The chatbot boosters are looking for educators to play brand ambassador for more intrusion of so-called "AI" into the classroom. From the American Federation of Teachers' new partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft for a "national academy for AI instruction" to yet more articles extolling the alleged time-saving and future-proofing virtues of LLM-powered ed tech, the hype can feel relentless. Charles Logan joins Alex and Emily for a critical look at the latest propaganda for "AI" in the classroom.
Charles Logan is a former English teacher and current PhD candidate in Learning Sciences at Northwestern University.
References:
Welcome to Campus. Here’s Your ChatGPT.
AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it
Also referenced:
Tressie McMillan Cottom on "predatory inclusion"
Daniel Greene's "The Access Doctrine"
The Group Chats that Changed America
Fresh AI Hell:
Missouri AG investigating why chatbots don’t like Trump
Gig workers calling ICE on other undocumented gig workers
Tech billionaire Trump adviser Marc Andreessen says universities will ‘pay the price’ for DEI
USF makes a PTSD detector...trained on children
People falling in love with Replika chatbots
Elon Musk thirsting over xAI anime construct
Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.
Our book, 'The AI Con,' is out now! Get your copy now.
Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.
Follow us!
Emily
- Bluesky: emilymbender.bsky.social
- Mastodon: dair-community.social/@EmilyMBender
Alex
- Bluesky: alexhanna.bsky.social
- Mastodon: dair-community.social/@alex
- Twitter: @alexhanna
Music by Toby Menon.
Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.