirteen, fourteen, fifteen year old young
young woman, young girl is actually getting some sort of
a what she might believe to be a scientific rating
on her physical appearance, and that's it, we're headed in
(03:57):
a really wrong direction.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
A Yeah, I think one of the troubling parts about
this is that, you know, parents often don't understand what's
happening when kids are on their phones or on their computers, right,
because there's a little bit of a disconnect there. And
I'll give you an example right now, this research out
there that says over seventy percent of high school kids
are using AI companions. Think of it like technological imaginary
(04:22):
friends that help them with their problems and kind of
provide advice. And sometimes they're overly sycophantic. Sometimes they're telling
them what they what they want to hear. Sometimes they've
actually helped kids with self harm. And parents only about
thirty five percent of parents know that their kids are
using AI and even have an AI companion, So there's
(04:46):
a real disconnect between what kids are doing and kind
of what parents understand. And what we're hoping to do
is really get the word out and teach kids to
use this safely and productively. I think the best way
I can explain this is we don't allow our kids
just to go and drive a car without driver's education
or without a parent teaching them prior to really giving
(05:08):
them the keys and be on the road, because it's
you know, a car can be a dangerous technology. The
same thing is true with AI. We've got to teach
kids to use it safely and responsibly and so they
really understand what they're getting themselves into.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Okay, I don't want to get too deep in the
background here, but you work. Day of AI is working
in conjunction with an MIT group which is called MIT Raise.
And I believe that there is a young woman who's
a professor, Professor Cynthia Brazil, who has actually been named
(05:49):
as one of the top ten most influential people in
AI by Time magazine in twenty twenty five. Why is
this a relationship with MIT and Day of AI kinetically
so important, kinetically so important?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, I think you know. Day of AI started out
of MIT. We were launched out of MIT under the
guidance and direction of doctor Brazil and others. And yes,
she was just named one of the top one hundred
I think AI people in the world by Time magazine,
with this idea that we need to get awareness out
(06:30):
about what's coming and make sure that we do this
in a responsible fashion.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Okay. The thing that's exciting about this is you, folks,
a Day of AI have already been interacting with teachers
and superintendent. You, of course, as a Commissioner of Education
here in Massachusetts, have connections across the country but you
are also developing connections in several countries around the world.
(06:59):
Just to give a sense of the breath of your activity.
And then I want to bring it back here as
to what you're going to do for American teachers before
we go to break, Just give me the breath of
activity the countries around the world. The day of AI
is already functioning.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Within Sure, we're doing work from everybody, to Colombia to Rwanda,
to Mongolia to Australia. I mean we're really you know,
we're in the Middle East, We're pretty much in many
places around the world today, but our primary focus, of course,
is within the United States.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
But I'm also told that you are concerned not only
with AI and other countries around the world. You focused
on America. But one of the reasons, and I think
I had a conversation with you and we talked about
this that wealthy kids who go to you know, prep
schools and private high schools and private elementary schools, they
(08:01):
will learn how to use AI, and hopefully they'll learn
how to use it correctly. But as with any emerging technology,
there may be a lot of kids who are in
public schools around the country who will not get the
same introduction and the same education, And I understand that's
(08:22):
a concern.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, I think that's where you know, I spent most
of my career working in urban areas. I started teaching
in Baltimore City. I spent you know, the bulk of
my career in the Boston Public schools and then in
the Lawrence Public Schools before becoming Commissioner of Education because
I wanted to make sure that all kids have access
to the American Dream. And when you start talking about AI,
(08:44):
we believe that better resource kids are going to have
access to this material. But in a time when this
technology could be really a determinant for how well people
do in a future world of work, we want to
make sure that all of our kids have the skills
to be able to compete in that future world where
AI is going to be prevalent.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah. Last night I had the opportunity to spend an
hour talking with the president of brand Eyes, President Arthur Levine,
and he was talking about that in effect, that AI
is going to force universities and colleges to revamp curriculum,
revamped curriculum and revamped the way students are treated and
(09:29):
guided through college. I know you're familiar with his work,
but I assume that that point of view appears pretty
nicely with what AI aspires to do.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a real concern about
what's called cognitive offloading, where we just kind of allow
the technology to kind of take the place of our
brain power and instead of making sure that everyone really
you know, exercising their brain on a daily basis and
uses the technology to go further and faster than they
(10:03):
ever could. And so, you know, we see in KTA
twelve a lot of concern around cheating and plagiarism and
things like that, and that's obviously even more pronounced as
kids get to college where kids are expected to write,
probably more so than they are even in k twelve.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
My guest is Jeff Riley, former Commissioner of Education here
in Massachusetts, deeply involved in this. If you have any question,
comment observation about AI, there are some plans afoot from
day a day of AI and MI t rays. They
are two separate organizations that are working together in conjunction,
(10:43):
and we're going to talk about those, including including zoom
seminars Conveniently timed, I guess twenty times during the week
for a day in which teachers from around America and
actually zoom in and learn a lot about how to
(11:05):
pass on this and teach this this, this new, this
new educational tool to their students. So we'll get to
all of that. Jeffy will explain it better than I can,
that's for sure. But it's a very exciting concept, and
today was the day of this news release. I'm sure
that you'll read stories about this in the newspapers, but
(11:27):
we always like to stay a little ahead of the
curve here on Nightside. And again, if you have a
question or a comment, you're more than invited. You're more
than welcome to call. As I say, there's no such
thing as a dumb question. My dumb questions are always
the one I didn't have the courage to ask in
law school during class, and those are the ones that
always come up on the midterms, the number six one, seven, two, five,
(11:48):
four to ten thirty or six one, seven, nine three
one ten thirty. Coming right back on Nightside with former
Massachusetts Commissioner of Education now co founder and executive director
of Day of AI, a new venture. It is absolutely
brand new, and this may be the first time you're
hearing about it, but you're going to hear about it,
(12:09):
in my opinion, a lot in the years to come,
particularly in the in the years just over the horizon.
Back on Nightside after.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
This, you're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
So, Jeff launch today is what I want to talk about. Specifically,
You've launched a national movement to empower students and educators
in the AI age. It's taken me a few conversations
to understand what you're going to try to do or
what you are going to do. But how is this
going to work? How do teachers anywhere in America get
(12:42):
in touch with you?
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Do?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
They have to go through their superintendents? And then how
did they sign up for these remote zoom I guess
the remote zoom sessions? I assume.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Yeah, So the registration is easy. As you said, we
just launched this morning. I think we already have teachers
from forty different states already that have signed up. And
you can go to our website day of AIUSA dot org.
