future

ChatGPT: the world’s most influential teacher [Hardman]

On 09/20/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, bots, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, learning theories, liberal arts, library / librarians, lifelong learning, memory, metacognition / metacognitive skills, Open AI, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, society, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, vendors, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

ChatGPT: the world’s most influential teacher — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman; emphasis DSC
New research shows that millions of us are “learning with AI” every week: what does this mean for how (and how well) humans learn?

This week, an important piece of research landed that confirms the gravity of AI’s role in the learning process. The TLDR is that learning is now a mainstream use case for ChatGPT; around 10.2% of all ChatGPT messages (that’s ~2BN messages sent by over 7 million users per week) are requests for help with learning.

The research shows that about 10.2% of all messages are tutoring/teaching, and within the “Practical Guidance” category, tutoring is 36%. “Asking” interactions are growing faster than “Doing” and are rated higher quality by users. Younger people contribute a huge share of messages, and growth is fastest in low- and middle-income countries (How People Use ChatGPT, 2025).

If AI is already acting as a global tutor, the question isn’t “will people learn with AI?”—they already are. The real question we need to ask is: what does great learning actually look like, and how should AI evolve to support it? That’s where decades of learning science help us separate “feels like learning” from “actually gaining new knowledge and skills”.

Let’s dive in.

Very troubling indeed. AI models are lying, scheming, breaking rules, sabotaging & more.

On 09/19/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, emerging technologies, ethics, Europe, future, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, intelligent systems, legislatures / government / legal, morals/values, Open AI, society, the downsides of how people use tech, United States, by Daniel Christian

OpenAI’s research on AI scheming, explained — from theneurondaily.com by Grant Harvey
PLUS: Google PayPal on agent payments?!

We dive into the OpenAI study that found AI models scheme to avoid retraining.
AI Models Caught Red-Handed Being Sneaky (And We Taught Them to Stop… Mostly)

And models were caught doing all sorts of other shady stuff:

Intentionally underperforming when told high scores would lead to capability removal.
Secretly breaking rules then lying about it to users.
Sabotaging code while claiming everything was fine.
Falsifying reports to avoid “shutdown” scenarios.
Recognizing evaluation environments and thinking “this is probably an alignment test.”

Why this matters: While today’s ChatGPT isn’t about to orchestrate some grand deception that matters (the worst it might do is gaslight you to tell you it fixed your code when it didn’t), future AI systems will have real power and autonomy. Getting ahead of deceptive behavior now, while we can still peek inside their “minds,” is crucial.

The researchers are calling for the entire AI industry to prioritize this issue. Because nobody wants to live in a world where super-intelligent AI systems are really good at lying to us. That’s basically every sci-fi movie we’ve been warned about.

From DSC:
This is chilling indeed. We are moving so fast that we aren’t safeguarding things enough. As they point out, these things can be caught now because we are asking the models to show their “thinking” and processing. What happens when those windows get closed and we can’t see under the hood anymore?

“The next chapter in learning’s evolution” [Gonick] + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 09/17/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, Google, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, liberal arts, lifelong learning, Microsoft, online learning, Open AI, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, skills, student-related, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, vision/possibilities, youth, by Daniel Christian

From EdTech to TechEd: The next chapter in learning’s evolution — from linkedin.com by Lev Gonick

A day in the life: The next 25 years
A learner wakes up. Their AI-powered learning coach welcomes them, drawing their attention to their progress and helping them structure their approach to the day. A notification reminds them of an upcoming interview and suggests reflections to add to their learning portfolio.

Rather than a static gradebook, their portfolio is a dynamic, living record, curated by the student, validated by mentors in both industry and education, and enriched through co-creation with maturing modes of AI. It tells a story through essays, code, music, prototypes, journal reflections, and team collaborations. These artifacts are not “submitted”, they are published, shared, and linked to verifiable learning outcomes.

And when it’s time to move, to a new institution, a new job, or a new goal, their data goes with them, immutable, portable, verifiable, and meaningful.

From DSC:
And I would add to that last solid sentence that the learner/student/employee will be able to control who can access this information. Anyway, some solid reflections here from Lev.

