What a Character - The Secret Life of character.ai and Teens | Ep. 18

In this episode of ChatEDU (What a Character - The Secret Life of character.ai and Teens), Matt and Liz explore the wildly popular character.ai platform and how its approach might be leveraged for AI in K-12 education. First in our Intro Matt welcomes Liz back from her international travels and they discuss the reported perils of AI use and drinking (though it does not appear to apply to them!).  Then in the News AI Content Detection Updates - After a detailed sidebar on custom bots, Matt provides an update on two recent studies (higher ed / K-12) illustrating the limitations of educators in identifying AI-generated writing. They discuss the implications for academic integrity and assessment strategies. PISA Assessment Results - Liz discusses the latest PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) results, focusing on the new creativity assessment and the performance of U.S. students compared to other countries. Beneath the Surface: Matt and Liz explore character.ai, a hugely popular but underreported AI platform among teens. They discuss: The platform's massive user base (233 million users worldwide) High engagement rates (average 2 hours per user) Types of characters available (historical figures, fictional characters, etc.) New voice call feature Potential applications and concerns for K-12 education Together, the hosts provide some guidance on how educators might explore character-based AI interactions in their classrooms. Short Stack Chat Back: Tolkien-Style - Claude provides a three-sentence summary of the future of chatting with AI characters in the style of J.R.R. Tolkien. Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at [email protected]