Simon Breakspear on AI - Slow Down: AI, Learning, and the Cognitive Escalator
AI in Education Podcast
In this weeks podcast Dan and Ray have a conversation about education with Dr Simon Breakspear. Simon is a globally respected expert in educational leadership and innovation, known for his insightful work on transforming learning environments. His forward thinking ideas around education are reshaping the way schools and school systems are thinking about teaching, learning and leadership. In this episode we talk about: Distinction Between Productivity and Pedagogical Uses of AI: Simon, Dan, and Ray discussed the critical distinction between...
info_outline
7 Surprising Truths About How Students Really Use AI
AI in Education Podcast
Introduction: Beyond the Hype and Panic For the past couple of years, the conversation around students and artificial intelligence has been dominated by a palpable sense of anxiety. We’ve all heard the headlines and the hallway chatter - fears of widespread, undetectable cheating, the slow erosion of critical thinking, and the looming threat of a "cognitive debt" where students outsource their learning and forget how to think for themselves. But in Series 12 of the we spent time listening to a wide range of students, from curious middle schoolers to ambitious university...
info_outline
AI Study Buddies, Compliance Cheaters, and the Rise of Corella
AI in Education Podcast
In this episode of the AI in Education Podcast, Ray and Dan dive into the latest news, tools, and research transforming education through AI. From ChatGPT’s agent and study modes to Google’s new Nano Banana image tool and Grammarly’s army of AI agents, there’s no shortage of innovation—or controversy. They unpack OpenAI’s ambitious Learning Accelerator in India and explore how Australian schools are rolling out Corella, an AI assistant aimed at reducing teacher workload. The duo also discuss new research including the Microsoft 2025 AI in Education report, the Tech Council of...
info_outline
Be Human First: Leading with Purpose in an AI World - Dr Sophie Fenton
AI in Education Podcast
What does it really mean to lead in the age of AI? In this deeply insightful episode, from joins us to explore the human side of AI adoption in education and the workplace. From her unique background spanning classroom teaching, school leadership, university strategy, and corporate consulting, Sophie offers a compelling case for starting with the human, not the tool. We talk about what it means to create intentionally human contexts for AI, how leadership styles need to adapt, and why soft skills are quickly becoming our most powerful asset. Sophie unpacks the concept of "human...
info_outline
AI Tutors, Bias & GPT-5: What Just Happened?
AI in Education Podcast
In this episode of the AI in Education Podcast, Dan and Ray dive into the latest developments shaping the future of AI in learning environments - from vocational colleges to elite universities. All the links to items and research discussed are below! News Australia's Future Skills Organisation and Microsoft launched the FSO Skills Accelerator-AI partnership Microsoft Elevate Google commits US$1bn for AI training at US universities CAUDIT Top Ten 2025 South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks Consumer news reporting on AI in Education ABC ...
info_outline
Gen Z to Gen AI: What Students Really Think – with Dr Anna Denejkina
AI in Education Podcast
In this episode of the AI in Education Podcast, hosts Dan and Ray welcome back one of their favourite researchers, , to unpack her latest study, "". This and research collaboration, on the use and attitudes to AI by students, explores how young Australians are adopting generative AI, and what they really think about it. From career pivots and skill confidence gaps to plagiarism misconceptions, Dr Denejkina shares powerful insights into the realities behind the headlines. Discover why 30% of Gen Z students are rethinking their career plans, how gender influences AI confidence, and why...
info_outline
AI Study Mode, Super Tools & Future Jobs
AI in Education Podcast
This episode covers a massive amount of AI-related news and research, especially developments over the past week, including ChatGPT's new "study mode," major platform announcements from Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, generative video and music tools, and the implications of AI on jobs and education. The episode also highlights a new Stanford GenAI for Education hub and discusses current AI policy and access initiatives globally. News ChatGPT Study Mode: Simon Willison info on the system prompt for Study Mode: Dr Philippa Hardman's LinkedIn post on Study Mode: ...
