Season 4 of “Azadeh and Guy on AI” starts next week, and we are running it differently.

For three seasons, we built each episode around a topic, a paper, or a perspective we wanted to think through out loud. This season every episode is an interview. We are sitting down with instructors and students across higher education and K-12, from engineering, education, business, and the humanities, to hear how AI is being used in and out of their classrooms.

Three things we are trying to get right this season:

* Real classrooms over abstractions. We want the account from people teaching and learning right now, not another round of predictions about where this is headed.

* Both sides of the desk. We are talking with students as well as instructors, because the two often describe the same tool in ways that do not match. A student finds a use the instructor never intended. An instructor redesigns an assignment after watching AI walk through the old one in seconds.

* A range of fields. What counts as good use in a writing seminar and in an engineering lab are not the same thing, and the differences are worth naming.

We are recording on video for the first time this season, so you can watch the conversations if you would rather. When a guest shares something on screen, we will make it available to audio-only listeners too.

If you are teaching with AI, learning with it, or studying how it changes a classroom, I want to hear what is surprising you. What has worked, and what has failed?

First episode next week.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

As Season 3 wraps up, Guy shares firsthand insights from the Google Education AI series for higher education in Chicago—one of the most impactful professional learning experiences he's encountered. Guy and Azadeh dig into what it means for institutions to truly commit to AI integration (hint: it takes more than a policy), how faculty can use AI-enabled curriculum design to improve assignments, and why the "middle group" of hesitant educators may be the most important audience right now. Azadeh also shares a practical win using ChatGPT for academic manuscript organization. If you're navigating AI adoption in higher education, this episode is your roadmap.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

In this episode of Azadeh and Guy on AI, we welcome back Omid Tarashtwal for a deeper conversation about how artificial intelligence is transforming research, international development, and data-driven decision-making. We explore how AI, geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing can work together to address real-world challenges, from improving access to education and healthcare to informing infrastructure and policy decisions in developing countries. Omid explains how AI helps researchers identify meaningful patterns in large datasets, generate research ideas, and support evidence-based policymaking while emphasizing the continued importance of human expertise and validation. We also discuss the environmental impact of AI, the balance between innovation and sustainability, and AI's potential to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Whether you're an educator, researcher, policymaker, or simply interested in how AI can create positive global impact, this episode offers an insightful look at AI beyond the classroom.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

In this episode of Azadeh and Guy on AI, we welcome Omid Tarashtwal, a recent master's graduate in Agricultural Economics, to discuss how artificial intelligence can transform the graduate student experience. Omid shares how he strategically uses AI to identify professional development opportunities, secure competitive training programs at institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, and Yale, and build a career at the intersection of agriculture, climate change, and international development. We also explore the role of AI in graduate coursework, coding, research, and academic writing, emphasizing how AI can support learning without replacing critical thinking. The conversation highlights the importance of providing AI with meaningful context, using it as a personalized learning partner, and developing responsible AI practices that strengthen the educational process. We conclude by discussing AI's potential to address global challenges, including climate resilience and early warning systems for farmers. Whether you're a graduate student, educator, or researcher, this episode offers practical insights into using AI to learn more effectively, advance your career, and make a meaningful impact.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

In this episode of Azadeh and Guy on AI, Guy joins us from the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Conference in New Orleans to share the latest developments in AI and computer science education. We discuss the newly released CSTA standards and how they integrate artificial intelligence from middle school onward, balancing AI literacy, ethics, and computational thinking. The conversation explores how educators are navigating generative AI, concerns about cognitive offloading, the role of machine learning in helping students understand AI, and the challenges of teaching increasingly sophisticated AI systems. We also reflect on Nebraska's efforts to prepare more computer science teachers, examine the environmental debates surrounding AI, and share practical ways we each used AI during the week—from planning a conference schedule to improving professional writing. Whether you're an educator, researcher, or simply curious about the future of AI in schools, this episode offers thoughtful insights from one of the largest gatherings of computer science educators.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

What happens when a lifelong writing teacher comes face-to-face with generative AI? In this episode, Azadeh and Guy welcome Dr. Evi Wusk, an assistant professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University, who shares her deeply human journey through the AI revolution in education. From grief and disorientation to cautious curiosity, Evi unpacks what human-centered writing instruction really means when ChatGPT is in every classroom. They explore AI as a thinking partner, the risks of bypassing productive struggle, and why staying in the messy conversation matters more than picking a side. If you care about writing, teaching, and the future of literacy, this episode is for you.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

Thinking about how AI fits into your graduate school journey? In this episode, Azadeh and Guy share six practical, honest tips for navigating AI as a graduate student, from setting boundaries with your advisor to mastering prompt quality and automating repetitive tasks. They dig into the importance of treating AI as a research partner rather than an author, why playing with low-stakes tasks builds real confidence, and how professional development opportunities can sharpen your edge. Whether you’re just starting a PhD program or already deep in your research, this episode offers grounded guidance on responsible AI use in academia you won’t want to miss.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

What if the key to better AI in education is play? In this episode, Azadeh and Guy welcome Dr. Jeremy Riel, Director of the TRAIL Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago, to explore how his team designs responsible AI tools for learners and educators. They dig into the intersection of automation and play, why involving teachers early builds trust, and how the innovative SkillTree project uses AI to identify evidence of learning beyond traditional tests. If you care about ethical AI design, formative assessment, and the future of educational technology, this conversation is a must-listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

What does AI policy in K-12 schools actually look like, and what's dangerously missing? In this episode, Azadeh and Guy sit down with Dr. Nikki Schafer, Director of User Support for Omaha Public Schools, who shares findings from her dissertation analyzing AI policy across Nebraska school districts. Nearly 40% of districts she studied had no public AI policy at all, and most that did focused narrowly on academic integrity while overlooking data privacy, human oversight, and algorithmic bias. From deepfakes in hallways to imposter syndrome among educators, Dr. Schaefer covers the AI challenges schools aren't prepared for. If you care about responsible AI in education, this episode is essential listening.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com

Is AI the future of personalized learning, or are we falling for Silicon Valley hype? In this episode, Azadeh and Guy dig into two high-profile AI education experiments: Alpha Schools, which promise accelerated learning in just two hours a day, and Khanmigo, Khan Academy's AI tutoring chatbot. They trace the roots of the AI tutoring promise back to Benjamin Bloom's two-sigma problem and scrutinize whether the evidence holds up. From student surveillance to teacher burnout, they unpack why AI integration in education is harder than it looks, and why human teachers aren't going anywhere. Tune in for an honest, research-grounded take on AI in education.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guyonai.substack.com