You type in your email address and you can kind
of get behind the curtain and see all our free curriculum,
our materials. And then starting in October we're going to
(13:17):
be offering up to twenty weekly virtual training sessions for
any teacher in the United States to learn more about
AI and how to use it responsibly in the classroom.
And we'll send those people that sign up between now
and in October or a minder email and they'll be able
to kind of pick a time in a day that
works for them.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
And these are going to be interactive, so people who
are on the zoom not only you know, I guess
listen to the to the presentation, but are they able
to there be interactive capabilities where teachers can ask questions
as well.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
There are interactive capabilities. I mean, we're really trying to
meet our teachers where they are by giving them times
during the week to go and see or be part
of our virtual presentation. So we're trying to make it
as simple as possible. We recognize how busy teachers are
and educators overall, and we're going to offer different options
(14:13):
for people throughout the week, and we're going to be
focusing on you know, one of our training sessions is
on demystifying artificial intelligence really just kind of the nuts
and bolts of what this is and what it's not
and then you know, we're going to break it out
by grade bands and focus on AI literacy in teachers
classrooms and how it can be part of what they
do in their grade, in their class during the year.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And again the website day of ai usus dot org
us USA. I'm sorry, okay, yeah, I didn't hear it correctly,
So day of AI USA dot org. And then you
will have their name and once this is available and
(14:58):
set to go, which I think you said was October seventh,
you will send them a reminder and they sign up
and it's going to be very twenty first century. That's
the thing that's exciting about this. What let me ask
you just one quick question here before the news break
and we'll get to some phone calls after the news break.
(15:21):
Why is it that this subject is so important but
also so critical that teachers need everybody knows how to
teach this properly.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I mean, I think there's a lot of fear out
there in society around artificial intelligence, and there's also a
worry that sometimes kids know more about the technology than
we do. But the reality is, we think teachers are
going to need to dip their toe in the water
and really begin to understand what this is. Ultimately, we
don't think artificial intelligence is going to replace humans, but
(15:59):
we do think think humans with artificial intelligent skills might
replace other humans who don't have these skills, which is
why it's so critical for our students to get this information.
They've got to be conversant in AI and how to
use this tool in a future workplace.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
When we get back after the news, I want to
ask you what you envision. You obviously have a view
of this which is much clearer than I have, and
much clearer than most of my audience have, so I
have questions. I hope my audience also joins us with
some questions. That's what I think is important. The more
(16:36):
that we can learn about it, the better we obviously
going to understand it. And when I get back, I'm
going to ask you to kind of project in your
mind ten years out, when these high school seniors who
are graduating today have fully entered the workforce, what is
the workforce going to look like as a consequence of AI.
That's my primary question. When we come back on the
(17:00):
other side of the break for news at the bottom
of the arm my guess is Jeff Riley he's a
former Secretary of Commissioner of Education here in Massachusetts, or
was it Secretary Jeff, I don't want to miss lane
misname you here. You were the Commissioner of Education, Commissioner
of Education here in Massachusetts for over six and a
half years, a deep experience in teaching and also administrative work.
(17:27):
And you are the executive director and co founder of
Day of AI, which is hopefully going to lead us
into the future and the failings of people that you
are going to conscript to help us find our way
through that future, the teachers of America and the teachers
of the world. I'm stunned at the number of countries
(17:49):
around the world that you are already interacting with, and
that's something we have to realize that the competition in
AI is also underway as well, not not only here
in America between students, but it's between American students and
students around the world. Back with Jeff Riley six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine thirty Coming right
(18:11):
back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w BZZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
I'm joined by Jeff Riley, the executive director Day of
ai UH. Their website is Day of AI USA dot org. Jeff, you,
along with the folks at mit at MI t RAYS
are offering a lot to the educators around the country.
(18:40):
How do you where do you find your support? This?
This cannot be uh done on a shoe string, I assume.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
You know, We've been blessed to have great partners in
the work, everyone from the Lynch Foundation UH to Vertex UH,
to folks like will I Am from the Black Eyed
Peas or Jalen Brown from the Celtics, the Edward M.
Kennedy Institute in Boston. We just have been really fortunate
to be able to have people that recognize how important
(19:11):
this work is and want to make sure that our
kids are supported.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Now you mentioned Jalen Brown has a foundation. He's very,
very interested in this issue. It's called the Juice Foundation
or the Sevenson Seven Use Foundation. And next summer, the
summer of seventy six, which of course is going to
be the twenty six I should say, which is the
(19:35):
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the summer of seventeen
seventy six, You're going to be doing a huge event
in Boston bringing students in from all fifty states. You're
going to be at UMass at MIT. That's a pretty
exciting program and that's going to incorporate students throughout this
(19:58):
coming academic year in a competition.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah, we're really excited about the idea of really employing
students for their leadership and artificial intelligence. As I mentioned earlier,
sometimes the kids know more about the technology than we do,
so shouldn't we ask them what they think? And along
those lines. As part of our kind of national initiative
this year, we're looking for student leadership in the areas
(20:21):
of artificial intelligence, culminating with this really big event that's
going to take place both at MIT and at great
places like UMS Boston and the EMK Institute, where we're
going to bring in two hundred and fifty kids from
all over the country. Some kids will enact a national
AI policy at the EMK Institute, which is a replica
(20:42):
of the US Senate Chamber. Some kids will come and
do artwork, both their own and AI generated artwork, and
have a spirited discussion about the pros and cons of
AI for arts. Some kids we'll talk about how we
can make world a better place, how we can think
about issues of climate and things like that, how we
(21:04):
can make our world better, and they'll come and present
their ideas at MIT and the Media Lab. So we're
just pretty excited about really centering kids at an early
stage as we begin to iron out what's the best
way to teach our students and our teachers about AI
in the future.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
So when I closed the last segment, I said, I
come back in and ask you to kind of give
us a vision, if you will, of how AI is
likely to impact people. You know, ten years out. I
don't know if the horizon is that clear as to
what this is going to mean. I mean, all of
(21:47):
us have seen changes in our lives brought on by
social media and by other things that we never would
have imagined. You know, it was fifty years ago that
credit cards first made there their impact on our economy.
We didn't have to carry cash around in your wall,
in your pocket, or in your wallet or in your purse.
(22:08):
And now you have all of these, you know, paypals
and various ways to shuffle money back and forth. We
have the emergence of cryptocurrency, which no one ever would
have understood, you know, people like myself who said that's
never going to work. Obviously was totally wrong. What are
(22:29):
some I don't know, if you can articulate for some
of the practical impacts that we will be feeling ten
years from now that we can look back on this
conversation and say, oh yeah, when Dan Ray and Jeff
Riley talked about it on Nights Side, this is what
Dan Ray has no ide this. Dan Ray has no
idea about what it's going to be like the other
(22:49):
Dan Ray has probably a pretty good idea. Share with
us if you can some visions that you have as
to how on a practical basis all of us students
and adults will will benefit or be challenged either way
by AI.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Sure, I don't have a crystal ball. If I did,
obviously i'd be a wealthy human being. With that said,
I think you know my kids like to tease me.
