Welcome to episode 292 (“AirTags for Everyone”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 3, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) delved into various AI topics, including the potential benefits of AI writing assistants like Grammarly, and AI tutors like Mr. Reindeer, which allowed for customization and personalization of learning. They also discussed AI-powered tools like Canny and Summarize.tech. While acknowledging the ethical issues surrounding AI, such as concerns over privacy and the mass production of false information, the hosts expressed concerns about the implications of generative AI that could determine real-time thoughts with an 81% accuracy rate, potentially leading to mind-reading and dystopian outcomes. The conversation touched on the ongoing debate around ebooks versus physical books, the use of AirTag devices and smart thermostats, Twitter’s new verification process, and recent AI advancements, such as synthetic voices and groundbreaking studies that used AI to passively decode thoughts. The hosts shared their own travel experiences, recommended Rick Steves’ app for audio tours, and wrapped up the episode by thanking their viewers, inviting feedback, and encouraging interaction with chatGPT. (AI Attribution: This podcast / video summary was initially generated with summarize.tech and slightly edited.) The show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!
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- Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
- Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
- Mr. Ranedeer: Your personalized AI Tutor! (JustBJJ via GetHub)
- GPT AI Enables Scientists to Passively Decode Thoughts in Groundbreaking Study (Artisana; 1 May 2023)
- Grammarly rolls out its generative AI tools with these limits (9 to 5 Google; 27 April 2023)
- AI-Generated Joe Rogan Chats Up Steve Jobs Over His Use of LSD, Spat With Gizmodo (Gizmodo, 11 Oct 2023)
- An A.I. Hit of Fake ‘Drake’ and ‘The Weeknd’ Rattles the Music World (NY Times, 19 April 2023) gift link
- Google Authenticator now syncs 2FA with your Google Account, gets new icon (9 to 5 Google; 24 April 2023)
- Google issuing Chromebooks to employees as part of cost-cutting measures (9 to 5 Google; 3 April 2023)
- Google will shut down Currents, the work-focused Google Plus replacement (The Verge; 12 April 2023)
- CTL launches next-gen Chomebox CBX3 with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 (Chrome Unboxed; 14 April 2023)
- Gen Z Prefers Print Books, Not E-Books (Good eReader; 29 April 2023)
- NYPD’s answer to TikTok car theft challenges: 500 free AirTags (Verge, 1 May 2023)
- Mastodon fixes “confusing” sign-up process to attract users fleeing Twitter (ArsTechnica, 2 May 2023)
- Jason’s Geek of the Week: Rick Steves Audio Tours
- Wes’ Geeks of the Week: canny.io (example) – summarize.tech – play.ht – TikTok and Media Literacy (thread)
