Week in Edtech 5/14/25: AI Lawsuits in Classrooms, Utah’s EdTech Surge, Youth Unemployment Rises, Google’s Gemini Targets Students, Corporate AI Layoffs Accelerate, Personalized Tutoring at Scale, and More! Feat. Sam Chaudhary of ClassDojo

Edtech Insiders

Send us a text

Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI in classrooms to workforce shifts and EdTech innovation across the globe.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:16] Ezra Klein podcast brings AI and education to mainstream conversation
[00:07:20] Alex and Ben compare and critique GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools
[00:09:28] Utah emerges as a leading hub for EdTech startups and innovation
[00:12:21] New AI bundles help educators explore tools like Superhuman and Perplexity
[00:13:19] Surge in media coverage on cheating, lawsuits, and educator use of AI
[00:16:17] Lawsuit filed against professor for using AI-generated content in class
[00:18:00] Concerns grow about students using AI tools to bypass cognitive learning
[00:23:10] Direct-to-student AI sparks debate about academic integrity and design
[00:25:20] Google plans to roll out Gemini to students under 13
[00:29:41] AI enables hands-on science learning like virtual frog dissections
[00:33:43] AI compared to electricity as foundational infrastructure for the future
[00:36:09] Rising youth unemployment signals early impact of AI-driven disruption
[00:38:57] Major firms lay off workers while shifting strategy toward AI adoption
[00:40:34] EdTech must define and prepare students for new AI-native job roles

Plus, special guest:

[00:41:22] Sam Chaudhary, Co-founder & CEO of ClassDojo on tutoring, gamified learning, and community building

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

• Follow our Podcast on:
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Amazon Music
• Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
• Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

Chapters

1. Week in Edtech 5/14/25: AI Lawsuits in Classrooms, Utah’s EdTech Surge, Youth Unemployment Rises, Google’s Gemini Targets Students, Corporate AI Layoffs Accelerate, Personalized Tutoring at Scale, and More! Feat. Sam Chaudhary of ClassDojo (00:00:00)

2. Ezra Klein podcast brings AI and education to mainstream conversation (00:03:47)

3. Alex and Ben compare and critique GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools (00:07:51)

4. Utah emerges as a leading hub for EdTech startups and innovation (00:09:59)

5. New AI bundles help educators explore tools like Superhuman and Perplexity (00:12:52)

6. Surge in media coverage on cheating, lawsuits, and educator use of AI (00:13:50)

7. Lawsuit filed against professor for using AI-generated content in class (00:17:11)

8. Concerns grow about students using AI tools to bypass cognitive learning (00:18:54)

9. Direct-to-student AI sparks debate about academic integrity and design (00:24:04)

10. Google plans to roll out Gemini to students under 13 (00:26:14)

11. AI enables hands-on science learning like virtual frog dissections (00:30:35)

12. AI compared to electricity as foundational infrastructure for the future (00:34:37)

13. Rising youth unemployment signals early impact of AI-driven disruption (00:37:03)

14. Major firms lay off workers while shifting strategy toward AI adoption (00:39:51)

15. EdTech must define and prepare students for new AI-native job roles (00:41:28)