EdTechSR Ep 344 Voices We Can’t Trust

Welcome to episode 344 (“Voices We Can’t Trust”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 15, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) examined the fast-moving frontier of artificial intelligence, starting with voice cloning tools like Play.ht and the ethical dilemmas they present. The conversation then pivoted to Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program, highlighting rising concerns over misinformation, harassment, and platform responsibility. TikTok’s potential U.S. ban sparked dialogue about regulatory overreach, legal complexities, and the app’s cultural impact. The hosts also discussed the New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI, with implications for copyright law and AI development. Additional topics included the sunset of Windows 10, the fractured nature of online discourse, and the increasing need for robust media literacy education. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes

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7. Jason Neiffer: aicentrist.com
8. Wes Fryer: wesfryer.com
9. AI Trends in Ed Tech to Watch in 2025 (EdTech Magazine 15 January 2025)
10. Meta scrambles to delete its own AI accounts after backlash intensifies (CNN, 3 Jan 2025)
11. Meta’s fake AI users are here and they’re giving everybody the creeps (Sherwood News, 3 Jan 2025) via Doug Peterson on BlueSky
12. More: 3 Feb 2025 free webinar “AI ChatBot Ethics)
13. Information literacy is key in the age of AI (eSchoolNews, 19 Dec 2024)
14. One quick trick to make AI actually useful (Vox; 12 December 2024)
15. ‘The New York Times’ takes OpenAI to court. ChatGPT’s future could be on the line (NPR, 14 Jan 2025)
16. The Supreme Court doesn’t seem likely to save TikTok (Vox; 10 January 2025)
17. With TikTok ban looming, how many Americans support it? Public opinion has changed a lot (USA Today; 15 January 2025)
18. Microsoft won’t support Office apps on Windows 10 after October 14th (The Verge; 15 January 2025)
19. German government may yet quit X over algorithms, spokesperson says (Reuters, 10 Jan 2025)
20. Meta Says It Will End Its Fact-Checking Program on Social Media Posts (NY Times; 7 January 2025) (Gift Link)
21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Highlight AI; Google AI Studio – https://play.ai/
22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: MediaEdForum 2025 Notes – My Screen Setup for Virtual Learning – Stouchi Continuity Camera Mount