For this episode Jeff headed to Washington, DC to sit down with Mark Fisher, the director of a new center at Georgetown University exploring the intersection of AI and democratic citizenship. Fisher points out that democracy has changed before as new tech tools emerged. And he says scholars from many disciplines will need to team up to meet the challenges of this moment.

“Guarding Democracy in the Age of AI: When Everyone Has to Do Their Part,” Harvard University Safra Center for Ethics.

Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Citizenship initiative at Georgetown University.

"Lessons From Minneapolis About AI and Misinformation,” a previous episode of Learning Curve.

What does it mean to teach art and design when free AI tools can generate sophisticated images in just a few seconds?

For this episode we’re diving into that big question. And to do that we’ll hear two stories where students used AI for design – one that led to celebration, and another that sparked controversy.

And we’ll hear from a leader at one of the nation’s leading art and design colleges who is wrestling with how to integrate AI into the curriculum there.

"From Text Prompt to Furniture: The Story Behind Babson’s AI Dam Chair," in Babson University's Thought & Action. (With pictures of the chair.)

"After AI Allegations, Class of 2026 Picks a New Jacket," in the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

"Demand for Integrity for Class of 2026 Jacket," a petition on Change.org.

For this episode Jeff connected with Evan Ratliff, who created what he calls “the world’s first AI-led startup” to see what happens when AI agents run a company.

Shell Game podcast, by Evan Ratliff.

"Silicon Valley’s New Obsession: Watching Bots Do Their Grunt Work," in The Wall Street Journal.