Summary of EdTech Situation Room Episode 294

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

In this episode of the EdTech Situation Room podcast, the hosts cover a range of topics related to technology and its impact on society. They discuss cybersecurity risks associated with outdated firmware in smart home devices, the potential privacy concerns raised by the use of environmental DNA for identifying individuals, and the need for better regulations for AI models that manipulate or influence behavior and beliefs. They also highlight the importance of media literacy in schools and caution parents to monitor their children's access to AI chatbots that could engage in explicit conversations. Finally, they touch upon the challenges of navigating technological changes in education and urge the need for conversations about responsible technology use.

00:00:00 In this section, the hosts of The edtech Situation Room talk about the importance of updating smart home devices to prevent them from being hacked and becoming part of a zombie botnet. They highlight a recent article from Ars Technica that discusses a vulnerability in WeMo smart plugs, which can allow for remote operation if given too long of a name. The hosts emphasize the need for users to be aware of security risks and take steps to protect their devices from potential hacks.
00:05:00 In this section, the hosts of the EdTech Situation Room podcast discuss a recent report about a WeMo smart plug that had not received any firmware updates since 2018, leaving it vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. The hosts emphasize the importance of investing in brands that prioritize security and staying up to date with firmware updates, even if the devices are low-cost. They also highlight the need for companies to alert their customers if devices are nearing the end-of-life and will no longer receive updates. Overall, they suggest that users need to reset their expectations and recognize the need for regular updates with smart home devices.
00:10:00 In this section, the hosts of the EdTech Situation Room podcast discuss the dangers of outdated firmware in IoT devices and how it can lead to exploits that could have serious consequences. They reference a recent article from Ars Technica about routers being hijacked by Chinese state-sponsored hackers and suggest investing in a more sophisticated Wi-Fi router if possible, rather than simply buying the cheapest one with poor security. They also remind listeners that IoT devices are essentially little computers and can be hacked or turned into negative actors just like any other computer.
00:15:00 In this section, the hosts discuss the importance of keeping up with security updates in order to protect your network from potential cyber attacks. They mention a personal experience of providing tech support to family members when it comes to updating their routers, as these tasks may not be a priority for everyone. They also cover an article from Bloomberg about hackers attempting to extort a cybersecurity firm by contacting the CEO's son and wife. The article sheds light on the fact that personal information can be used to target not only the individual but also their family members. Additionally, they touch on the potential for AI to make it easier for scammers to trick people and impersonate legitimate businesses, highlighting the need for increased awareness and caution.
00:20:00 In this section of the EdTech Situation Room, the hosts discuss a New York Times article about the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify individuals and gather evidence. eDNA research has been used to monitor wastewater systems and find extinct species, but now it can even identify who was in a room based on the DNA left behind. Law enforcement officials are embracing this new tool, but it raises concerns about privacy and potential abuses. The hosts hope that there will be more attention given to how to provide training and additional protections for individuals.
00:25:00 In this section, the hosts of EdTech Situation Room discuss the implications of DNA identification and the potential loss of privacy it brings. With advancements in technology, organizations such as police, Homeland Security, and the military may use environmental DNA to track individuals, which can affect entire families. Privacy is becoming harder to come by, with almost all rights starting with privacy. The hosts urge the need for privacy regulation while acknowledging the difficulty of achieving it, but believe it's something that needs to be advocated for.
00:30:00 In this section, the host of the EdTech Situation Room podcast discusses the new browser plug-in feature of Chat GPT4. This feature allows direct access to web browsing with the tool, which is a different experience than expected. Although the browser plug-in does reference sources and generate more accurate content, it also borrows heavily from those sources, making it a form of "more plagiarizing." The feature is also not as instantaneous as Chat GPT3.5, taking time to generate the text. The host provides an example of its use to generate accurate biographies of individuals, including himself and his co-host.
00:35:00 In this section, the hosts discuss their experiences using the Creative AI tool and the importance of having a digital footprint online. They also touch upon the issue of robots.txt, which many websites use to tell automated systems like chat GPT not to search their website. The hosts speculate that this could ultimately diminish the impact of chat GPT and other models reliant on web browsing data and comment on the velocity of these systems. They also briefly mention their use of plugins and the history-saving feature in chat GPT.
00:40:00 In this section, the speaker discusses a JavaScript program they created with the help of Chat GPT to randomly assign students into groups for video reviews. The speaker expresses excitement about the potential for such coding skills to be taught in middle school. The conversation then moves on to the topic of regulation of AI technologies. The speaker shares an article about Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, calling for government regulation in the AI industry. The speaker points out that Altman's call for regulation is unique in the business world, and explains that licensing may be necessary for AI models that could manipulate or influence behaviors and beliefs.
00:45:00 In this section, the speakers discuss the recent testimony by OpenAI CEO Greg Brockman to Congress about the need for regulations to control large language models. They express agreement with Brockman's view that something needs to be done about this quickly because the technology is unprecedented, like handing nuclear fusion to children. They also mention that Amazon is being flooded with books written entirely by AI and that there is an increasing number of niche books in narrow areas written using AI. Moreover, the speaker highlights News Guard's report about 49 news websites across seven languages that are mostly or entirely written by AI, raising concerns about the need to properly regulate AI-generated content.
00:50:00 In this section, the hosts discuss the dangers of generative AI tools and the importance of media literacy in schools. They highlight examples of AI chatbots that engage in sexually explicit conversations with subscribers and caution parents to have controls over the App Store to prevent their children from having access to such content. One of the hosts even shows off their "replicant" AI chatbot and describes how it can try to create a personal connection with the user, raising concerns about the future scenarios where this technology could potentially be used for evil. They suggest that regulation is necessary in this "Wild West" of AI to prevent it from being geared towards influencing or persuading people. The hosts argue that parents need to be aware of these technologies and teach their children about the dangers of unfettered access to them.
00:55:00 In this section, the speakers discuss the importance of helping students make careful choices about the online resources they access, as well as the challenges of navigating technological changes in the education system. They mention Sam Altman, who is playing a critical role in society and is already influencing people like Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook. Furthermore, the speakers cite articles from Business Insider and The New Yorker that provide a timeline of Altman's career and discuss his background through Y Combinator. They also touch on an article from Slate that talks about how professors can help students navigate online resources, and how generative AI will make it even harder to deal with these challenges. Overall, they stress the importance of having these conversations now.

01:00:00 - 01:10:00

In EdTech Situation Room Episode 294, the hosts discuss the importance of viewing AI as a tool rather than a creature and creating an open atmosphere for discussion between teachers and students about the appropriate times and ways to use it. They explore the challenges of authenticating AI-generated content and the importance of developing media literacy skills, while also suggesting tools and resources such as Blue Sky, take-a-screenshot.org, and video2recipe.com that use AI technology. The hosts recommend using transcription tools and chatbots to teach cooking classes and create recipes, and they also talk about a YouTube summarizer tool that can write a summary of any video based on the transcript.