Episode 324: Charlie Meyer

Episode 324 – Charlie Meyer: The AI Hype, EdTech Snake Oil & What Teachers Actually Want In this episode of My EdTech Life, I sit down with Charlie Meyer, small business owner and creator of Pickcode, to unpack the growing wave of AI solutionism in education. From being shouted at over not using AI to asking hard questions like, “Would you trust a vibe-coded site with your bank info?”, Charlie brings the heat, the honesty, and the humor. If you’re an educator, policymaker, EdTech builder, or investor—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & shoutout to sponsors 02:00 - Who is Charlie Meyer? From CS major to classroom teacher to Pickcode 05:00 - The AI hype: Charlie gets yelled at for not using AI 08:00 - Small biz vs. VC startups: Who’s actually listening to teachers? 10:30 - The silver bullet myth: Why AI promises fall flat in classrooms 15:00 - Where do we draw the line on AI delegation? 17:30 - Real talk on student-teacher relationships & AI disruption 21:00 - AI feedback loops: Are students and teachers both being sidelined? 22:30 - Spotting snake oil: How to vet EdTech products built on buzz 24:00 - If AI tools were honest: “I don’t know you. I don’t care. I’m a matrix in a data center.” 26:00 - Pedagogy in a silo: Personalized ≠ human 28:00 - What Charlie would tell an AI founder who’s never taught 31:00 - Why most teachers aren’t asking for AI—and that’s OK 33:00 - The accountability gap: Who’s vetting these tools? 36:00 - “Move fast and break things” ≠ Classroom values 40:00 - AI tools vs. real classroom pain points 42:00 - Why Pickcode solves real problems without AI 45:00 - Vibe coding exposed: Would you bank on AI-written code? 54:00 - Final thoughts: The bet on GPT-6 & the future of AI in EdTech 57:00 - Charlie’s lightning round: kryptonite, billboards, and his dog’s perfect life 01:01:00 - Final reflections & stay techie! 🔗 Explore More 🌐 Visit Pickcode: https://www.pickcode.io 💬 Connect with Charlie Meyer 🎧 Catch every episode: https://www.myedtech.life 🙌 Special thanks to our sponsors: Book Creator | Eduaide.ai | Yellowdig | Pocketalk 📣 Don’t forget to like, comment, and share if this episode challenged your thinking or made you laugh. Let’s build smarter, safer EdTech—together. Peel Back Education exists to uncover, share, and amplify powerful, authentic stories from inside classrooms and beyond, helping educators, learners, and the wider community connect meaningfully with the people and ideas shaping education today. Authentic engagement, inclusion, and learning across the curriculum for ALL your students. Teachers love Book Creator. Support the show Get full access to My EdTech Life at myedtechlife.substack.com/subscribe