In this episode, Kevin sits down with Vida Williams, Chief Data Officer at Stride, to explore the promise—and risks—of artificial intelligence in education. From personalized tutoring to curatorial learning, they dive into how AI is reshaping what it means to teach, learn, and build trust in a digital world.

They discuss how AI can reduce teacher overload, personalize instruction, and expand access—but also unpack why how we build it matters as much as what we build.

And in a world where machines are getting better at guiding student learning, they ask a fundamental question:

What's the role of the human in the future of education?

If education is a shared journey, should machines walk with us?

This might be what you want to know.

What You'll Learn

01:30 – Why Vida left energy & healthcare to focus on education

03:00 – What a Chief Data Officer actually does in a K–12 company

05:00 – Why protecting student data is now non-negotiable

07:30 – AI's real use in classrooms: less grading, more learning

09:00 – "The resurgence of library science" and curatorial learning

11:30 – How personalized AI tutors support (not replace) teachers

13:00 – Socratic learning vs. automation: can AI do both?

16:00 – What young learners really want from AI

18:30 – Guardrails, dialects & equitable access in AI design

21:00 – Why teachers must shape the future of AI tools

25:00 – Are we all becoming cyborgs? And is that a bad thing?

Go Deeper with Vida Williams

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vida-williams/

Learn about Stride Learning: https://www.stridelearning.com

Explore Stride Tutoring: https://tutoring.k12.com

Read more on ethical AI in education: https://www.edweek.org/technology

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