They say, oh, Dad, tell us again. When there was
no Internet and the phone was attached to the wall,
and there was no microwave ovens, right, and that's true.
(23:27):
Right the first twenty years of my life, I think
the Internet was called the Encyclopedia Britannica in my living room, yes, right,
And so we've had to adapt as the Internet came
on with this new technology, we will have to adapt again,
and I do think it's it's going to be a
profound change to our lives. You know, we talk in
(23:48):
education about reading, writing, and arithmetic as kind of being
the core, and I would say, now it's going to
be reading, writing, arithmetic, and artificial intelligence skills because I
think that kids, if they're going to function in this
new economy, are going to need to understand how to
use this technology to be able to compete in this
(24:09):
new kind of global marketplace that may take place in
the future. I would also say, though, that we have
to not rush this, and we have to take our
time and make some decisions about what we think are important.
And let me give you an example. You know, my
kids didn't learn cursive, but we never really had a discussion.
At least I missed the discussion about whoa, you're not
(24:31):
going to teach my kids cursive? Why is that? And
maybe that's okay, maybe it's not. My kids were born
in the city of Boston, they were raised in the
city of Boston, but they can't get anywhere in the
city of Boston without ways the GPS app I can
get everywhere in the City of Boston because I needed
to know landmarks back in the day, and so I
(24:52):
feel like our kids have lost that spatial relation skill. Okay,
well is that good or bad? Can we discuss it?
And what about the discussion that needs to take place
with AI What is going to be critical for a
kid to know and what can they rely on the
technology to help us with and you know, we really
need to start having some of those discussions to make
(25:13):
sure that we're doing this right incorrectly.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Well, one of the examples that I'd love to get
your comment on, and that has said chat g GPT,
I'm not sure if I get the right, but you can.
You can put in and say, give me a two
hundred and fifty word essay on the American Revolution or whatever.
But all that information that comes to you, which a
(25:37):
lot of professors are going to look at and say, well,
that's that's not work. There was no work by the
student there. They just basically asked a question and they
got a paper. I hope that's not what students rely
upon going forward. But the bottom line is that how
do you control information? Meaning one of the things we
have found out about social media is there's a lot
(25:58):
of stuff that gets on social media which is just
not true. Uh, and some of it right, which is
actually potentially dangerous with chat, g GPT. Uh. What whatever
someone puts in it, that's what it comes out. If
they say George Washington was the third President of the
United States, you know, uh, following Millard Fillmore and Ulysses
(26:20):
Grant and you know, and that's what spits out on
your paper. I use that as a stranger as a
bizarre example. There is an example where do we run
AI or does AI run us?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Well, it's such a great point. And you know what
I don't think everyone understands is in artificial intelligence, whether
you're using chat, GPT or quad or Gemini different you
know ll ms, they can often be wrong and they
have these things called hallucinations. So at one point, if
you asked chat GPT, where do cheezburgers come from, they
(26:58):
would say cheeseburgers can from cheeeseburger trees, which are found
in cheeseburger orchards. But we know that's not true.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
At one point you could ask, you could ask one
of these programs how many ours are in strawberry? And
I'm not trying to trick people here, but there's three
hours in Strawberry, but until six months ago, one of
the AI programs would tell you it was either two
or four hours. So sometimes the information is incorrect. So
we've got to teach our kids to be skeptical of
this technology and kind of a take a trust but
(27:28):
verify approach.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
So that brings me back. And on the other side
of the break here, that brings me back to the
education that day of AI is going to provide to
the teachers, the people who on a day to day basis,
one on twenty or one on eighteen, whatever the size
of the class is, or one on one basis that
(27:53):
they will help instruct our kids. And that's why I
think that this is such an important conversation. We'll take
a quick break. My guess is Jeff Riley, former Commissioner
of Education here in Massachusetts. He has been with ai
AI now for a little more than a year. It
is a very important organization that you will hear much of,
(28:18):
uh and you'll probably read some of tomorrow morning in
the various newspapers. But this is the future, and it's
a future that will either control us or we can
control that. And that is what and we we can
either learn to live with it or live with it
and benefit from it. These are the issues we're dealing with.
If you have a question or a comment, feel free
(28:40):
six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven,
nine three ten thirty concluding segment coming up with Jeff Riley,
the founder executive director of Day of AI, which, along
with a group called mit rays, they have launched a
national movement to empower students and educators. In the Day
of a AI.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Night side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
My guest is Jeff Riley. Jeff, I know we've been
focusing a lot on young people and there are a
lot of people who listen to my show who are,
as I say, on the wrong side of fifty. How
will AI benefit people on the wrong side of fifty?
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Both question right.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I do think we're going to see advances in things
like medicine and many other industries. And I'll just give
you one example. There's a lot of research out there
now that believes that AI is going to be able
to if it's not already better able to detect bone fractures,
for instance, than your average emergency room doctor. Why is that, well,
(29:55):
your average emergency room doctor has seen X number of
X rays during their career. AI has seen X times
one hundred millions of X rays, and so you know,
there's going to be different ways that we're going to
get efficiencies and things are going to improve, and that
can help everybody, whether they're young people, which is who
we are really you know, that's our target audience, or
(30:17):
people you know, like myself over the age of fifty.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
All right, let's get let's get a couple of phone
calls here for you. Let me go first to Tina
in Moonsocket, Rhode Island. Tina, you are first this hour
with Jeff Riley, the executive director, one of the founders
of Day of AI USA. Go right ahead, Tina.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
Yes, Jeff AI really helped me because I had a
serious injury and I was going to a physical therapist
and at the time, I really didn't.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
Know if I could trust her. I lost confidence in there,
and I lost confidence in myself because the physical therapy
exercises that I need I needed help with and she
didn't have the time to go into detail because I'm slow,
I'm a senior. So for one month I didn't go
to physical therapy I didn't do anything, and then I
(31:11):
got on my computer and was talking with chat GPT,
and this AI intelligence model was able to give me information,
step by step information instruction that my own human person
couldn't help me with because she didn't have the time.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Tina, that's great, you've already used AI. Jeff quick comment
on Tina's observation. Tina does very valuable phone call and
I also want to get to one more phone call here,
Mike and Alabama is holding on.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Go right ahead, Jeff, Yeah, I mean I think what
Tina's describing, and thank you for your comments and question Tina,
is you know we have the ability now to learn
more than we ever could for and sometimes, for instance,
when we talk about medical things, it can be uncomfortable
to share that publicly. And if to have the ability
(32:08):
now to work with chat GPT and get some beginning information,
I think is really helpful. I would caution everyone out there, however,
that that shouldn't be used in place of medical care,
that you probably still need to check in with your
doctor or your physical therapist, but it can be a
good entry point to really educate yourself more about what's
happening and what the possibilities are in your care. And
(32:31):
what I've found because I do the same thing Tina,
is when I talk to my doctor, I'm more educated
about possibilities and so I'm able to have a better conversation.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Tina, thank you for the call. I appreciate it very much.
