Futures of Learning: AI in Education with Punya Mishra – Episode 33

Friction Required: How will a world transformed by emerging technologies like AI reshape the world? Sean Leahy,Andrew Maynard and special guest Punya Mishra cut through the hype to reveal the creative tension, hidden risks, and big-picture futures for AI-powered, human-centered education. How can the power of AI be harnessed without losing the soul of learning?

Friction Required: Re-imagining Learning in an AI World

Generative AI burst onto campuses promising personalized tutoring, instant lesson plans, and anytime feedback. Yet beneath the buzz lies a more provocative question: What, exactly, makes education worth the effort once answers are a prompt away? In this week’s Modem Futura, hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard sit down with educator-innovatorDr. Punya Mishra to look past the shiny tools and into the messy, human heart of learning.

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ZDH8vg

📺 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModemFutura

Over an energetic hour they explore why purposeful “friction”—the struggle, inquiry, and face-to-face negotiation of meaning—is still essential. Punya and Sean draw on John Dewey’s four impulses—Inquiry, Communication, Construction, Expression—as a compass for designing AI-infused classrooms that amplify (rather than automate) these deep-learning moments. The trio swap stories of chatbots that spark creativity, debate whether banning tools curbs cheating or curiosity, and ask whether transparency beats top-down rules when it comes to academic integrity.

But the conversation zooms further out. What happens when large language models become persuasive co-teachers? Could Universal Basic Income turn learning into a lifelong pursuit instead of a credentialing race? And might universities act as society’s “flywheel”—a deliberate drag that buys time to think before technology rewrites the rules? The answers aren’t neat, yet they underscore a shared conviction: the future of education must be AI-powered and human-centered.

Key Takeaways

• Friction is a feature, not a bug. Struggle fosters agency, resilience, and creativity—qualities that instant answers risk eroding.

• Design for Dewey’s impulses. Use AI to scaffold inquiry, amplify student expression, and make thinking visible, not to short-circuit it.

• Radical transparency > blanket bans. Open dialog about capabilities, limitations, and ethics beats whack-a-mole policies.

• Cheating vs. caring. Focus on cultivating authentic motivation; surveillance tech alone can’t fix a trust gap.

• Universities as sandboxes and speed-bumps. Higher ed can prototype responsible uses and slow premature adoption that harms society.

Whether you’re an instructor drafting next semester’s syllabus, a student exploring new creative tools, or a policymaker worried about the automation of learning, this episode offers frameworks—and questions—to keep humans at the center of the AI revolution.

🎧 Ready for the full conversation? Click below to listen or watch, then let us know how you’re embracing (or resisting) AI in your own learning spaces. And if the discussion sparks ideas, consider sharing this newsletter with a colleague—friction loves company!

If you’d like to dive deeper, jump into the link and listen to the podcast or watch the YouTube video. Join us as we explore the forces shaping our collective future and the urgent need to keep human values at the heart of innovation.

Subscribe and Connect!

Subscribe to Modem Futura on a favorite podcast platform, follow on LinkedIn, and join the conversation by sharing thoughts and questions. The medium may still be the massage, but everyone has a chance to shape how it kneads modern culture—and to decide what kind of global village we ultimately build.

🎧 Podcast: https://apple.co/3ZDH8vg

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModemFutura

Symbiotic Futures: Megatrends, Foresight, and Futures Thinking – Episode 31

From flying with an Apple Vision Pro to confronting an Iberian peninsula‑wide blackout, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard unpack the Future Days “symbiotic futures” summit and discuss how the futures of emerging real‑world tech adventures (and mishaps) expose the urgency of futures thinking and strategic foresight—and share the need for awareness of megatrends, staying resilient, and keeping humanity front‑and‑center in an increasingly tangled digital world.

Trans-Atlantic red-eyes are rarely inspiring, yet this one kicked off our latest Modem Futura episode in style: Sean stuffed his Apple Vision Pro into his carry-on and discovered that row 24G can double as a multi-monitor studio—until a flight attendant tapped his shoulder and yanked him out of an AR-powered “flow state.” That jolt proved prophetic: given he landed in Lisbon just hours after a massive blackout had plunged Spain, Portugal, and parts of France into darkness, spotlighting just how fragile our techno-social infrastructures really are.

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/45kz9XI

📺 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModemFutura

In this episode we unpack three intertwined themes: resilience, mindfulness, and strategic foresight. The Iberian outage becomes a live case study in cascading failure: digital payments, automated check-outs, ride-hailing apps—nothing works when the grid goes down. Yet crises like these also catalyze community; neighbors emerge with guitars and flashlights, rediscovering analog bonds that tech so often displaces.

From there we jump to Lisbon’s Future Days conference (the reason Sean was in Lisbon), whose “Symbiotic Futures” theme asked participants—from UN Futures Lab, UK Ministry of Justice, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, and many many more including analysts to indie designers—how humans and systems can co-evolve without erasing one another. One clear takeaway: “futures thinking” isn’t a niche job description; it’s a competency every profession now needs. By scanning megatrends—those climate, geopolitical, and technological forces that reshape the next 10-15 years—we build the agility to thrive amid volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) volatility.

But preparedness requires cognitive breathing room, and that’s where the Dutch concept of Niksen—“the art of doing nothing”—enters the chat. Slowing down isn’t a luxury; it’s a strategy that lets us question which tools genuinely advance human flourishing and which merely accelerate the attention treadmill.

Throughout, we circle back to a simple call: if you value conversations that blend tech realism with human-centered optimism, rate and review Modem Futura. Every star elevates the show in Apple Podcasts’ algorithms and helps new listeners discover our global community.

If you’d like to dive deeper, jump into the link and listen to the podcast or watch the YouTube video. Join us as we explore the forces shaping our collective future and the urgent need to keep human values at the heart of innovation.

Subscribe and Connect!

Subscribe to Modem Futura on your favorite podcast platform, follow on LinkedIn, and join the conversation by sharing thoughts and questions. The medium may still be the massage, but everyone has a chance to shape how it kneads modern culture—and to decide what kind of global village we ultimately build.

🎧 Podcast: https://apple.co/45kz9XI

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModemFutura

Reflecting on the Transformative Power of Generative AI in 2023 [podcast]

The latest episode of the Learning Futures Podcast dives into the transformative technology that has captured our attention and shaped our lives in 2023 - generative AI. Hosted by an expert panel including Punya Mishra, Sean Leahy, Rachna Mathur, and Kellie Kreiser, this insightful discussion explores the impact of AI on various fields and delves into personal experiences with this groundbreaking technology.

The episode kicks off with a warm welcome to the panel of esteemed guests, who bring their diverse expertise to the table. The first topic up for debate is the evolution of AI in education. The panel highlights how AI has become a normalized tool in classrooms, revolutionizing lesson planning and potentially democratizing knowledge. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to integrating AI into educational practices.

One fascinating aspect the panel delves into is the generational divide in AI perception. They discuss the varying levels of comfort and skepticism towards AI among different generations, highlighting a split between enthusiasts and skeptics. This divide raises important questions about the acceptance and adaptation of AI in our society.

Moving along, the conversation shifts gears to reflect on the significant advancements in generative AI throughout 2023. From AI-generated music to multimodal platforms combining text and imagery, the panel showcases the rapid progress made in this transformative technology. These advancements demonstrate the immense potential of AI to reshape various industries and enhance our daily lives.

A particularly interesting highlight from the episode is when Sean Leahy shares how AI has become an integral part of his family's routine, especially with his children. The immediate immersion and adaptation of younger generations to AI paint a picture of the future, where this technology will be deeply intertwined with our everyday existence. We are witnessing a seismic shift in how AI is perceived and utilized across different age groups.

As the episode draws to a close, the panel reflects on the speed of AI's development and its implications for the future. The educational landscape is undoubtedly one of the areas that will experience substantial changes due to AI, but its potential reaches far beyond that. The panelists leave us with a sense of curiosity and excitement about the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

If you are eager to gain insights into the intersection of AI, education, and daily life, this episode is a must-listen. The expertise of the panelists, coupled with their engaging discussions about the impact of AI and their personal experiences, make this episode captivating from beginning to end. Join the Learning Futures Podcast as they shed light on one of the most transformative technologies of our time and explore what it means for our future.

Learning Futures Podcast: Sc(AI)ry Stories

Unveiling the "Spooky" Halloween Special of the Learning Futures Podcast: Tales of Generative AI

This Halloween, prepare to be both enlightened and frightened, as the Learning Futures Podcast takes you on a ghostly journey through the world of Generative AI technologies. Host Sean, with the mystical assistance of producer extraordinaire Jake, has conjured a special episode that's guaranteed to send shivers down your spine while igniting your curiosity about the future interplay of humanity and artificial intelligence.

Frightful Fables and Eerie Insights

Imagine an AI that knows your deepest fears, a digital ghost that whispers secrets from the future, or a machine learning algorithm that predicts things that haven't yet happened... on a night like Halloween. The Learning Futures Podcast's special episode is not just entertainment—it’s a thought experiment set within the realms of what could be.

The Gathering of Ghostly Tales

In a unique twist to celebrating the spookiest time of the year, we threw down the gauntlet and issued a challenge: create an original short story involving Generative AI. These stories, limited to a brief yet impactful 500 words or less (or under 5 minutes of recording time), were to be set in the spirit of Halloween—spooky, funny, creepy, suspenseful, thought-provoking, thoughtful, or a bewitching mix of all.

A Cauldron of Creations

The response was a wonderful range of creative stories, proving that when it comes to blending AI with the arcane, our colleagues and listeners are imaginative and daring. The submitted stories took us on a rollercoaster ride through genres and plot twists, each a reflection of the storyteller's unique vision.

The AI Oracle

With every tale, we not only entertain but also explore the profound implications of Generative AI. How might these emerging technologies shape our lives, our ethics, and our understanding of what it means to be human? These stories may be short, but they are packed with the power to both spook and stimulate.

Dare to Listen

So, this Halloween, we invite you to tune in. Allow yourself to be swept into the digital depths of your imagination. Listen to the tales spun by enthusiasts and skeptics, scientists and artists, all united under the eerie glow of the Halloween moon.

As the boundary between the supernatural and the technological blurs, the Learning Futures Podcast's Halloween special will leave you pondering long after the echoes of the last story fade. It's a treat (with just a hint of trick) that you won't want to miss.

Before the Clock Strikes Midnight...

The "Spooky" Halloween special is available now, but like a ghostly apparition, it won't last forever. Tune in to this one-of-a-kind episode, and dive into the uncanny valley where AI and phantoms play.

Listen now... if you dare. And who knows? You might just find that the future is even more thrilling and mysterious than any ghost story ever told.

Happy Halloween from all of us at the Learning Futures Podcast! 🎃👻🖥️

The Metaverse, Implantable Tech, and AI with Katina Michael

Learning Futures Podcast - Season 6 is off to a stunner of a start! I am always thrilled when the chance arises to talk with Dr. Katina Michael, and our conversation around the metaverse, implantable technologies, and AI did not disappoint. Have a listen!

Sean and Katina explore a wide range of emergent technologies from the impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education to Biological and Digital Convergence, the Metaverse and XR, and much more. With each topic we discuss the sometimes hidden impacts, and the potential for societal change.

RSS Block

Select a Blog Page to create an RSS feed link. Learn more

RSS

Educating for Sustainable Futures

In this bonus episode of the Learning Futures Podcast Dr. Sean Leahy talks about the importance of educating for sustainable futures, discussing the opportunities and challenges. Dr. Leahy explores the urgency created by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the need to prepare for the uncertainty by engaging in futures thinking and other futures methodologies.

Learning Futures Season 4 - Futures Thinking

The 4th season of the Learning Futures Podcast is now out and the first episode has dropped. In addition to being the founder and executive producer for this podcast, this season my colleague Clarin Collins and I take over the hosting responsibilities as well. In our first episode for Season 4 we are joined by Ruth Wylie, Danah Henriksen, and Maricel Lawrence to chat about all things Futures Thinking. We hope you enjoy the episode!

If you like what you’re hearing, please do subscribe to the Learning Futures Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts…