EdTechSR Ep 324: Deep Dives into Disinformation

Welcome to episode 324 (“Deep Dives in Disinformation”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 17, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer discussed a variety of important topics in educational technology and AI’s impact on education, from San Diego, California and Charlotte, North Carolina respectively. Jason opened the episode by sharing his experiences at the ASU + GSV conference, which brought together leaders in education and technology. The discussions at the conference focused heavily on the integration of AI in educational settings and the ethical implications of new technologies. Wes and Jason then delved into the pressing issue of Kremlin-backed actors spreading disinformation through sophisticated AI tools. They discussed the evolution of disinformation tactics and the crucial role of media literacy in combating these threats. The co-hosts explored various other technological updates, including new developments from Google and Microsoft, emphasizing the educational potentials and challenges of these innovations. They also addressed the need for thoughtful integration of AI tools in education, to enhance learning without compromising ethical standards. “Geeks of the Week” featured valuable tools and resources for educators. Among these, Jason highlighted an AI-powered music creation tool, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize educational content delivery. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook 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 shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow EdTechSR on Facebook, Mastodon and Substack!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif) – aicentrist.com – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Texas will use computers to grade written answers on this year’s STAAR tests (Texas Tribune, 9 April 2024)
  10. Hard Fork Podcast: “A.I.’s Data Wall + a Surprise Privacy Bill + What Happened to the TikTok Ban?” (12 Apr 2024)
  11. AI Music Generation Takes Center Stage: Udio and Suno
  12. Kremlin-backed actors spread disinformation ahead of US elections (ArsTechnica, 17 Apr 2024)
  13. https://substack.com/@katieharbath 
  14. The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness? (Nature; 29 March 2024)
  15. Apple Plans to Overhaul Entire Mac Line With AI-Focused M4 Chips (Bloomberg; 11 April 2024)
  16. Apple is reportedly planning a big AI-focused M4 Mac upgrade (The Verge; 11 April 2024)
  17. Jason’s Geek of the Week: AI Chat Battle!
  18. Wes’ Geek of the Week: StoryGraph
EdTech Situation Room: Episode 324” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 323: Security Breaches Unfold

Welcome to episode 323 (“Security Breaches Unfold”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 3, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (AIcentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss significant security breaches and vulnerabilities that have surfaced across various platforms, impacting millions from AT&T customers to young public school students. The episode also explores the latest in generative AI with insights from recent collaborations between Amazon and Anthropic, and the ethical quandaries faced by AI researchers. From discussing the ease of phishing attacks targeting Apple users to the potential educational transformations by generative AI as viewed by MIT, the conversation highlights critical tech and education intersections. ‘Geeks of the Week’ includes innovative educational tools and insights into how AI-generated content is shaping digital interactions. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow EdTechSR on Facebook, Mastodon and Substack!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif) – aicentrist.com – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. AT&T resets account passcodes after millions of customer records leak online (TechCrunch, 30 March 2024)
  10. Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests (MacRumors, 26 March 2024)
  11. Hackers are targeting a surprising group of people: young public school students (NPR, 13 March 2024)
  12. The Strange Story of the Teens Behind the Mirai Botnet: Their DDos Malware Threatened the Entire Internet (IEEE Spectrum 23 May 2023)
  13. ChatGPT no longer requires an account — but there’s a catch (TechCrunch 1 April 2024)
  14. Amazon and Anthropic deepen their shared commitment to advancing generative AI (Amazon; 27 March 2024)
  15. Generative AI and K-12 Education: An MIT Perspective (An MIT Exploration of Generative AI; 26 March 2024)
  16. Anthropic researchers wear down AI ethics with repeated questions (TechCrunch, 2 April 2024)
  17. How Spammers, Scammers and Creators Leverage AI-Generated Images on Facebook for Audience Growth (Stanford Internet Observatory, 18 March 2024)
  18. OpenAI’s voice cloning AI model only needs a 15-second sample to work (Verge, 20 March 2024)
  19. Sora: first impressions (OpenAI, 25 March 2024)
  20. A wildly popular game dubbed ‘Pokémon with guns’ has been forced to deny that its characters are a rip-off (Business Insider, 25 Jan 2024)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: going.com
  22. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: My 9 fav podcasts / My Podcast SubscriptionsSIFT Lesson VideosTired of Streaming? Free Blockbuster Libraries Offer an Alternative. (NYTimes, 21 March 2024) #GiftLink
Security Breaches Unfold (EdTechSR 323)” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer