It’s been a busy month for AI, which, based on the latest headlines, is something we’ll be saying about all months going forward, forever. There have been so many developments in education and artificial intelligence since our last update that it’s almost too much to report on, so before we proceed, here is a caveat: what follows is but a sampling of the latest developments in AI and learning. Assuming a future where AGI is achieved and our current societal posture towards thinking machines remains unchanged, we are going to be disrupting everything about how we learn and make things, with a velocity that accelerates over time. So! Bearing all this mind, here is a non-comprehensive list of AI and learning highlights that transpired in the last month:
Anthropic’s new Claude for Education rollout is turning heads in higher ed, less for what it can answer, and more for how it refuses to. The centerpiece is Claude’s “Learning Mode,” which uses Socratic questioning to guide students through critical thinking rather than serving up spoon-fed answers. The initiative isn’t just a one-off pilot, either. Full-campus access has already landed at Northeastern, LSE, and Champlain College, with deep integrations planned for Canvas and the Internet2 network. This model reimagines AI as a reasoning partner rather than a solution engine, a major signal that pedagogy in the age of AI is shifting from recall to reflection.
OpenAI is taking its Academy public, transforming what began as a developer-focused program into a free, online hub for learners of all backgrounds. The goal? To democratize AI literacy through peer insights, curated curricula, and collaborations with partners like Common Sense Media and Goodwill Keystone. Workshops are also expanding globally, with new hands-on events launching at Georgia Tech and Miami Dade College. It’s a scaled response to a very real problem: if (or more realistically, when) AI fluency becomes a new fundamental form of digital literacy, everyone needs a place to start.
Speaking of Georgia Tech: their March AI Literacy Workshop, held during Tech AI Fest, doubled as both a public outreach effort and a showcase of how institutions can get hands-on with responsible AI. Co-developed with OpenAI Academy, the event emphasized practical use cases and peer-to-peer learning. Georgia Tech’s involvement is a working prototype of what it means to deliver AI fluency at scale. The partnership reinforces a growing belief that literacy initiatives like these are foundational to any forward-looking curriculum.
The Wharton School just rewired its entire curriculum around AI, introducing a dedicated AI major for MBAs and a concentration for undergrads. The program blends machine learning, business ethics, and electives in neuroscience and marketing, aiming to produce graduates who understand both the technical architecture and the real-world implications of AI. Required courses like “Big Data, Big Responsibilities” bring ethics to the foreground, while an “Accountable AI Lab” supports applied research. The message is clear: in the business world of tomorrow, AI isn’t an edge – it’s the cost of entry.
A growing chorus of experts is worried that passive AI use, especially in the workplace, could lead to “digital amnesia,” where humans become over-reliant on automation and lose critical thinking skills. Enter the education-inspired antidote: AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT now explicitly prioritize guided reasoning. CIO’s recent deep dive connects these classroom tactics to enterprise potential, arguing that tools designed to stimulate human cognition might actually future-proof institutional knowledge. Call it AI with an asterisk: smart, but meant to make you smarter.
Finally, in a move equal parts earnest and entertaining, Microsoft launched the AI Skills Fest, a 50-day open-access training program culminating in a Guinness World Record attempt for “most users to complete an AI lesson in 24 hours.” The event includes learning modules for all levels, whether you’re curious about everyday AI use or prepping for certification with tools like Azure and GitHub Copilot. It’s multilingual, multi-platform, and very Microsoft. If gamified AI education is what it takes to build broad public fluency, they might just pull it off. Badge included.
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That’s a wrap on the April dispatch. We’ll be back next month with more breakthroughs, buzzwords, and probably another university or two doing something incredibly cool with generative AI. In the meantime, if you’re ready to bring cutting-edge AI into your learning tools, get in touch – we’d love to help!