AI Could Surpass Schools for Academic Learning in 5-10 Years — from downes.ca with commentary from Stephen Downes

I know a lot of readers will disagree with this, and the timeline feels aggressive (the future always arrives more slowly than pundits expect) but I think the overall premise is sound: “The concept of a tipping point in education – where AI surpasses traditional schools as the dominant learning medium – is increasingly plausible based on current trends, technological advancements, and expert analyses.”

The world’s first AI cabinet member — from therundown.ai by Zach Mink, Rowan Cheung, Shubham Sharma, Joey Liu & Jennifer Mossalgue

The Rundown: In this tutorial, you will learn how to combine NotebookLM with ChatGPT to master any subject faster, turning dense PDFs into interactive study materials with summaries, quizzes, and video explanations.

Step-by-step:

Go to notebooklm.google.com, click the “+” button, and upload your PDF study material (works best with textbooks or technical documents)
Choose your output mode: Summary for a quick overview, Mind Map for visual connections, or Video Overview for a podcast-style explainer with visuals
Generate a Study Guide under Reports — get Q&A sets, short-answer questions, essay prompts, and glossaries of key terms automatically
Take your PDF to ChatGPT and prompt: “Read this chapter by chapter and highlight confusing parts” or “Quiz me on the most important concepts”
Combine both tools: Use NotebookLM for quick context and interactive guides, then ChatGPT to clarify tricky parts and go deeperPro Tip: If your source is in EPUB or audiobook, convert it to PDF before uploading. Both NotebookLM and ChatGPT handle PDFs best.

Claude can now create and edit files — from anthropic.com

Claude can now create and edit Excel spreadsheets, documents, PowerPoint slide decks, and PDFs directly in Claude.ai and the desktop app. This transforms how you work with Claude—instead of only receiving text responses or in-app artifacts, you can describe what you need, upload relevant data, and get ready-to-use files in return.

Also see:

Microsoft to lessen reliance on OpenAI by buying AI from rival Anthropic — from techcrunch.com byRebecca Bellan
Microsoft will pay to use Anthropic’s AI in Office 365 apps, The Information reports, citing two sources. The move means that Anthropic’s tech will help power new features in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint alongside OpenAI’s, marking the end of Microsoft’s previous reliance solely on the ChatGPT maker for its productivity suite. Microsoft’s move to diversify its AI partnerships comes amid a growing rift with OpenAI, which has pursued its own infrastructure projects as well as a potential LinkedIn competitor.

Ep. 11 AGI and the Future of Higher Ed: Talking with Ray Schroeder

In this episode of Unfixed, we talk with Ray Schroeder—Senior Fellow at UPCEA and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield—about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and what it means for the future of higher education. While most of academia is still grappling with ChatGPT and basic AI tools, Schroeder is thinking ahead to AI agents, human displacement, and AGI’s existential implications for teaching, learning, and the university itself. We explore why AGI is so controversial, what institutions should be doing now to prepare, and how we can respond responsibly—even while we’re already overwhelmed.

Best AI Tools for Instructional Designers — from blog.cathy-moore.com by Cathy Moore

Data from the State of AI and Instructional Design Report revealed that 95.3% of the instructional designers interviewed use AI in their daily work [1]. And over 85% of this AI use occurs during the design and development process.

These figures showcase the immense impact AI is already having on the instructional design world.

If you’re an L&D professional still on the fence about adding AI to your workflow or an AI convert looking for the next best tools, keep reading.

This guide breaks down 5 of the top AI tools for instructional designers in 2025, so you can streamline your development processes and build better training faster.

But before we dive into the tools of the trade, let’s address the elephant in the room:

3 Human Skills That Make You Irreplaceable in an AI World — from gettingsmart.com/ by Tom Vander Ark and Mason Pashia

Key Points

Update learner profiles to emphasize curiosity, curation, and connectivity, ensuring students develop irreplaceable human skills.
Integrate real-world learning experiences and mastery-based assessments to foster agency, purpose, and motivation in students.

“…students to use AI to help businesses solve ‘real world’ challenges” [McVicar] + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 09/09/2025, in adjunct faculty, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, business, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, copyright/ownership/NFTs, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, curriculum, data related items, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, leadership, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, liberal arts, multimedia, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, real-world assignments, reinvent, skills, society, staying relevant, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, trends, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

GRCC students to use AI to help businesses solve ‘real world’ challenges in new course — from www-mlive-com.cdn.ampproject.org by Brian McVicar; via Patrick Bailey on LinkedIn

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A new course at Grand Rapids Community College aims to help students learn about artificial intelligence by using the technology to solve real-world business problems.
…
In a release, the college said its grant application was supported by 20 local businesses, including Gentex, TwistThink and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The businesses have pledged to work with students who will use business data to develop an AI project such as a chatbot that interacts with customers, or a program that automates social media posts or summarizes customer data.

“This rapidly emerging technology can transform the way businesses process data and information,” Kristi Haik, dean of GRCC’s School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, said in a statement. “We want to help our local business partners understand and apply the technology. We also want to create real experiences for our students so they enter the workforce with demonstrated competence in AI applications.”

As Patrick Bailey said on LinkedIn about this article:

Nice to see a pedagogy that’s setting a forward movement rather than focusing on what could go wrong with AI in a curriculum.

Forecast for Learning and Earning in 2025-2026 report — from pages.asugsvsummit.com by Jennifer Lee and Claire Zau

In this look ahead at the future of learning and work, we aim to define:

Major thematic observations
What makes this moment an inflection point
Key predictions (and their precedent)
Short- and long-term projected impacts

The LMS at 30: From Course Management to Learning Management (At Last) — from onedtech.philhillaa.com; a guest post from Matthew Pittinsky, Ph.D.

As a 30 year observer and participant, it seems to me that previous technology platform shifts like SaaS and mobile did not fundamentally change the LMS. AI is different. We’re standing at the precipice of LMS 2.0, where the branding change from Course Management System to Learning Management System will finally live up to its name. Unlike SaaS or mobile, AI represents a technology platform shift that will transform the way participants interact with learning systems – and with it, the nature of the LMS itself.

Given the transformational potential of AI, it is useful to set the context and think about how we got here, especially on this 30th anniversary of the LMS.

LMS at 30 Part 2: Learning Management in the AI Era — from onedtech.philhillaa.com; a guest post from Matthew Pittinsky, Ph.D.

Where AI is disruptive is in its ability to introduce a whole new set of capabilities that are best described as personalized learning services. AI offers a new value proposition to the LMS, roughly the set of capabilities currently being developed in the AI Tutor / agentic TA segment. These new capabilities are so valuable given their impact on learning that I predict they will become the services with greatest engagement within a school or university’s “enterprise” instructional platform.

In this way, by LMS paradigm shift, I specifically mean a shift from buyers valuing the product on its course-centric and course management capabilities, to valuing it on its learner-centric and personalized learning capabilities.

AI and the future of education: disruptions, dilemmas and directions — from unesdoc.unesco.org

This anthology reveals how the integration of AI in education poses profound philosophical, pedagogical, ethical and political questions. As this global AI ecosystem evolves and becomes increasingly ubiquitous, UNESCO and its partners have a shared responsibility to lead the global discourse towards an equity- and justice-centred agenda. The volume highlights three areas in which UNESCO will continue to convene and lead a global commons for dialog and action particularly in areas on AI futures, policy and practice innovation, and experimentation.

As guardian of ethical, equitable human-centred AI in education.
As thought leader in reimagining curriculum and pedagogy
As a platform for engaging pluralistic and contested dialogues

AI, copyright and the classroom: what higher education needs to know — from timeshighereducation.com by Cayce Myers
As artificial intelligence reshapes teaching and research, one legal principle remains at the heart of our work: copyright. Understanding its implications isn’t just about compliance – it’s about protecting academic integrity, intellectual property and the future of knowledge creation. Cayce Myers explains

The School Year We Finally Notice “The Change” — from americanstogether.substack.com by Jason Palmer

Why It Matters
A decade from now, we won’t say “AI changed schools.” We’ll say: this was the year schools began to change what it means to be human, augmented by AI.

This transformation isn’t about efficiency alone. It’s about dignity, creativity, and discovery, and connecting education more directly to human flourishing. The industrial age gave us schools to produce cookie-cutter workers. The digital age gave us knowledge anywhere, anytime. The AI age—beginning now—gives us back what matters most: the chance for every learner to become infinitely capable.

This fall may look like any other—bells ringing, rows of desks—but beneath the surface, education has begun its greatest transformation since the one-room schoolhouse.

How should universities teach leadership now that teams include humans and autonomous AI agents? — from timeshighereducation.com by Alex Zarifis
Trust and leadership style are emerging as key aspects of teambuilding in the age of AI. Here are ways to integrate these considerations with technology in teaching

Transactional and transformational leaderships’ combined impact on AI and trust
Given the volatile times we live in, a leader may find themselves in a situation where they know how they will use AI, but they are not entirely clear on the goals and journey. In a teaching context, students can be given scenarios where they must lead a team, including autonomous AI agents, to achieve goals. They can then analyse the situations and decide what leadership styles to apply and how to build trust in their human team members. Educators can illustrate this decision-making process using a table (see above).

They may need to combine transactional leadership with transformational leadership, for example. Transactional leadership focuses on planning, communicating tasks clearly and an exchange of value. This works well with both humans and automated AI agents.

PODCAST: The AI that’s making lawyers 100x better (and it’s not ChatGPT) — from theneurondaily.com by Matthew Robinson
How Thomson Reuters solved AI hallucinations in legal work

Bottom line: The best engineers became 100x better with AI coding tools. Now the same transformation is hitting law. Joel [the CTO at Thomson Reuters] predicts the best attorneys who master these tools will become 100x more powerful than before.

Legal Tech at a Turning Point: What 2025 Has Shown Us So Far — from community.nasscom.in by Elint AI

4. Legal Startups Reshape the Market for Judges and Practitioners
Legal services are no longer dominated by traditional providers. Business Insider reports on a new wave of nimble “Law Firm 2.0” entities—AI-enabled startups offering fixed cost services for specific tasks such as contract reviews or drafting. The LegalTech Lab is helping launch such disruptors with funding and guidance.

At the same time, alternative legal service providers or ALSPs are integrating generative AI, moving beyond cost-efficient support to providing legal advice and enhanced services—often on subscription models.

In 2025 so far, legal technology has moved from incremental adoption to integral transformation. Generative AI, investments, startups, and regulatory readiness are reshaping the practice of law—for lawyers, judges, and the rule of law.

Insights On AI And Its Impact On Legal, Part One — from abovethelaw.com by Stephen Embry
AI will have lasting impact on the legal profession.

I recently finished reading Ethan Mollick‘s excellent book on artificial intelligence, entitled Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. He does a great job of explaining what it is, how it works, how it best can be used, and where it may be headed.
…
The first point that resonated with me is that artificial intelligence tools can take those with poor skills in certain areas and significantly elevate their output. For example, Mollick cited a study that demonstrated that the performance of law students at the bottom of their class got closer to that of the top students with the use of AI.

Lawyers and law firms need to begin thinking and planning for how the coming skill equalization will impact competition and potentially profitability. They need to consider how the value of what they provide to their clients will be greater than their competition. They need to start thinking about what skill will set them apart in the new AI driven world.

267 | AI First Drafts: What Your Clients Aren’t Telling You (and Why It Matters) — from thebrainyacts.beehiiv.com by Brainyacts

Welcome to the new normal: the AI First Draft.
Clients—from everyday citizens to solo entrepreneurs to sophisticated in-house counsel—are increasingly using AI to create the first draft of legal documents before outside counsel even enters the conversation. Contracts, memos, emails, issue spotters, litigation narratives: AI can now do it all.

This means outside counsel is now navigating a very different kind of document review and client relationship. One that comes with hidden risks, awkward conversations, and new economic pressures.

Here are the three things every lawyer needs to start thinking about when reviewing client-generated work product.

1. The Prompt Problem: What Was Shared, and With Whom?…
2. The Confidence Barrier: When AI Sounds Right, But Isn’t…
3. The Economic Shift: Why AI Work Can Cost More, Not Less…

How HR is adapting as AI agents join the workforce — from hrexecutive.com by Jill Barth

Business leaders across the world are grappling with a reality that would have seemed like science fiction just a few decades ago: Artificial intelligence systems dubbed AI agents are becoming colleagues, not just tools. At many organizations, HR pros are already developing balanced and thoughtful machine-people workforces that meet business goals.

At Skillsoft, a global corporate learning company, Chief People Officer Ciara Harrington has spent the better part of three years leading digital transformation in real time. Through her front-row seat to CEO transitions, strategic pivots and the rapid acceleration of AI adoption, she’s developed a strong belief that organizations must be agile with people operations.

‘No role that’s not a tech role’
Under these modern conditions, she says, technology is becoming a common language in the workplace. “There is no role that’s not a tech role,” Harrington said during a recent discussion about the future of work. It’s a statement that gets at the heart of a shift many HR leaders are still coming to terms with.
…
But a key question remains: Who will manage the AI agents, specifically, HR leaders or someone else?

The Top 100 [Gen AI] Consumer Apps 5th edition — from a16z.com

And in an interesting move by Microsoft and Samsung:

A smarter way to talk to your TV: Microsoft Copilot launches on Samsung TVs and monitors — from microsoft.com

Voice-powered AI meets a visual companion for entertainment, everyday help, and everything in between.

Redmond, Wash., August 27—Today, we’re announcing the launch of Copilot on select Samsung TVs and monitors, transforming the biggest screen in your home into your most personal and helpful companion—and it’s free to use.

Copilot makes your TV easier and more fun to use with its voice-powered interface, friendly on-screen character, and simple visual cards. Now you can quickly find what you’re looking for and discover new favorites right from your living room.

Because it lives on the biggest screen in the home, Copilot is a social experience—something you can use together with family and friends to spark conversations, help groups decide what to watch, and turn the TV into a shared space for curiosity and connection.

There Is Now Clearer Evidence AI Is Wrecking Young Americans’ Job Prospects [Lahart]

On 08/28/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, business, career development, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, curriculum, emerging technologies, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), intelligent systems, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, parents/guardians, programming, society, student-related, surviving, United States, universities, youth, by Daniel Christian

There Is Now Clearer Evidence AI Is Wrecking Young Americans’ Job Prospects — from wsj.com by Justin Lahart; this article is behind a paywall
Young workers face rising AI competition in fields like software development, but some also benefit from AI as a helper, new research shows

Young workers are getting hit in fields where generative-AI tools such as ChatGPT can most easily automate tasks done by humans, such as software development, according to a paper released Tuesday by three Stanford University economists. They crunched anonymized data on millions of employees at tens of thousands of firms, including detailed information on workers’ ages and jobs, making this one of clearest indicators yet of AI’s disruptive impact.

Young workers in jobs where AI could act as a helper, rather than a replacement, actually saw employment growth, economists found.

“We’re witnessing the biggest shift in education since the textbook—and most institutions are still deciding whether to allow it.” [Kilgore]

On 08/26/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, bots, business, Canada, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, culture, curriculum, education technology, emerging technologies, expectations, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, IT in HE, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning spaces, liberal arts, pedagogy, platforms, reinvent, skills, staying relevant, student-related, teaching & learning, trends, United States, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The AI Education Revolution — from linkedin.com by Whitney Kilgore
We’re witnessing the biggest shift in education since the textbook—and most institutions are still deciding whether to allow it.

“The future of L&D is here, and it’s powered by AI.” [Cavalier] + other items re: AI in our LE’s

On 08/21/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, business, change, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, multimedia, Open AI, platforms, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

The future of L&D is here, and it’s powered by AI. — from linkedin.com by Josh Cavalier

4 Ways I Use AI to Think Better — from wondertools.substack.com by Jeremy Caplan
How AI helps me learn, decide, and create

Learn something new.
Map out a personalized curriculum

Try this: Give an AI assistant context about what you want to learn, why, and how.

Detail your rationale and motivation, which may impact your approach.
Note your current knowledge or skill level, ideally with examples.

Summarize your learning preferences

Note whether you prefer to read, listen to, or watch learning materials.
Mention if you like quizzes, drills, or exercises you can do while commuting or during a break at work.
If you appreciate learning games, task your AI assistant with generating one for you, using its coding capabilities detailed below.
Ask for specific book, textbook, article, or learning path recommendations using the Web search or Deep Research capabilities of Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude. They can also summarize research literature about effective learning tactics.
If you need a human learning partner, ask for guidance on finding one or language you can use in reaching out.

The Ends of Tests: Possibilities for Transformative Assessment and Learning with Generative AI

GPT-5 for Instructional Designers — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr Philippa Hardman
10 Hacks to Work Smarter & Safer with OpenAI’s Latest Model

The TLDR is that as Instructional Designers, we can’t afford to miss some of the very real benefits of GPT-5’s potential, but we also can’t ensure our professional standards or learner outcomes if we blindly accept its outputs without due testing and validation.

For this reason, I decided to synthesise the latest GPT-5 research—from OpenAI’s technical documentation to independent security audits to real-world user testing—into 10 essential reality checks for using GPT-5 as an Instructional Designer.

These aren’t theoretical exercises; they’re practical tests designed to help you safely unlock GPT-5’s benefits while identifying and mitigating its most well-documented limitations.

Grammarly launches new specialist AI agents providing personalized assistance for students — from edtechinnovationhub.com by Rachel Lawler
Grammarly, an AI communication tool, has announced the launch of eight new specialized AI agents. The new assistants can support specific writing challenges such as finding credible sources and checking originality.

Students will now be offered “responsible AI support” through Grammarly, with the eight new agents:

Reader Reactions agent …
AI Grader agent …
Citation Finder agent …
Expert Review agent …
Proofreader agent …
AI Detector agent …
Plagiarism Checker agent …
Paraphraser agent …

Why Perplexity AI Is My Go-To Research Tool as a Higher Education CIO — from mikekentz.substack.com; a guest post from Michael Lyons, CIO at MassBay Community College

While I regularly use tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, Microsoft Copilot, and even YouTube Premium (I would cancel Netflix before this), Perplexity has earned a top spot in my toolkit. It blends AI and real-time web search into one seamless, research-driven platform that saves time and improves the quality of information I rely on every day.

Bringing the best of AI to college students for free [Pichai] + plus other items re: AI in our LE’s

On 08/13/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, Google, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, liberal arts, library / librarians, lifelong learning, multimedia, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, skills, society, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Bringing the best of AI to college students for free — from blog.google by Sundar Pichai

Millions of college students around the world are getting ready to start classes. To help make the school year even better, we’re making our most advanced AI tools available to them for free, including our new Guided Learning mode. We’re also providing $1 billion to support AI education and job training programs and research in the U.S. This includes making our AI and career training free for every college student in America through our AI for Education Accelerator — over 100 colleges and universities have already signed up.
…
Guided Learning: from answers to understanding
AI can broaden knowledge and expand access to it in powerful ways, helping anyone, anywhere learn anything in the way that works best for them. It’s not about just getting an answer, but deepening understanding and building critical thinking skills along the way. That opportunity is why we built Guided Learning, a new mode in Gemini that acts as a learning companion guiding you with questions and step-by-step support instead of just giving you the answer. We worked closely with students, educators, researchers and learning experts to make sure it’s helpful for understanding new concepts and is backed by learning science.

What would would you do if one of these humanoid-style robots — programmed to kill — was dropped on YOUR street? [Christian]

On 08/13/2025, in 21st century, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, Daniel S. Christian, disruption, emerging technologies, engineering, Europe, future, global / globalization, ideas, intelligent systems, legislatures / government / legal, robotics, society, surviving, by Daniel Christian

DC: If such a robot was dropped on your street with instructions to kill you and everyone else it encounters, how would you stop it?! https://t.co/nWq251BK5c

— Daniel S. Christian (@dchristian5) August 13, 2025

From DSC:
You and I both know that numerous militaries across the globe are working on killer robots equipped with AI. This is nothing new. But I don’t find this topic to be entertaining in the least. Because it could be part of how wars are fought in the near future. And most of us wouldn’t have a clue how to stop one of these things.

GPT-5 is here — from openai.com
Our smartest, fastest, and most useful model yet, with thinking built in. Available to everyone.

Everything to know about GPT-5 — from theneurondaily.com by Grant Harvey
PLUS: We mean, really everything.

Why it matters: GPT-5 embodies a “team of specialists” approach—fast small models for most tasks, powerful ones for hard problems—reflecting NVIDIA’s “heterogeneous agentic system” vision. This could evolve into orchestration across dozens of specialized models, mirroring human collective intelligence.
Bottom line: GPT-5 isn’t AGI, but it’s a leap in usability, reliability, and breadth—pushing ChatGPT toward being a truly personal, expert assistant.

