Week in Edtech 5/7/2025: Columbia’s AI Cheating Scandal, Duolingo’s AI Shift, AI Education Mandate, Google’s AI Overviews Cut Clicks 34.5%, Higher Ed Under Fire, and More! Feat. Brian Malkin of Rang, John Marshall of Brainfreeze & Scott Nadzan of Panopto

Edtech Insiders

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Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs and policy shakeups to new funding rounds and workforce shifts shaping the future of learning.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Silicon Valley debates the rise of “AI Slop” and the impact of vibe coding.
[00:03:36] Columbia student suspended for AI cheating tool raises $5.3M to commercialize it.
[00:04:56] Anthropic’s Drew Bent explains why code literacy now means editing AI-generated code.
[00:08:09] 200 CEOs and Code.org push for mandatory AI classes in high school.
[00:11:13] Federal government’s role in AI education policy under debate.
[00:14:04] Duolingo plans to replace contract workers with AI, triggering backlash.
[00:20:42] Higher ed faces political attacks; Harvard and Columbia push back.
[00:23:32] K-12 faces teacher shortages and $4.5B in proposed federal funding cuts.
[00:35:21] Google’s AI Overviews cut search click-through rates by 34.5%.

Plus, special guests:

[00:36:08] Brian Malkin, Co-Founder & CEO of Rang, on rewards programs to improve K-12 attendance.
[00:50:29] John Marshall, CEO of BrainFreeze, on AI safety and transparency in schools.
[01:12:31] Scott Nadzan, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategic Communications at Panopto, on AI-generated video and the Elai acquisition.

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🎉 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. Silicon Valley debates the rise of “AI Slop” and the impact of vibe coding. (00:00:00)

2. Columbia student suspended for AI cheating tool raises $5.3M to commercialize it. (00:04:07)

3. Anthropic’s Drew Bent explains why code literacy now means editing AI-generated code. (00:05:27)

4. 200 CEOs and Code.org push for mandatory AI classes in high school. (00:09:03)

5. Federal government’s role in AI education policy under debate. (00:12:07)

6. Duolingo plans to replace contract workers with AI, triggering backlash. (00:14:58)

7. Higher ed faces political attacks; Harvard and Columbia push back. (00:21:36)

8. K-12 faces teacher shortages and $4.5B in proposed federal funding cuts. (00:24:26)

9. Google’s AI Overviews cut search click-through rates by 34.5%. (00:36:15)

10. Brian Malkin, Co-Founder & CEO of Rang, on rewards programs to improve K-12 attendance. (00:37:02)

11. John Marshall, CEO of BrainFreeze, on AI safety and transparency in schools. (00:51:23)

12. Scott Nadzan, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategic Communications at Panopto, on AI-generated video and the Elai acquisition. (01:13:25)