Counting What Counts: The Push to Measure AI Literacy | Ep. 76

In this episode of ChatEDU (Counting What Counts: The Push to Measure AI Literacy), Matt & Liz start with a tech glitch & a visit with Aura, a Tesla voice model pretending to be a therapist. They shift to copyright lawsuits, student safety, & the need to define & measure AI literacy in schools.Story #1: The Rundown$1.5B Settlement: Anthropic agrees to pay authors for pirated training data. A major legal turning point. The court delays the deal & demands transparency & clear author rights.Character.AI Report: 669 harmful chatbot interactions with kids found in 50 hours of testing.FTC Investigation: The FTC opens a formal inquiry into AI companions & their impact on minors.NotebookLM Upgrades: Flashcards, quizzes, audio guides, & LMS support added to Google’s AI study tool.SETDA 2025 Report: AI is now the top state edtech priority. Device bans are rising, but so is investment in AI PD.Curtin Disables AI Detection: Turnitin’s AI-writing detector will be turned off to support trust & modern assessment.Detectors Still Struggle: Most AI detectors fail key benchmarks. Pangram is the only one showing strong results.Open-Source AI Textbooks: A new tool lets educators build AI-powered textbooks from OER with no coding.NYT Teen Contest: Students ages 13–19 can submit creative projects on life with AI. Due Oct 22.Story #2: Social Learning in the Age of AIA new study shows AI is replacing peer-to-peer learning. Students are skipping group study & turning to chatbots. The result is less collaboration, less creativity, & more isolation. Matt & Liz unpack the impact on student motivation & mentorship.Story #3: Beneath the Surface – AI Literacy & the Measurement GapSchools are racing to teach AI, but how do we know students are learning what matters?TeachAI ScenariosReady-to-use lessons that build source-checking & ethical use skills.AI QuestA game-based platform from Google & Stanford where students train models & solve real problems.ETS OpinionWithout shared definitions & measurement, AI literacy risks becoming a buzzword.Liz shares how her new student-facing course approaches skills, reflection, & real-world prompts.Bright Byte: Alter EgoMIT’s new wearable lets users silently communicate with machines by detecting muscle signals in the jaw & throat. Built to support people with ALS & MS, this tool brings AI & accessibility together.Links & ResourcesNotebookLMhttps://notebooklm.google/AI Scenariosailiteracyframework.orgAI Questhttps://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-quests/ETS Opinionhttps://hechingerreport.org/opinion-schools-cannot-teach-ai-literacy-without-a-way-to-measure-it/Character.AIhttps://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-launches-inquiry-ai-chatbots-acting-companionsSETDA 2025https://www.setda.org/priorities/state-trends/Anthropic Settlementhttps://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5529404/anthropic-settlement-authors-copyright-aiJudge Pushbackhttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/anthropic-judge-blasts-copyright-pact-as-nowhere-close-to-doneCurtin Disables Detectionhttps://www.curtin.edu.au/news/oasis-news/update-on-turnitin-ai-detection-tool/NBER Studyhttps://www.nber.org/papers/w34223GenerativeTextbooks.orgNYT Contesthttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/learning/growing-up-with-ai-a-multimedia-challenge-for-teenagers-and-educators.htmlAlter Egohttps://decrypt.co/338527/near-telepathic-wearable-communicate-silently-devicesAnnouncementsCheck out the new Student AI Course for middle & high school. Email Matt & Liz at [email protected] The Fall Micro-Credential is open. Join us for the educator & school leader course starting in October -  skills21.org/ai/microSponsorsThe National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. Explore their October 15–17 Summit in Rochester Hills, MI. www.nextgenmfg.orgEDIAThe AI-powered platform helping schools reduce absences & boost achievement edia.app/contact