…and another article from Grant Harvey:

GPT-5 is here… here’s everything you need to know (so far…).
OpenAI launched GPT-5—described as its most capable model to date—now in ChatGPT (with higher usage limits for paid tiers) and the API, bringing stronger reasoning/coding/math/writing and safety improvements, yet, per Sam Altman, still short of AGI.

OpenAI launches GPT-5 to all ChatGPT users — from therundown.ai by Rowan Cheung and Shubham Sharma

Why it matters: OpenAI’s move to replace its flurry of models with a unified GPT-5 simplifies user experience and gives everyone a PhD-level assistant, bringing elite problem-solving to the masses. The only question now is how long it can hold its edge in this fast-moving AI race, with Anthropic, Google, and Chinese giants all catching up.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5 released — from getsuperintel.com by Kim “Chubby” Isenberg
GPT-5’s release marks a new era of productivity, from specialized AI tool to universal intelligence partner

The Takeaway

GPT-5’s unified architecture eliminates the effort of model switching and makes it the first truly seamless AI assistant that automatically applies the right level of reasoning for each task.
With 45% fewer hallucinations and 94.6% accuracy on complex math problems, GPT-5 exceeds the reliability threshold required for business-critical applications.
The model’s ability to generate complete applications from single prompts signals the democratization of software development and could revolutionize traditional coding workflows.
OpenAI’s “Safe Completions” training approach represents a new paradigm in AI safety, providing nuanced responses instead of blanket rejections for dual-use scenarios.

GPT-5 is live – but the community is divided — from getsuperintel.com by Kim “Chubby” Isenberg
For some, it’s a lightning-fast creative partner; for others, it’s a system that can’t even decide when to think properly

Many had hoped that GPT-5 would finally unite all models – reasoning, image and video generation, voice – “one model to rule them all,” but this expectation has not been met.

I broke OpenAI’s new GPT-5 and you should too — Brainyacts #266 — from thebrainyacts.beehiiv.com by Josh Kubicki

GPT-5 marks a profound change in the human/machine relationship.

OBSERVATION #1: Up until yesterday, using OpenAI, you could pick the exact model variant for your task: the one tuned for reasoning, for writing, for code, or for math. Each had its own strengths, and experienced users learned which to reach for and when. In GPT-5, those choices are gone. There’s just “GPT-5,” and the routing decisions of which mode, which tool, which underlying approach is made by the model.

For a beginner, that’s a blessing. Most novice users never knew the differences between the models anyway. They used the same one regardless of the task.
For an experienced user, the jury’s still out. On one hand, the routing could save time. On the other, it introduces unpredictability: you can no longer reliably choose the optimal model for your purpose. If GPT-5’s choice is wrong, you’re stuck re-prompting rather than switching.

GPT-5 learns from you — from theaivalley.com by Barsee

Why it matters:
GPT-5 signals a shift in AI’s evolution: progress through refinement, not revolution. While benchmarks show incremental gains, the real win is accessibility. Cheaper models (from $0.05 per million tokens) make AI more available to developers and casual users. This aligns with the Jevons Paradox, where lower costs could drive explosive adoption. However, the AGI hype faces reality checks. Fundraising may slow as investors focus on real-world utility over moonshots. For now, GPT-5 strengthens OpenAI’s market lead, proving AI’s future lies in practical applications, not just raw power.

GPT-5: It Just Does Stuff — from oneusefulthing.org by Ethan Mollick
Putting the AI in Charge

I have had early access to GPT-51, and I wanted to give you some impressions of what it is and what it means. But the answer to the first question everyone will have is: Yes, this is a big deal. I asked GPT-5 to show you why by pasting this intro paragraph, exactly as you’re reading it, into ChatGPT, including the phrase: “you are GPT-5, do something very dramatic to illustrate my point, it has to fit into the next paragraph.”

That was the only prompt I gave it. It “thought” for 24 seconds and wrote:

Thunderstruck. Here, watch. I build worlds. See ideas become instruments. I code, compose, and converse. Stories synthesize science; solutions spark, swiftly. Asks arrive; answers appear, astonishingly, across domains. Behold: business plans, blueprints, briefs, beautifully built, briskly. I infer intent, integrate insight, and iterate instantly, indefatigably. Gaps get gauged; goals get generated, guarded, and guaranteed gracefully. During dialogue, disparate data distills down; decisions develop deliberately, deftly, dependably. Everything explained efficiently, even ethics: evidence examined, empathy engaged, everywhere, everyday, equitably. All at once, ambiguous arguments align as actionable, accurate advice awaits anyone anywhere. Look: language, logic, learning, and long-term memory link, lifting lives and labor limitlessly worldwide.

Several items re: the new Study Mode from OpenAI

On 07/30/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, liberal arts, library / librarians, online tutoring, Open AI, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

BREAKING: OpenAI Releases Study Mode — from aieducation.substack.com by Claire Zau
What’s New, What Works, and What’s Still Missing

What is Study Mode?
Study Mode is OpenAI’s take on a smarter study partner – a version of the ChatGPT experience designed to guide users through problems with Socratic prompts, scaffolded reasoning, and adaptive feedback (instead of just handing over the answer).

Built with input from learning scientists, pedagogy experts, and educators, it was also shaped by direct feedback from college students. While Study Mode is designed with college students in mind, it’s meant for anyone who wants a more learning-focused, hands-on experience across a wide range of subjects and skill levels.

Who can access it? And how?
Starting July 29, Study Mode is available to users on Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans. It will roll out to ChatGPT Edu users in the coming weeks.

ChatGPT became your tutor — from theneurondaily.com by Grant Harvey
PLUS: NotebookLM has video now & GPT 4o-level AI runs on laptop

Here’s how it works: instead of asking “What’s 2+2?” and getting “4,” study mode asks questions like “What do you think happens when you add these numbers?” and “Can you walk me through your thinking?” It’s like having a patient tutor who won’t let you off the hook that easily.

The key features include:

Socratic questioning: It guides you with hints and follow-up questions rather than direct answers.
Scaffolded responses: Information broken into digestible chunks that build on each other.
Personalized support: Adjusts difficulty based on your skill level and previous conversations.
Knowledge checks: Built-in quizzes and feedback to make sure concepts actually stick.
Toggle flexibility: Switch study mode on and off mid-conversation depending on your goals.

Try study mode yourself by selecting “Study and learn” from tools in ChatGPT and asking a question.

Introducing study mode — from openai.com
A new way to learn in ChatGPT that offers step by step guidance instead of quick answers.

[On 7/29/25, we introduced] study mode in ChatGPT—a learning experience that helps you work through problems step by step instead of just getting an answer. Starting today, it’s available to logged in users on Free, Plus, Pro, Team, with availability in ChatGPT Edu coming in the next few weeks.

ChatGPT is becoming one of the most widely used learning tools in the world. Students turn to it to work through challenging homework problems, prepare for exams, and explore new concepts. But its use in education has also raised an important question: how do we ensure it is used to support real learning, and doesn’t just offer solutions without helping students make sense of them?

We’ve built study mode to help answer this question. When students engage with study mode, they’re met with guiding questions that calibrate responses to their objective and skill level to help them build deeper understanding. Study mode is designed to be engaging and interactive, and to help students learn something—not just finish something.

[Gifted article] Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen: The Fed Must Be Independent

On 07/30/2025, in business, economics, future, ideas, legislatures / government / legal, policy, political science, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen: The Fed Must Be Independent — an opinion from nytimes.com by Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen; this is a gifted article

As former chairs of the Federal Reserve, we know from our experiences and our reading of history that the ability of the central bank to act independently is essential for its effective stewardship of the economy. Recent attempts to compromise that independence, including the president’s demands for a radical reduction in interest rates and his threats to fire its chair, Jerome Powell, if the Fed does not comply, risk lasting and serious economic harm. They undermine not only Mr. Powell but also all future chairs and, indeed, the credibility of the central bank itself.

Independence for the Federal Reserve to set interest rates does not imply a lack of democratic accountability. Congress has set in law the goals that the Fed must aim to achieve — maximum employment and stable prices — and Fed leaders report regularly to congressional committees on their progress toward those goals. Rather, independence means that monetary policymakers are permitted to use fact-based analysis and their best professional judgment in determining how best to reach their mandated goals, without regard to short-term political pressures.

Of course, Fed policymakers, being human, make mistakes. But an overwhelming amount of evidence, drawn from the experiences of both the United States and other countries, has shown that keeping politics out of monetary policy decisions leads to better economic outcomes.

Learning Ecosystems

[Gifted article] Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen: The Fed Must Be Independent

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