info_outline
Not Cheating - Learning: Students on Using AI Ethically
AI in Education Podcast
In this eye-opening episode of the podcast, hosts Ray and Dan are joined by a remarkable group of students from . Part of the student-led series 12, this conversation dives into how teens are really using AI in their schoolwork. And it’s far more sophisticated than you might think. From using Gemini and ChatGPT to find historical sources and generate study guides, to marking their own assignments with AI before submission, these students aren’t cutting corners. They talk openly about how they’re finding smarter ways to learn. The discussion explores ethical concerns like plagiarism,...
info_outline
From Harvard bots to Aussie classrooms: the state of AI in education
AI in Education Podcast
From Harvard bots to Aussie classrooms: the state of AI in education In this solo news and research roundup, Ray covers some of the biggest recent stories in AI and education – from high-profile case studies to practical tools for teachers and real concerns from students. Links for what’s in this week's episode: New AI training modules for Australian teachers Education Services Australia has released a set of lesson-ready resources to help teachers guide students in safe, effective AI use – including interactive activities and a certificate aligned with AITSL standards. Harvard...
info_outline
AI, Assessments & A-Graders: A Student's POV
AI in Education Podcast
AI, Assessments & A-Graders: A Student's POV What happens when AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s VEO3 land in the hands of curious, creative high schoolers? In this episode, we talk with Caitlyn, a Year 11 student from Sydney, who gives us a front-row seat to how students are really using AI in school right now. From refining English essays with high-modality language to producing eye-catching videos that bring creative writing to life, Caitlyn shows how AI has become her on-demand study buddy, grammar coach, and even a research assistant. She unpacks how her school’s “traffic light...
info_outlineBook Club Podcast?
Before we even got to the News and Research, this week we discussed the AI-related books we're currently reading:
Dan's reading:
- Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson (TED Talk)
- Why Data Science Projects Fail, by Douglas Gray and Evan Shellshear (An interview with Evan)
Ray's reading
- The Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence, by Kate Crawford (Wikipedia page)
News Links
Links to the reports and news we discuss in the episode:
OpenAI's new Education newsletter
https://openaiforeducation.substack.com/
Ethan Mollick's new "AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for Teaching" course on Coursera
https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-ai-in-education-leveraging-chatgpt-for-teaching
World Economic Forum "Future of Jobs report"
https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/infographics-94b6214b36/
Student expelled and deported because they were accused of using ChatGPT by their professor. So they're suing their professor
https://www.fox9.com/video/1574324
Digital Education Council Global AI Faculty Survey 2025
https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/post/digital-education-council-global-ai-faculty-survey
We'll discuss this report with one of the authors in next week's episode
UK government policy paper on "Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education"
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-education
Year13 Case Study on AI use
https://news.microsoft.com/en-au/2024/12/13/guiding-school-leavers-with-ai-support-year13s-mission-to-democratise-opportunities-for-young-people/
AI Use by industry employees - US, 2024
https://www.nber.org/papers/w32966
In the discussion of energy use by AI, Ray mentioned some stats from this research report:
"The Carbon Emissions of Writing and Illustrating Are Lower for AI than for Humans"
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2303/2303.06219.pdf
Research Papers
And finally, links to the research papers we discussed this week
ChatGPT and Its Educational Impact: Insights from a Software Development Competition
https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.03779
How to Align Large Language Models for Teaching English? Designing and Developing LLM based-Chatbot for Teaching English Conversation in EFL, Findings and Limitations
https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.04987
AI Meets the Classroom: When Does ChatGPT Harm Learning?
https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09047
Are Large Language Models Good Essay Graders?
https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.13120
An Education Researcher's Guide to ChatGPT
https://osf.io/spbz3
A Step Towards Adaptive Online Learning: Exploring the Role of GPT as Virtual Teaching Assistants in Online Education
https://osf.io/preprints/edarxiv/rw45b
The AI Assessment Scale (AIAS) in action: A pilot implementation of GenAI-supported assessment
https://ajet.org.au/index.php/AJET/article/view/9434