Learning Curve

For colleges and schools, the relationship with major AI companies is complicated. Many are buying AI tools for their students, even as they strain to prevent harms to learning caused by these same tools.

For this episode of Learning Curve, we wanted to talk directly to folks at the frontier AI labs to hear their philosophy of how they see AI changing learning — and what they plan to do to prevent potential downsides to education. Jeff connected with OpenAI’s Brian Johnsrud, global head of education engagement, and Google’s Ben Gomes, who leads learning and sustainability there. It seems these companies are betting that education as we know it will change significantly in the next few years because of how AI is changing the workplace and society. 

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Modern AI systems follow a logic of prediction to deliver their answers. Sociologist Mona Sloane sees a cultural precedent for ascribing so much power to a predictive system — the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece. 

Works mentioned in this episode:

“Predicted: How AI Is Restructuring Social Life,” by Mona Sloane.

“How Colleges Can Safeguard Democracy in an AI Era,” a past episode of Learning Curve.

“Gaseous Emissions at Oracle of Delphi Entranced the Pythia,” in Scientific American.

“The Law of Prediction,” by Ari Ezra Waldman, in SSRN.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Studiosity.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Clay Shirky leads NYU’s AI efforts, and his background is as a media theorist commenting on how tech changes society. During the rise of social media 20 years ago, he was giving TED talks and writing popular books on how digital tech was altering our world. 

To his surprise, though, he says that background in earlier tech revolutions hasn’t been much help in figuring out how college professors should adapt to AI. This tech is different, he says, and NYU is now pivoting from the early advice they offered on the technology.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

“AI Is a ‘Wicked Problem.’ That’s the University’s Specialty,” By Clay Shirky in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Students Are Skipping the Hardest Part of Growing Up,” by Clay Shirky in The New York Times.

“Can’t Stop Using ChatGPT on HW,” Reddit post, now deleted but on the Internet Archive.

“Guilty about using AI but don’t know how not to,” Reddit post.

“The Souls of the Machine: Clay Shirky says the Internet revolution has only just begun,” by Jeff Young in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

"AI Homework," by Ben Thompson.

“‘We don’t need to panic’: Clay Shirky on NYU’s approach to AI,” in Washington Square News. 

“Inside the MIT Report on How AI Is Eroding Campus Culture,” Learning Curve Season 2 Ep. 1

“The AI Optimist Researching ‘Cognitive Surrender’,” Learning Curve Season 1 Ep. 21 

“A Question of Signaling,” by Bryan Kaplan.

“The wicked problem of AI and assessment,” in Assessment & Evaluation in Education.

“Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion,” by Wendy Suzuki.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

The Gates Foundation recently pledged $1 billion over two years for AI efforts, with a large share going to education. Why the big AI push, even as Bill Gates warns of the technology's possible downsides for society? And what does the foundation see as the most effective uses of AI in education, and how is it guarding against unintended consequences?

Articles mentioned this episode:

“Gates Foundation Pledges $1 Billion to Combat A.I. Inequality,” in The New York Times.

“The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical,” by Bill Gates.

“Can AI Improve Intro Courses? A New Courseware Project Hopes So,” in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“One Click Away: AI Tutoring with Khanmigo in a Two-Year School Experiment,” at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

A new internal report at MIT warns that AI is making learning less social, as more students turn to chatbots rather than classmates when they’re stuck. The report, which is sparking discussion across higher ed and even in some media reports, argues that this esteemed university needs to reboot all aspects of teaching and assessment now that AI can complete just about any assignment a professor can hand out. Can AI be part of the answer to preserving social learning at universities? 

Read the report from MIT’s Ad Hoc Committee on AI Use in Teaching, Learning, and Research Training.

"Happy 60th Birthday to the Word “Hack," in MIT Alumni.

See the student MIT prank that landed a firetruck on the university's Great Dome. 

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

A look back at the key lessons from Season 1 of this podcast, plus a look at what’s new with AI on campus as a new academic year begins.

A Turning Point in AI Writing, in The Atlantic.

Can ‘Linguistic Fingerprinting’ Guard Against AI Cheating? in EdSurge

MIT lays out vision for navigating AI in higher education, ‘A watershed moment’  in MassLive.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

For this episode we're focusing on how liberal arts colleges are adapting to AI. On a recent day at Carleton College, two very different lunch conversations among faculty reveal the variety of views on whether and how to use AI in teaching. This episode first ran in April.

Thanks to our sponsor, Studiosity.

“The Hottest College Majors in the AI Age Just Might Be in the Liberal Arts,” in Inc.

Carleton College LTC Targeted Audience Lunch - “What Students Think about AI and Learning.”

"You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education," by George Anders.

"The Evidence Liberal Arts Needs" by Richard Detweiler.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

For this episode Jeff connected with Evan Ratliff, who created what he calls “the world’s first AI-led startup” to see what happens when AI agents run a company.

Shell Game podcast, by Evan Ratliff.

"Silicon Valley’s New Obsession: Watching Bots Do Their Grunt Work," in The Wall Street Journal.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Will AI lead to an arms race of detectors and humanizers, or will it bring on bigger changes in teaching that might make college better?

Related links:

Signs of AI writing, on Wikipedia

“How An AI Detector Made Me Trust People Less,” by Marc Watkins.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

On this episode, Jeff talks with two prominent artists with different takes on AI. One experimental artist sees her students doing new kinds of work thanks to AI, and a celebrated science-fiction author argues AI is sold as a shortcut that takes away human agency and encourages a form of plagiarism masked by technology.

Related links:

New Learning Curve web app to help hone your thinking on the episode, developed by Tara Baumgarten, a learning experience designer.

“Kinds of Space, Ways of Seeing,” by Angela Ferraiolo in The AI Art Magazine, March 2026.

A Liquid Cinema: AI and the Transition from Montage to Morphology, a talk by Angela Ferraiolo.

Angela Ferraiolo website.

“Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art,” By Ted Chiang in The New Yorker.

“No, Artificial Intelligence Is Not Conscious,” by Ted Chiang in The Atlantic.

Thanks to this week’s advertiser, Studiosity

And check out Jeff's AI newsletter, Jagged Intelligence

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

A series of town halls aimed to explore how AI could be adopted across Baltimore in positive ways. Led by an unusual center at the University of Baltimore, the forum brought together city officials, local business leaders, folks from community organizations, professors, and just curious people in the community. Is it a model for educators bring AI literacy to a broader community?

AI Personas Briefing Report, Center for AI Learning and Community-Engaged Innovation, University of Baltimore.

Thanks to this week’s sponsors, Studiosity and Social Research: An International Quarterly.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

On this episode, Jeff talks to a veteran college enrollment official who is leading an AI experiment at his university, and an admissions consultant who has changed her mind about what she advises applicants about using AI.

Related links:

“Should AI score admissions essays?” by Jeff Young in The Chronicle of Higher Education

“I’m a college admissions counselor. I’ve changed my mind about students using ChatGPT,” by Sophie Sajnani in The San Francisco Examiner.

“What will be scarce?” by Alex Imas on his Ghosts of Electricity Substack.

Thanks to this week’s sponsor, Studiosity.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

This episode dives into the experiences of Chief AI officers at universities, including some misadventures and lessons learned.

“I’m an ‘AI Czar.’ This is the Role,” by Jeffrey Bardzell.

"AI-Enhanced Pedagogies: Rethinking Learning, Curriculum, and Human Potential in the Age of Intelligent Machines,” by Alexander (Sasha) Sidorkin.

"The Rise — and Fall? — of the AI Czar," in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Jeff's new Jagged Intelligence newsletter about AI on campuses.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Studiosity.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

A new paper warns of the dangers of people blindly adopting AI results in what researchers call "cognitive surrender." The lead author believes that with careful adoption, AI can improve education and boost learning. But he says the stakes are high for getting AI right in teaching.

"Thinking—Fast, Slow, and Artificial: How AI is Reshaping Human Reasoning and the Rise of Cognitive Surrender," by Steven D. Shaw and Gideon Nave.

"Thinking, Fast and Slow," by Daniel Kahneman.

Steven Shaw's webiste.

Episode sponsor: Studiosity

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

For this episode we're focusing on how liberal arts colleges are adapting to AI. On a recent day at Carleton College, two very different lunch conversations among faculty reveal the variety of views on whether and how to use AI in teaching.

Thanks to our sponsor, Studiosity

“The Hottest College Majors in the AI Age Just Might Be in the Liberal Arts,” in Inc.

Carleton College LTC Targeted Audience Lunch - “What Students Think about AI and Learning.”

"You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education," by George Anders.

"The Evidence Liberal Arts Needs" by Richard Detweiler.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

For this episode Jeff headed to Washington, DC to sit down with Mark Fisher, the director of a new center at Georgetown University exploring the intersection of AI and democratic citizenship. Fisher points out that democracy has changed before as new tech tools emerged. And he says scholars from many disciplines will need to team up to meet the challenges of this moment.

“Guarding Democracy in the Age of AI: When Everyone Has to Do Their Part,” Harvard University Safra Center for Ethics.

Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Citizenship initiative at Georgetown University.

"Lessons From Minneapolis About AI and Misinformation,” a previous episode of Learning Curve.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

What does it mean to teach art and design when free AI tools can generate sophisticated images in just a few seconds?

For this episode we’re diving into that big question. And to do that we’ll hear two stories where students used AI for design – one that led to celebration, and another that sparked controversy.

And we’ll hear from a leader at one of the nation’s leading art and design colleges who is wrestling with how to integrate AI into the curriculum there.

"From Text Prompt to Furniture: The Story Behind Babson’s AI Dam Chair," in Babson University's Thought & Action. (With pictures of the chair.)

"After AI Allegations, Class of 2026 Picks a New Jacket," in the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

"Demand for Integrity for Class of 2026 Jacket," a petition on Change.org.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

For this episode Jeff connected with Evan Ratliff, who created what he calls “the world’s first AI-led startup” to see what happens when AI agents run a company.

Shell Game podcast, by Evan Ratliff.

"Silicon Valley’s New Obsession: Watching Bots Do Their Grunt Work," in The Wall Street Journal.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

A growing number of experts are making the case for requiring students from middle school to college to do more rote memorization — of poems, dates, capitals, and more — to respond to rise of generative AI.

"2024 USA Memory Championship (LIVE STREAM)," on YouTube.

"Everyday Genius," by Nelson Dellis.

"The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI," on ArXiv.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Can thinking the public narrative around robot cars help educators think about the fast-rising trend of generative AI? For this episode, Jeff talked with two experts with books on how to think about teaching and AI — and put them in debate about key differences in their approaches.

Books, articles and podcasts mentioned:

“Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning,” by José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson.

“More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI,” by John Warner.

“What Is Culture in the Age of A.I.?” by Joshua Rothman in The New Yorker.

My interview with writer John McPhee from 2018 on the EdSurge Podcast.

“Chemistry Nobel goes to developers of AlphaFold AI that predicts protein structures,” in Nature.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

During the ICE surge in Minneapolis, AI is playing a role in this tense and unfolding story, specifically how it is contributing to misinformation. What can educators do to prepare students, and any of us, for this new information landscape where AI is increasingly a factor. Jeff visited the University of Minnesota’s journalism school and talked with a professor who is exploring the role of AI in news, as well as three student journalists covering protests and ICE activity.

Links mentioned:

Photos, videos and other coverage from The Minnesota Daily, the student newspaper at the University of Minnesota.

Trump social media post showing AI generated image of him attacking protesters, and an article about it.

"White House shares an altered photo of arrested Minnesota protester Nekima Levy Armstrong," in NBC News.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Last week the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing about potential legislation banning kids under 13 from using social media. Australia has a new law keeping kids under 16 off the technology. What about new AI tools? Should regulations enforce age limits — and is that even possible given how embedded the tech is becoming?

Senate Commerce Committee Hearing, "Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth."

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

In the past few months new AI tools known as “Agentic AI” have emerged. These new browsers let users deploy AI assistants that can surf the web on their behalf. While they were designed to do things like book airline tickets or schedule meetings, students can use the tools to have the bot log into learning management systems to take quizzes for them. Anna Mills, a longtime English instructor, has called on AI companies to add a simple guardrail to keep these tools from assisting in academic fraud, just as they refuse to help with hacking or other unethical acts. The situation raises questions about how AI companies are responding to calls by educators to add safeguards to protect learning.

LinkedIn post by Anna Mills calling for AI companies to add guardrails to protect learning.

“Statement on Educational Technologies and AI Agents” by the Modern Language Association.

Video demo by Anna Mills showing an Agentic AI browser taking quizzes in the name of a student.

“Tech companies don’t care that students use their AI agents to cheat,” in The Verge.

Perplexity ad on social media.

"The Adoption and Usage of AI Agents: Early Evidence from Perplexity," in ArXiv.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Matt Boudinot’s AI explainer videos and his Auto Service Soft Skills Garage.

A super-short version of this episode that ran on APM’s Marketplace.

"The Best of Car Talk: Some Noises Are Better Than Others,” on NPR.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

"1 in 5 high schoolers has had a romantic AI relationship, or knows someone who has," NPR.

“How many hours does it take to make a friend?,” research by this week’s guest Jeff Hall.

“Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens,” in The New York Times.

Talk out the Thomas Jefferson chatbot discussed on this episode.

“Programmed for Love,” an article I wrote for The Chronicle of Higher Education about Sherry Turkle’s work back in 2011.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

“Editorial: AI-proof the Core Curriculum The Core Curriculum is an essential part of a Catholic education that must be saved from AI,” in The Observer, the student newspaper at Notre Dame.

LinkedIn post by David Griffith about the student newspaper editorial.

AI Is Coming for the Consultants. Inside McKinsey, ‘This Is Existential.’ in The Wall Street Journal

"Should Instructors Ask Students to Show Document Histories to Guard Against AI Cheating?” in EdSurge.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

More on Bryan Alexander’s forthcoming book, “Peak Higher Education.”

“The Diamond Age,” by Neal Stephenson.

“Dual Enrollment Leads to More College Acceptances, Greater Financial Awards,” in Inside Higher Education.

“Should College Become Part of High School?” on the EdSurge Podcast.

Bryan Alexander’s Future Trends Forum.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

In the Know, the podcast of the University of Minnesota's student newspaper, The Minnesota Daily.

"Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College," in New York magazine.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Demo of Sara Cochran’s AI avatar, University of Virginia website

Sora and Vibes: AI Video Now Officially Going After Social Media, Platformer

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

“The Professors Are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About It,” by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times.

Northeastern University’s AI use policy.

“Automated Essay Writing: An AIED Opinion,” by Mike Sharples in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education.

EPISODE CREDITS: 

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC