In this episode of ChatEDU (Check Please: Is Your AI Paying Off?) Matt and Jonathan open with updates about Liz’s at ISTE/ASCD. From there, they tackle a practical and philosophical look at AI’s rapid growth, job impacts, classroom adoption, and hidden trade-offs as leaders rethink what to automate. The episode closes with a bright byte on how AI is helping India map heat risks, proving that machine learning can drive real-world climate adaptation.

Story #1: The AI Resume Arms Race

Matt and Jonathan unpack a recent New York Times piece on how employers are overwhelmed by a flood of AI-generated resumes, while companies fight back with AI-powered screening tools. It’s an HR arms race with clear parallels to the college essay challenge, forcing educators and employers alike to rethink what authentic assessment and hiring should look like in the age of generative AI.

Story #2: What Gets Measured Gets Automated

Pulling from a Harvard Business Review analysis, Matt and Jonathan explore which tasks AI will automate first, from grading quizzes to lesson planning to even attendance tracking via facial recognition. They discuss where AI makes sense, where human judgment is still essential, and how this ties into deeper conversations about what education is truly for in an AI-saturated world.

Story #3 (Beneath the Surface): Is Your AI Actually Adding Value?

Going deeper, they highlight an HBR “AI Value Audit” to help educators and leaders assess when using AI saves time versus when it erodes critical learning, skill development, and human connection. They apply this audit live, pulling real tasks from ChatGPT histories and discussing which uses genuinely amplify their work—and which risk making things shallower.

Bright Byte: India Uses AI to Map Heat Risks

India is now using AI and satellite data to map heat vulnerability building-by-building across major cities. This lets communities target interventions like cool roofs and green spaces, helping residents adapt to extreme heat events made worse by climate change. It’s a crisp example of how AI can drive practical climate resilience at scale.

Announcements

The Summer Micro-Credential is still open, with a special ISTE/ASCD promo for attendees. skills21.org/ai/micro

Links and References

Anthropic’s Claudius Experiment

https://time.com/7298088/claude-anthropic-shop-ai-jobs/

NYT on AI and Hiring

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/technology/ai-spending-openai-amazon-meta.html

Harvard Business Review: What Gets Measured Gets Automated

https://hbr.org/2025/06/what-gets-measured-ai-will-automate

Harvard Business Review: Audit Your AI Use

https://hbr.org/2025/06/recalculating-the-costs-and-benefits-of-gen-ai

India Heat Mapping with AI

https://www.wired.com/story/india-is-using-ai-and-satellites-to-map-urban-heat-vulnerability-down-to-the-building-level/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Sponsor

This episode is supported in part by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

www.nextgenmfg.org

In this episode of ChatEDU (AI Ate My EdTech Stack), Matt and Liz open with a failed product demo, a viral subway AI romance, and some studio chaos before diving into three stories with big implications for classrooms and edtech. They explore how Canva is reinventing itself, why Estonia wants students to use their phones more, and how AI may soon reshape the entire edtech ecosystem. A bright byte on AI and bridge building closes the episode with impact.

Story 1: Canva Becomes an AI Suite

Canva is expanding beyond design into productivity, learning, and automation. Its new Visual Suite 2.0 includes Magic Studio, Canva Code, and Magic Insights. The platform now rivals Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 with tools for content creation, business intelligence, and app building. But it raises questions around data privacy, authorship, and how schools will manage AI-generated work.

Story 2: Estonia Leans Into Phones and AI

While US schools ban phones, Estonia is using them to teach. Students vote with phones, learn with ChatGPT, and follow clearly defined norms. The education minister argues this cultural trust supports responsible use. Estonia is licensing AI for all students and teachers and considering oral assessments instead of essays. It’s a national experiment worth watching.

Story 3: Beneath the Surface – LLMs and the EdTech Shakeup

A deep research project using Gemini looked at how AI will disrupt edtech. The findings show that flashcards, homework apps, and static tools face high risk. LMS platforms and formative tools are in the middle. Project-based tools and SIS systems are least vulnerable. At the same time, districts are already cutting hundreds of unused tools from their stacks. Consolidation is coming.

Bright Byte: AI Finds Hidden Waterways

A nonprofit used AI to map 77 million miles of previously undocumented waterways. This helps rural communities build bridges faster and connect to schools, markets, and clinics. AI is accelerating infrastructure for real-world change.

Announcements

The Summer Micro-Credential is still open skills21.org/ai/micro

Links and References

Gemini Catch Me Up - https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/android-os/google-drive-introduces-gemini-powered-catch-me-up-feature

Canva Visual Suite 2.0 -

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anishasircar/2025/04/15/canvas-all-in-one-ai-suite-could-rival-tech-giants---but-theres-fine-print/

Estonia’s AI in Schools -

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/may/26/estonia-phone-bans-in-schools-ai-artificial-intelligence

EdTech Disruption Report (via Gemini) -

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e1cZT93TOWqtt8UWo3NaVbJNfpGSwI73jjoNltJDDno/edit?usp=sharing

EdSurge on Districts Cutting Tools -

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-05-16-trimming-the-edtech-fat-how-districts-are-streamlining-their-digital-ecosystems

Bright Byte – Waterway Mapping with AI -

https://www.businessinsider.com/bridges-to-prosperity-nonprofit-ai-mapping-waterways-rural-communities-2025-5

Sponsor

Supported by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing www.nextgenmfg.org