I remember the first time I heard about Rate My Professor. (Back in my day, we didn’t have internet!)

Alone in my office, I nervously looked myself up: three five-star reviews, one two-star and a comment about my physical appearance.

“How do they do this?!” I wondered to myself, slightly pleased but also trying not to be grossed out by the idea that any students had even noticed I had a physical appearance.

Now, when I scramble to keep up with Ai, I get those same warring feelings of marvel and despair. What? Why?? How?!

Look, I don’t want to live in fear. That’s how the terrorists win. I want to balance that natural feeling of dread and trepidation with one of wonder and awe. 

That’s why I’m presenting you with (among other things) some philosophical musings on Ai that will directly impact what and how you teach.

You can join me, or you can head to the comments to make remarks about my physical appearance.

All about our robot overlords

✏️ Ask the pros: CJR collaborated with USC’s AI for Media and Storytelling Initiative, asking reporters, editors, executives and other news industry thinkers How We’re Using AI. The answers are incredibly diverse and will give you real insights about what to teach and what to skip.

🍎 For the teacher: Here are instructions for professors on establishing a sustainable plan to engage and teach with Ai going forward. Don’t miss the author’s great recommendations on Ai-meets-education newsletters. 

🧠 Think young: Ai newsletter The Neuron flagged this Sam Altman video in which he said (and I’m quoting the newsletter, not Altman here) “that young people aren't just using AI tools; they're basically treating them like a life operating system … While older folks might use ChatGPT as a glorified Google replacement, people in their 20s and 30s are using AI as an actual life advisor. We're talking about a digital confidant that knows the full context of their life … Altman compared this to the smartphone revolution. Remember how younger people instantly got touchscreen tech while older generations struggled? We're seeing the same pattern with AI.”

‼️ Talk about ethics: And why is all of this so important? So you’ll know how to handle it when this comes up in class: Law&Crime recently announced that it would use courtroom transcripts and Ai to recreate courtroom events during Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial, since no cameras are allowed in that (and many other) courtrooms. Here’s what it looks like:

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