Talk soon. Let me go to Mike and Alabama. Mike,
you are next on Night's side with Jeff Riley, the
executive director of Day of AI. And by the way, Jeff,
I think that Dave AI already has You've been to Alabama,
I believe talking with superintendents and educators down there. If
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Mistake correct, we trained every superintendent in Orange Beach, Alabama
last year. Great people.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Okay, Mike, you next to Nice That go right ahead.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
Mike, Thanks am, thanks for what you're doing. I normally
call you from DUBAI and the United Arab Emirates. Yes,
it's been a little while since I've called in you know,
my sister from the Republican Committee. But so yeah, so
I've seen some of Jeff's work over in the UAE
because I do UH use space education programs over there,
(33:32):
UH and AI is embedded in the schools over there
now from the essentially the first grade all the way through,
and I was glad to see on his website. I
think you're are you working with DP world and folks
over in the UAE. Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Yes, that is correct, Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Small it is an increasingly small world, Mike, and Alabama's
listening to us tonight talking you about your work in
the UAE.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Okay, A yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Yes, but I'm I'm you know, I'm glad to see
what you're doing globally, but as well here in the US,
because we could quickly fall behind a lot of other countries,
uh in embedding it and using it in a positive
way for students. So I'm getting ready to head back
overseas in a couple of weeks. So I was glad
(34:27):
I'm on the same time zone to call in tonight.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Well, Mike, as you appreciated. Yeah, I just want to
say real quickly, Jeff to Mike, Mike, thank you for
listening to us. You have called in from various points
around the world. But I want Jeff to tell you
he was in Alabama recently dealing with educators your state.
Go ahead, Jeff explain to him.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
Yeah, we got to go to Orange Beach, Alabama and
train all the superintendents in the state. Their commissioner down there,
Eric Mackie. He's really a leader in the space in
the country on all things A and we're starting to
see other states bubble up as well. We also got
to go to Phoenix recently and train all the state
commissioners in the whole country on all things AI. And
(35:10):
so what you're seeing is the educational establishment is really
starting to understand that we need to get under the
hood here on all things artificial intelligence and find a
way to really make sure that our kids get what
they need so that they can be competitive in the
next kind of economy.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Absolutely. Well, I'm at the other end of the state.
I'm up in Huntsville where the Redstone Arsenal, the NASA
facilities and things like that are located. So I'm quite
familiar where you were, and maybe I'll run into you
up in North Alabama sometimes I look forward to that.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
All right, Hey, Mike, thanks so much, and keep listening. Okay,
appreciate it. Whether it's Alabama, that's right.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Thanks for the work you're doing. Dan.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
All right, thank you very much. Mike. I don't know
exactly what Mike does, but I think it has something
to do with specially since he lives in high Let's
fiel something to do with space technology. Jeff Rally again,
thank you for your time tonight. It's been very informative
for me and I hope for my audience. I think
folks are still trying to figure it out. Let's go
(36:16):
one more time. Teachers who are listening anywhere in the
United States of America tonight, how do they get in
touch with you? And how and explain to me so
I will understand and they will understand the process. You
will be up and running on October seventh with zoom
seminars with live people, live instructors. What are those teachers
(36:39):
who want to learn more about AI for themselves and
for their students? What do they need to do?
Speaker 3 (36:47):
I think what we're recommending is everyone go to Day
of AIUSA dot org and register with us. And basically
your registration has really just your email, and that will
take you kind of behind the hood of our organization.
You'll get to see our free curriculum, you'll get to
see videos, and you'll be put on the list for
(37:08):
our professional development launch, which starts in early October. As
you said, we'll send you an email and then you
can go to the calendar and find a time to
get a training that works for you absolutely free.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
And those trainings, how long will they last? What's the
amount of time?
Speaker 3 (37:24):
So the demystifying training is about sixty minutes, and then
the age band one that is kind of broken up
by depending on what grade you teach, which focuses on
AI literacy, is really close to the ninety minutes.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Okay, so there time at times that people can work
into their day, and it's five days a week as
is it five days a week or three days a.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Week, will be, it will be.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
We think it's going to be three days a week,
but we're leaving it open based on demand.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Sounds great, sounds great, Jeff Riley, thank you very much.
I'm looking forward to following this closely, and of course
I have no choice. I will son. We'll keep me
up to date on the progress of the organization. It
sounds spectacularly interesting at cutting edge, and I'm delighted that
you joined us tonight. Thanks so much, Jeff, and congratulations
(38:13):
on today's launch.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
You're very welcome. When we get back, we're going to
talk with doctor Alfred Miller. He is a male clinic
trained roomanatologist forty years. He's quite disappointed with the White
House's decision the other day to essentially lay the blame
for autism at the feet of tailanol, a set of minifene.
(38:40):
We will talk with doctor Miller and we'll open up
that conversation. I think it would be an important medical
conversation right after the ten o'clock news on Nightside
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. If they don't do
it tonight and it's not looking good, they still have
three games with the Tigers who are just going down
the tubes, and of course the Astros would also have
to sweep. So I think the odds are pretty good
that they will make at least the playoffs in a
tiebreaker set of circumstances, and we'll have to see what
(00:31):
happens after that. However, before we introduce my next guest,
I need to disclose that my son, Daniel, my namesake
son Daniel, works with my next guest, who is the
executive director and a co founder of the Day of AI. So,
just in the spirit of full disclosure, this is an
(00:55):
organization that I'm familiar with through conversations with my son.
I think it's a very exciting organization. It's a combination.
Today there was a press release Day of AI and
mit rays that've launched a national movement to empower students
and educators in the AI age. With me. Is the
(01:18):
one of the co founders and also the executive director
of the Day of AI. A former Secretary of Education
here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Secretary of both Primary
in secondary Education, the Secretary of Education under both Governor
Patrick and Governor Healey. Jeff Riley, Jeff, welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I hope I got all that information correct. If there's
anything that we need to change or alter, let me know.
