Mar 20, 2025
News Stories Covered in
the Episode
AI Typing Like a Human? – Graham Clay’s LinkedIn
post on ChatGPT Operator mimicking human keystrokes
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7292163775963557888/
The Vatican on AI Ethics – “Antiqua et Nova”
report on AI, human intelligence, and ethics in education
Sacerdotus: Vatican's New Document on AI: Ethical Guidelines and
Human Responsibility
Australian Government’s AI Study – Treasury
report on Microsoft 365 Copilot, estimating it pays for itself if
it saves 13 minutes per week
Treasury M365 Copilot review estimates 13-minute efficiency gain
needed to justify licence cost - Software - iTnews
California State University & AI – Providing
500,000 stuents access to ChatGPT Edu
https://openai.com/index/openai-and-the-csu-system/
Estonia’s AI Strategy – National AI policy giving all students access to AI tutors https://openai.com/index/estonia-schools-and-chatgpt/
Australia’s New National AI Centre
Director – ex-podcast co-host Lee Hicken appointed
to lead the centre. For those keeping count, that's the
second of the podcast hosts that's now at NAIC, with current hosts
Dan & Ray still waiting for the call 😂
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7306940399086903296/
Manus AI Release – A new AI system focused on reasoning and
conversation
McKay Wrigley's X post
Research Papers Discussed
"From chalkboards to chatbots: Transforming learning in
Nigeria, one prompt at a time" – World Bank blog on AI
tutoring in Nigeria, claiming two years of learning gains in six
weeks.
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria
We discussed Ethan Mollick's LinkedIn post focusing on the multiple controlled experiments showing that students can be helped or harmed based on how they use AI
“AI Meets the Classroom: When Does ChatGPT Harm
Learning?” – Study on ChatGPT’s impact on learning; found
that using AI without explanations led to weaker long-term
retention.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2409.09047v1
“Generative AI Can Help Learning” – AI tutors
improve test results but can hinder deeper learning if students
rely too much on direct answers
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4895486
“Effective and Scalable Math Support: Experimental
Evidence on the Impact of an AI- Math Tutor in
Ghana” – AI tutor via WhatsApp in Ghana increased learning
by the equivalent of one extra school year at $5 per student
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2402/2402.09809.pdf
“Generative AI in higher education: A global perspective
of institutional adoption policies and guidelines” – Study
on university AI policies worldwide; most encourage AI use but lack
clarity on inclusivity and transparency
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X24001516