When AI Handles the Hard Parts – What Educators Lose Without the Struggle | Ep. 92

In this episode of ChatEDU (When AI Handles the Hard Parts – What Educators Lose Without the Struggle) Matt and Liz start with a look at the new Gemini Live update before jumping into the Rundown. From there, they go Beneath the Surface with a deeper take on AI’s impact on growth and leadership, then close with a Bright Byte on carbon battery storage and the future of clean energy.The Run DownGovernments are stepping in on youth social media, with New York adding mental health labels, Virginia capping use, and Australia banning platforms for kids under sixteen.2025 reset generative AI as adoption stalled and hype faded, shifting the industry toward slower, more durable growthAutonomous agents still have a lot to learn. Claude AI’s takeover of a newsroom vending machine spiraled into chaos, highlighting real-world failure modes.Fear of AI detection is changing how students write, with kids deliberately dumbing down their work, undermining confidence, voice, and authentic learning.Popular AI tools failed key safeguarding tests, raising serious questions about readiness and oversight in schools.A new school procurement guide raises the bar on AI data governance and compliance, signaling a shift from innovation-first to accountability-first adoption.Districts are piloting ChatGPT for IEP paperwork, but transparency is critical to protect trust, oversight, and legal compliance.Beneath the SurfaceAn HBR piece warns that AI shortcuts may erode mastery, empathy, and growth, prompting leaders to rethink how they preserve the human side of work.Google is partnering with Energy Dome to deploy 200-MWh CO₂ battery storage, using compressed carbon dioxide instead of rare minerals to scale clean energy infrastructure.AnnouncementsCelebrate our 100th episode: skills21.org/chatedu100Learning They'll Love - Dr. Elizabeth RaddayASCD: https://tinyurl.com/bde652nn Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/22t9hz77Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6zwThe Winter Micro-Credential starts soon. Join the six-week dive into AI literacy, pedagogy, assessment, and ethics. www.skills21.org/ai/micro EdAdvance is offering a Middle and High School Student AI Literacy course — email [e-mail] to bring it to your district. ​​www.skills21.org/ai/learnai Skills21’s FREE social media literacy course? Check it out here - https://www.skills21.org/social-balanceThis episode is sponsored by The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. https://www.nextgenmfg.orgLinks3 Must-Try Gemini Live Trickshttps://tinyurl.com/496pke3uNew York Orders Mental Health Labelshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/26/new-york-to-require-social-media-platforms-to-display-mental-health-labelsVirginia Limits Social Media Use for Minorshttps://tinyurl.com/4vy7h92jParents Eye Australia’s Social Media Banhttps://tinyurl.com/4brsc42rThe great AI hype correction of 2025https://tinyurl.com/5acwnx7aLetting AI Run Our Vending Machine Cost Us Hundredshttps://tinyurl.com/yjvf47kdChatGPT May Prioritize Advertisershttps://tinyurl.com/2yw5s869Why AI Policing Makes Kids Write Worsehttps://tinyurl.com/mwkpcn5fAI Chatbots Fail School Safeguarding Testshttps://tinyurl.com/2z8zpbhuK–12 AI Data Checklisthttps://tinyurl.com/yb5b72pxChatGPT to Be Used for Special Education Compliancehttps://tinyurl.com/3zsws26dSchools to Use ChatGPT for Special Ed Compliancehttps://tinyurl.com/3zsws26dTeen Siblings Compete in a 24-Hour Hackathonhttps://tinyurl.com/52hdnrfcAI Is Reshaping Learning at Workhttps://tinyurl.com/2w9wc67k3 Must-Try Gemini Live Tricks After Its Upgradehttps://tinyurl.com/2acs2j2pDarren Coxon’s LinkedIn posthttps://tinyurl.com/53cv5ax4Jill Coleman’s Posthttps://tinyurl.com/2tcpz73fDr. Philippa’s Posthttps://tinyurl.com/k8kj8s2nGoogle Deploys CO₂ Battery Facilitieshttps://tinyurl.com/5n7muvbj