But you folks are doing some spectacular work and there
seems to me to be great promise. First of all,
why do we need need an organization? Let's make people
(02:02):
understand this because artificial intelligence is something that a lot
of people have questions about, and if you have questions,
you have an expert who can answer those questions. Not me,
but Jeff Riley. Why does the world need an organization
like Day of AI at this point?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Well, I think what we launched today is kind of
a national movement to empower students and educators in this
new age of AI. And what we're trying to do
is teach our kids to use this technology safely and productively.
I think we missed the boat fifteen years ago with
social media. And you know, there's you know, some research
(02:41):
out there that says, you know, we may have you know,
rising rates of anxiety depression, suicidal ideation because of what's
happened with social media, our cell phones. I mean, there's
a lot of it's a contentious issue, but what we
didn't have, for sure is a lot of discussion before
social media came on the scene. What we're trying to
do with Day of AI is to say, let's slow down,
(03:01):
Let's make sure kids understand what this is, what it's not,
what its possibilities are, but also what its limits are.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I saw a news article today that there is now
somewhere on social media a site where young girls or
teenage girls, you know, tweens or whatever can go and
get their physical looks rated compared to movie stars. I'm
just thinking, how sick is that? How did we ever
(03:32):
allow social media to take us to those sorts of places?
Because obviously, if a thirteen, fourteen, fifteen year old young
young woman, young girl is actually getting some sort of
a what she might believe to be a scientific rating
on her physical appearance, and that's it, we're headed in
(03:57):
a really wrong direction.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
A Yeah, I think one of the troubling parts about
this is that, you know, parents often don't understand what's
happening when kids are on their phones or on their computers, right,
because there's a little bit of a disconnect there. And
I'll give you an example right now, this research out
there that says over seventy percent of high school kids
are using AI companions. Think of it like technological imaginary
(04:22):
friends that help them with their problems and kind of
provide advice. And sometimes they're overly sycophantic. Sometimes they're telling
them what they what they want to hear. Sometimes they've
actually helped kids with self harm. And parents only about
thirty five percent of parents know that their kids are
using AI and even have an AI companion, So there's
(04:46):
a real disconnect between what kids are doing and kind
of what parents understand. And what we're hoping to do
is really get the word out and teach kids to
use this safely and productively. I think the best way
I can explain this is we don't allow our kids
just to go and drive a car without driver's education
or without a parent teaching them prior to really giving
(05:08):
them the keys and be on the road, because it's
you know, a car can be a dangerous technology. The
same thing is true with AI. We've got to teach
kids to use it safely and responsibly and so they
really understand what they're getting themselves into.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Okay, I don't want to get too deep in the
background here, but you work. Day of AI is working
in conjunction with an MIT group which is called MIT Raise.
And I believe that there is a young woman who's
a professor, Professor Cynthia Brazil, who has actually been named
(05:49):
as one of the top ten most influential people in
AI by Time magazine in twenty twenty five. Why is
this a relationship with MIT and Day of AI kinetically
so important, kinetically so important?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, I think you know. Day of AI started out
of MIT. We were launched out of MIT under the
guidance and direction of doctor Brazil and others. And yes,
she was just named one of the top one hundred
I think AI people in the world by Time magazine,
with this idea that we need to get awareness out
(06:30):
about what's coming and make sure that we do this
in a responsible fashion.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Okay. The thing that's exciting about this is you, folks,
a Day of AI have already been interacting with teachers
and superintendent. You, of course, as a Commissioner of Education
here in Massachusetts, have connections across the country but you
are also developing connections in several countries around the world.
(06:59):
Just to give a sense of the breath of your activity.
And then I want to bring it back here as
to what you're going to do for American teachers before
we go to break, Just give me the breath of
activity the countries around the world. The day of AI
is already functioning.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Within Sure, we're doing work from everybody, to Colombia to Rwanda,
to Mongolia to Australia. I mean we're really you know,
we're in the Middle East, We're pretty much in many
places around the world today, but our primary focus, of course,
is within the United States.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
But I'm also told that you are concerned not only
with AI and other countries around the world. You focused
on America. But one of the reasons, and I think
I had a conversation with you and we talked about
this that wealthy kids who go to you know, prep
schools and private high schools and private elementary schools, they
(08:01):
will learn how to use AI, and hopefully they'll learn
how to use it correctly. But as with any emerging technology,
there may be a lot of kids who are in
public schools around the country who will not get the
same introduction and the same education, And I understand that's
(08:22):
a concern.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, I think that's where you know, I spent most
of my career working in urban areas. I started teaching
in Baltimore City. I spent you know, the bulk of
my career in the Boston Public schools and then in
the Lawrence Public Schools before becoming Commissioner of Education because
I wanted to make sure that all kids have access
to the American Dream. And when you start talking about AI,
(08:44):
we believe that better resource kids are going to have
access to this material. But in a time when this
technology could be really a determinant for how well people
do in a future world of work, we want to
make sure that all of our kids have the skills
to be able to compete in that future world where
AI is going to be prevalent.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah. Last night I had the opportunity to spend an
hour talking with the president of brand Eyes, President Arthur Levine,
and he was talking about that in effect, that AI
is going to force universities and colleges to revamp curriculum,
revamped curriculum and revamped the way students are treated and
(09:29):
guided through college. I know you're familiar with his work,
but I assume that that point of view appears pretty
nicely with what AI aspires to do.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a real concern about
what's called cognitive offloading, where we just kind of allow
the technology to kind of take the place of our
brain power and instead of making sure that everyone really
you know, exercising their brain on a daily basis and
uses the technology to go further and faster than they
(10:03):
ever could. And so, you know, we see in KTA
twelve a lot of concern around cheating and plagiarism and
things like that, and that's obviously even more pronounced as
kids get to college where kids are expected to write,
probably more so than they are even in k twelve.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
My guest is Jeff Riley, former Commissioner of Education here
in Massachusetts, deeply involved in this. If you have any question,
comment observation about AI, there are some plans afoot from
day a day of AI and MI t rays. They
are two separate organizations that are working together in conjunction,
(10:43):
and we're going to talk about those, including including zoom
seminars Conveniently timed, I guess twenty times during the week
for a day in which teachers from around America and
actually zoom in and learn a lot about how to
(11:05):
pass on this and teach this this, this new, this
new educational tool to their students. So we'll get to
all of that. Jeffy will explain it better than I can,
that's for sure. But it's a very exciting concept, and
today was the day of this news release. I'm sure
that you'll read stories about this in the newspapers, but
(11:27):
we always like to stay a little ahead of the
curve here on Nightside. And again, if you have a
question or a comment, you're more than invited. You're more
than welcome to call. As I say, there's no such
thing as a dumb question. My dumb questions are always
the one I didn't have the courage to ask in
law school during class, and those are the ones that
always come up on the midterms, the number six one, seven, two, five,
(11:48):
four to ten thirty or six one, seven, nine three
one ten thirty. Coming right back on Nightside with former
Massachusetts Commissioner of Education now co founder and executive director
of Day of AI, a new venture. It is absolutely
brand new, and this may be the first time you're
hearing about it, but you're going to hear about it,
(12:09):
in my opinion, a lot in the years to come,
particularly in the in the years just over the horizon.
Back on Nightside after.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
This, you're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
So, Jeff launch today is what I want to talk about. Specifically,
You've launched a national movement to empower students and educators
in the AI age. It's taken me a few conversations
to understand what you're going to try to do or
what you are going to do. But how is this
going to work? How do teachers anywhere in America get
(12:42):
in touch with you?
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Do?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
They have to go through their superintendents? And then how
did they sign up for these remote zoom I guess
the remote zoom sessions? I assume.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Yeah, So the registration is easy. As you said, we
just launched this morning. I think we already have teachers
from forty different states already that have signed up. And
you can go to our website day of AIUSA dot org.
You type in your email address and you can kind
of get behind the curtain and see all our free curriculum,
our materials. And then starting in October we're going to
(13:17):
be offering up to twenty weekly virtual training sessions for
any teacher in the United States to learn more about
AI and how to use it responsibly in the classroom.
And we'll send those people that sign up between now
and in October or a minder email and they'll be able
to kind of pick a time in a day that
works for them.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
And these are going to be interactive, so people who
are on the zoom not only you know, I guess
listen to the to the presentation, but are they able
to there be interactive capabilities where teachers can ask questions
as well.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
There are interactive capabilities. I mean, we're really trying to
meet our teachers where they are by giving them times
during the week to go and see or be part
of our virtual presentation. So we're trying to make it
as simple as possible. We recognize how busy teachers are
and educators overall, and we're going to offer different options
(14:13):
for people throughout the week, and we're going to be
focusing on you know, one of our training sessions is
on demystifying artificial intelligence really just kind of the nuts
and bolts of what this is and what it's not
and then you know, we're going to break it out
by grade bands and focus on AI literacy in teachers
classrooms and how it can be part of what they
do in their grade, in their class during the year.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And again the website day of ai usus dot org
us USA. I'm sorry, okay, yeah, I didn't hear it correctly,
So day of AI USA dot org. And then you
will have their name and once this is available and
(14:58):
set to go, which I think you said was October seventh,
you will send them a reminder and they sign up
and it's going to be very twenty first century. That's
the thing that's exciting about this. What let me ask
you just one quick question here before the news break
and we'll get to some phone calls after the news break.
(15:21):
Why is it that this subject is so important but
also so critical that teachers need everybody knows how to
teach this properly.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I mean, I think there's a lot of fear out
there in society around artificial intelligence, and there's also a
worry that sometimes kids know more about the technology than
we do. But the reality is, we think teachers are
going to need to dip their toe in the water
and really begin to understand what this is. Ultimately, we
don't think artificial intelligence is going to replace humans, but
(15:59):
we do think think humans with artificial intelligent skills might
replace other humans who don't have these skills, which is
why it's so critical for our students to get this information.
They've got to be conversant in AI and how to
use this tool in a future workplace.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
When we get back after the news, I want to
ask you what you envision. You obviously have a view
of this which is much clearer than I have, and
much clearer than most of my audience have, so I
have questions. I hope my audience also joins us with
some questions. That's what I think is important. The more
(16:36):
that we can learn about it, the better we obviously
going to understand it. And when I get back, I'm
going to ask you to kind of project in your
mind ten years out, when these high school seniors who
are graduating today have fully entered the workforce, what is
the workforce going to look like as a consequence of AI.
That's my primary question. When we come back on the
(17:00):
other side of the break for news at the bottom
of the arm my guess is Jeff Riley he's a
former Secretary of Commissioner of Education here in Massachusetts, or
was it Secretary Jeff, I don't want to miss lane
misname you here. You were the Commissioner of Education, Commissioner
of Education here in Massachusetts for over six and a
half years, a deep experience in teaching and also administrative work.
(17:27):
And you are the executive director and co founder of
Day of AI, which is hopefully going to lead us
into the future and the failings of people that you
are going to conscript to help us find our way
through that future, the teachers of America and the teachers
of the world. I'm stunned at the number of countries
(17:49):
around the world that you are already interacting with, and
that's something we have to realize that the competition in
AI is also underway as well, not not only here
in America between students, but it's between American students and
students around the world. Back with Jeff Riley six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine thirty Coming right
(18:11):
back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w BZZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
I'm joined by Jeff Riley, the executive director Day of
ai UH. Their website is Day of AI USA dot org. Jeff, you,
along with the folks at mit at MI t RAYS
are offering a lot to the educators around the country.
(18:40):
How do you where do you find your support? This?
This cannot be uh done on a shoe string, I assume.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
You know, We've been blessed to have great partners in
the work, everyone from the Lynch Foundation UH to Vertex UH,
to folks like will I Am from the Black Eyed
Peas or Jalen Brown from the Celtics, the Edward M.
Kennedy Institute in Boston. We just have been really fortunate
to be able to have people that recognize how important
(19:11):
this work is and want to make sure that our
kids are supported.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Now you mentioned Jalen Brown has a foundation. He's very,
very interested in this issue. It's called the Juice Foundation
or the Sevenson Seven Use Foundation. And next summer, the
summer of seventy six, which of course is going to
be the twenty six I should say, which is the
(19:35):
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the summer of seventeen
seventy six, You're going to be doing a huge event
in Boston bringing students in from all fifty states. You're
going to be at UMass at MIT. That's a pretty
exciting program and that's going to incorporate students throughout this
(19:58):
coming academic year in a competition.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah, we're really excited about the idea of really employing
students for their leadership and artificial intelligence. As I mentioned earlier,
sometimes the kids know more about the technology than we do,
so shouldn't we ask them what they think? And along
those lines. As part of our kind of national initiative
this year, we're looking for student leadership in the areas
(20:21):
of artificial intelligence, culminating with this really big event that's
going to take place both at MIT and at great
places like UMS Boston and the EMK Institute, where we're
going to bring in two hundred and fifty kids from
all over the country. Some kids will enact a national
AI policy at the EMK Institute, which is a replica
(20:42):
of the US Senate Chamber. Some kids will come and
do artwork, both their own and AI generated artwork, and
have a spirited discussion about the pros and cons of
AI for arts. Some kids we'll talk about how we
can make world a better place, how we can think
about issues of climate and things like that, how we
(21:04):
can make our world better, and they'll come and present
their ideas at MIT and the Media Lab. So we're
just pretty excited about really centering kids at an early
stage as we begin to iron out what's the best
way to teach our students and our teachers about AI
in the future.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
So when I closed the last segment, I said, I
come back in and ask you to kind of give
us a vision, if you will, of how AI is
likely to impact people. You know, ten years out. I
don't know if the horizon is that clear as to
what this is going to mean. I mean, all of
(21:47):
us have seen changes in our lives brought on by
social media and by other things that we never would
have imagined. You know, it was fifty years ago that
credit cards first made there their impact on our economy.
We didn't have to carry cash around in your wall,
in your pocket, or in your wallet or in your purse.
(22:08):
And now you have all of these, you know, paypals
and various ways to shuffle money back and forth. We
have the emergence of cryptocurrency, which no one ever would
have understood, you know, people like myself who said that's
never going to work. Obviously was totally wrong. What are
(22:29):
some I don't know, if you can articulate for some
of the practical impacts that we will be feeling ten
years from now that we can look back on this
conversation and say, oh yeah, when Dan Ray and Jeff
Riley talked about it on Nights Side, this is what
Dan Ray has no ide this. Dan Ray has no
idea about what it's going to be like the other
(22:49):
Dan Ray has probably a pretty good idea. Share with
us if you can some visions that you have as
to how on a practical basis all of us students
and adults will will benefit or be challenged either way
by AI.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Sure, I don't have a crystal ball. If I did,
obviously i'd be a wealthy human being. With that said,
I think you know my kids like to tease me.
They say, oh, Dad, tell us again. When there was
no Internet and the phone was attached to the wall,
and there was no microwave ovens, right, and that's true.
(23:27):
Right the first twenty years of my life, I think
the Internet was called the Encyclopedia Britannica in my living room, yes, right,
And so we've had to adapt as the Internet came
on with this new technology, we will have to adapt again,
and I do think it's it's going to be a
profound change to our lives. You know, we talk in
(23:48):
education about reading, writing, and arithmetic as kind of being
the core, and I would say, now it's going to
be reading, writing, arithmetic, and artificial intelligence skills because I
think that kids, if they're going to function in this
new economy, are going to need to understand how to
use this technology to be able to compete in this
(24:09):
new kind of global marketplace that may take place in
the future. I would also say, though, that we have
to not rush this, and we have to take our
time and make some decisions about what we think are important.
And let me give you an example. You know, my
kids didn't learn cursive, but we never really had a discussion.
At least I missed the discussion about whoa, you're not
(24:31):
going to teach my kids cursive? Why is that? And
maybe that's okay, maybe it's not. My kids were born
in the city of Boston, they were raised in the
city of Boston, but they can't get anywhere in the
city of Boston without ways the GPS app I can
get everywhere in the City of Boston because I needed
to know landmarks back in the day, and so I
(24:52):
feel like our kids have lost that spatial relation skill. Okay,
well is that good or bad? Can we discuss it?
And what about the discussion that needs to take place
with AI What is going to be critical for a
kid to know and what can they rely on the
technology to help us with and you know, we really
need to start having some of those discussions to make
(25:13):
sure that we're doing this right incorrectly.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Well, one of the examples that I'd love to get
your comment on, and that has said chat g GPT,
I'm not sure if I get the right, but you can.
You can put in and say, give me a two
hundred and fifty word essay on the American Revolution or whatever.
But all that information that comes to you, which a
(25:37):
lot of professors are going to look at and say, well,
that's that's not work. There was no work by the
student there. They just basically asked a question and they
got a paper. I hope that's not what students rely
upon going forward. But the bottom line is that how
do you control information? Meaning one of the things we
have found out about social media is there's a lot
(25:58):
of stuff that gets on social media which is just
not true. Uh, and some of it right, which is
actually potentially dangerous with chat, g GPT. Uh. What whatever
someone puts in it, that's what it comes out. If
they say George Washington was the third President of the
United States, you know, uh, following Millard Fillmore and Ulysses
(26:20):
Grant and you know, and that's what spits out on
your paper. I use that as a stranger as a
bizarre example. There is an example where do we run
AI or does AI run us?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Well, it's such a great point. And you know what
I don't think everyone understands is in artificial intelligence, whether
you're using chat, GPT or quad or Gemini different you
know ll ms, they can often be wrong and they
have these things called hallucinations. So at one point, if
you asked chat GPT, where do cheezburgers come from, they
(26:58):
would say cheeseburgers can from cheeeseburger trees, which are found
in cheeseburger orchards. But we know that's not true.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
At one point you could ask, you could ask one
of these programs how many ours are in strawberry? And
I'm not trying to trick people here, but there's three
hours in Strawberry, but until six months ago, one of
the AI programs would tell you it was either two
or four hours. So sometimes the information is incorrect. So
we've got to teach our kids to be skeptical of
this technology and kind of a take a trust but
(27:28):
verify approach.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
So that brings me back. And on the other side
of the break here, that brings me back to the
education that day of AI is going to provide to
the teachers, the people who on a day to day basis,
one on twenty or one on eighteen, whatever the size
of the class is, or one on one basis that
(27:53):
they will help instruct our kids. And that's why I
think that this is such an important conversation. We'll take
a quick break. My guess is Jeff Riley, former Commissioner
of Education here in Massachusetts. He has been with ai
AI now for a little more than a year. It
is a very important organization that you will hear much of,
(28:18):
uh and you'll probably read some of tomorrow morning in
the various newspapers. But this is the future, and it's
a future that will either control us or we can
control that. And that is what and we we can
either learn to live with it or live with it
and benefit from it. These are the issues we're dealing with.
If you have a question or a comment, feel free
(28:40):
six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven,
nine three ten thirty concluding segment coming up with Jeff Riley,
the founder executive director of Day of AI, which, along
with a group called mit rays, they have launched a
national movement to empower students and educators. In the Day
of a AI.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Night side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
My guest is Jeff Riley. Jeff, I know we've been
focusing a lot on young people and there are a
lot of people who listen to my show who are,
as I say, on the wrong side of fifty. How
will AI benefit people on the wrong side of fifty?
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Both question right.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I do think we're going to see advances in things
like medicine and many other industries. And I'll just give
you one example. There's a lot of research out there
now that believes that AI is going to be able
to if it's not already better able to detect bone fractures,
for instance, than your average emergency room doctor. Why is that, well,
(29:55):
your average emergency room doctor has seen X number of
X rays during their career. AI has seen X times
one hundred millions of X rays, and so you know,
there's going to be different ways that we're going to
get efficiencies and things are going to improve, and that
can help everybody, whether they're young people, which is who
we are really you know, that's our target audience, or
(30:17):
people you know, like myself over the age of fifty.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
All right, let's get let's get a couple of phone
calls here for you. Let me go first to Tina
in Moonsocket, Rhode Island. Tina, you are first this hour
with Jeff Riley, the executive director, one of the founders
of Day of AI USA. Go right ahead, Tina.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
Yes, Jeff AI really helped me because I had a
serious injury and I was going to a physical therapist
and at the time, I really didn't.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
Know if I could trust her. I lost confidence in there,
and I lost confidence in myself because the physical therapy
exercises that I need I needed help with and she
didn't have the time to go into detail because I'm slow,
I'm a senior. So for one month I didn't go
to physical therapy I didn't do anything, and then I
(31:11):
got on my computer and was talking with chat GPT,
and this AI intelligence model was able to give me information,
step by step information instruction that my own human person
couldn't help me with because she didn't have the time.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Tina, that's great, you've already used AI. Jeff quick comment
on Tina's observation. Tina does very valuable phone call and
I also want to get to one more phone call here,
Mike and Alabama is holding on.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Go right ahead, Jeff, Yeah, I mean I think what
Tina's describing, and thank you for your comments and question Tina,
is you know we have the ability now to learn
more than we ever could for and sometimes, for instance,
when we talk about medical things, it can be uncomfortable
to share that publicly. And if to have the ability
(32:08):
now to work with chat GPT and get some beginning information,
I think is really helpful. I would caution everyone out there, however,
that that shouldn't be used in place of medical care,
that you probably still need to check in with your
doctor or your physical therapist, but it can be a
good entry point to really educate yourself more about what's
happening and what the possibilities are in your care. And
(32:31):
what I've found because I do the same thing Tina,
is when I talk to my doctor, I'm more educated
about possibilities and so I'm able to have a better conversation.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Tina, thank you for the call. I appreciate it very much.
Talk soon. Let me go to Mike and Alabama. Mike,
you are next on Night's side with Jeff Riley, the
executive director of Day of AI. And by the way, Jeff,
I think that Dave AI already has You've been to Alabama,
I believe talking with superintendents and educators down there. If
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Mistake correct, we trained every superintendent in Orange Beach, Alabama
last year. Great people.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Okay, Mike, you next to Nice That go right ahead.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
Mike, Thanks am, thanks for what you're doing. I normally
call you from DUBAI and the United Arab Emirates. Yes,
it's been a little while since I've called in you know,
my sister from the Republican Committee. But so yeah, so
I've seen some of Jeff's work over in the UAE
because I do UH use space education programs over there,
(33:32):
UH and AI is embedded in the schools over there
now from the essentially the first grade all the way through,
and I was glad to see on his website. I
think you're are you working with DP world and folks
over in the UAE. Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Yes, that is correct, Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Small it is an increasingly small world, Mike, and Alabama's
listening to us tonight talking you about your work in
the UAE.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Okay, A yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Yes, but I'm I'm you know, I'm glad to see
what you're doing globally, but as well here in the US,
because we could quickly fall behind a lot of other countries,
uh in embedding it and using it in a positive
way for students. So I'm getting ready to head back
overseas in a couple of weeks. So I was glad
(34:27):
I'm on the same time zone to call in tonight.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Well, Mike, as you appreciated. Yeah, I just want to
say real quickly, Jeff to Mike, Mike, thank you for
listening to us. You have called in from various points
around the world. But I want Jeff to tell you
he was in Alabama recently dealing with educators your state.
Go ahead, Jeff explain to him.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
Yeah, we got to go to Orange Beach, Alabama and
train all the superintendents in the state. Their commissioner down there,
Eric Mackie. He's really a leader in the space in
the country on all things A and we're starting to
see other states bubble up as well. We also got
to go to Phoenix recently and train all the state
commissioners in the whole country on all things AI. And
(35:10):
so what you're seeing is the educational establishment is really
starting to understand that we need to get under the
hood here on all things artificial intelligence and find a
way to really make sure that our kids get what
they need so that they can be competitive in the
next kind of economy.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Absolutely. Well, I'm at the other end of the state.
I'm up in Huntsville where the Redstone Arsenal, the NASA
facilities and things like that are located. So I'm quite
familiar where you were, and maybe I'll run into you
up in North Alabama sometimes I look forward to that.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
All right, Hey, Mike, thanks so much, and keep listening. Okay,
appreciate it. Whether it's Alabama, that's right.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
Thanks for the work you're doing. Dan.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
All right, thank you very much. Mike. I don't know
exactly what Mike does, but I think it has something
to do with specially since he lives in high Let's
fiel something to do with space technology. Jeff Rally again,
thank you for your time tonight. It's been very informative
for me and I hope for my audience. I think
folks are still trying to figure it out. Let's go
(36:16):
one more time. Teachers who are listening anywhere in the
United States of America tonight, how do they get in
touch with you? And how and explain to me so
I will understand and they will understand the process. You
will be up and running on October seventh with zoom
seminars with live people, live instructors. What are those teachers
(36:39):
who want to learn more about AI for themselves and
for their students? What do they need to do?
Speaker 3 (36:47):
I think what we're recommending is everyone go to Day
of AIUSA dot org and register with us. And basically
your registration has really just your email, and that will
take you kind of behind the hood of our organization.
You'll get to see our free curriculum, you'll get to
see videos, and you'll be put on the list for
(37:08):
our professional development launch, which starts in early October. As
you said, we'll send you an email and then you
can go to the calendar and find a time to
get a training that works for you absolutely free.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
And those trainings, how long will they last? What's the
amount of time?
Speaker 3 (37:24):
So the demystifying training is about sixty minutes, and then
the age band one that is kind of broken up
by depending on what grade you teach, which focuses on
AI literacy, is really close to the ninety minutes.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Okay, so there time at times that people can work
into their day, and it's five days a week as
is it five days a week or three days a.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Week, will be, it will be.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
We think it's going to be three days a week,
but we're leaving it open based on demand.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Sounds great, sounds great, Jeff Riley, thank you very much.
I'm looking forward to following this closely, and of course
I have no choice. I will son. We'll keep me
up to date on the progress of the organization. It
sounds spectacularly interesting at cutting edge, and I'm delighted that
you joined us tonight. Thanks so much, Jeff, and congratulations
(38:13):
on today's launch.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
You're very welcome. When we get back, we're going to
talk with doctor Alfred Miller. He is a male clinic
trained roomanatologist forty years. He's quite disappointed with the White
House's decision the other day to essentially lay the blame
for autism at the feet of tailanol, a set of minifene.
(38:40):
We will talk with doctor Miller and we'll open up
that conversation. I think it would be an important medical
conversation right after the ten o'clock news on Nightside
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