For colleges and schools, the relationship with major AI companies is complicated. Many are buying AI tools for their students, even as they strain to prevent harms to learning caused by these same tools.

For this episode of Learning Curve, we wanted to talk directly to folks at the frontier AI labs to hear their philosophy of how they see AI changing learning — and what they plan to do to prevent potential downsides to education. Jeff connected with OpenAI’s Brian Johnsrud, global head of education engagement, and Google’s Ben Gomes, who leads learning and sustainability there. It seems these companies are betting that education as we know it will change significantly in the next few years because of how AI is changing the workplace and society.

EPISODE CREDITS:

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Modern AI systems follow a logic of prediction to deliver their answers. Sociologist Mona Sloane sees a cultural precedent for ascribing so much power to a predictive system — the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece.

Works mentioned in this episode:

“Predicted: How AI Is Restructuring Social Life,” by Mona Sloane.

“How Colleges Can Safeguard Democracy in an AI Era,” a past episode of Learning Curve.

“Gaseous Emissions at Oracle of Delphi Entranced the Pythia,” in Scientific American.

“The Law of Prediction,” by Ari Ezra Waldman, in SSRN.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Studiosity.

EPISODE CREDITS:

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC

Clay Shirky leads NYU’s AI efforts, and his background is as a media theorist commenting on how tech changes society. During the rise of social media 20 years ago, he was giving TED talks and writing popular books on how digital tech was altering our world.

To his surprise, though, he says that background in earlier tech revolutions hasn’t been much help in figuring out how college professors should adapt to AI. This tech is different, he says, and NYU is now pivoting from the early advice they offered on the technology.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

“AI Is a ‘Wicked Problem.’ That’s the University’s Specialty,” By Clay Shirky in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Students Are Skipping the Hardest Part of Growing Up,” by Clay Shirky in The New York Times.

“Can’t Stop Using ChatGPT on HW,” Reddit post, now deleted but on the Internet Archive.

“Guilty about using AI but don’t know how not to,” Reddit post.

“The Souls of the Machine: Clay Shirky says the Internet revolution has only just begun,” by Jeff Young in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

"AI Homework," by Ben Thompson.

“‘We don’t need to panic’: Clay Shirky on NYU’s approach to AI,” in Washington Square News.

“Inside the MIT Report on How AI Is Eroding Campus Culture,” Learning Curve Season 2 Ep. 1

“The AI Optimist Researching ‘Cognitive Surrender’,” Learning Curve Season 1 Ep. 21

“A Question of Signaling,” by Bryan Kaplan.

“The wicked problem of AI and assessment,” in Assessment & Evaluation in Education.

“Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion,” by Wendy Suzuki.

EPISODE CREDITS:

Reported and produced by Jeff Young

Music by Komiku

©Copyright 2026 Learning Curve Productions LLC