Learning Curve

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 YoungMusic 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 YoungMusic 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 YoungMusic 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 YoungMusic 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 YoungMusic by Komiku©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC