Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University

00:30:38

Ep. 21 Unfixed Newswire, winter 2026 AI stories...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2026/01/26

In this episode of Unfixed Newswire, Nik and Zach break down the most consequential—and occasionally absurd—AI news. The conversation spans OpenAI’s push toward ads and potential NSFW content; the relentless churn of new AI models like Gemini 3 and GPT-5.x; and why tools like Claude Code and Claude Cowork may signal a real shift toward AI agents as co-workers. They also interrogate the current AI investment bubble, unpack why enterprise tools like Google Gemini’s Canvas integration may matter more

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00:27:33

Ep. 20 Make College Great Again? Nostalgia, AI, and...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2026/01/12

In this episode of Unfixed, Nik and Zach take on a difficult but necessary conversation about nostalgia in higher education. Using real media headlines, faculty experiences, and their own teaching histories, they explore how AI panic taps into a deeper longing for a pre-pandemic, pre-ChatGPT past that may never have been as stable as we remember. The discussion unpacks what nostalgia is, why it’s so powerful right now, and how scapegoating AI can obscure long-standing challenges around reading,

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0:38:13

Ep. 19 AI in Higher Ed Year in Review (2025)

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/12/30

Nik and Zach review the best and worst of AI in higher ed for 2025. AI and Higher Education: 2025 We unpack the collapse of AI detection, the rise of system-wide AI partnerships like CSU and OpenAI, uneven assessment redesign, growing faculty stratification, and mounting concern that generative AI is hollowing out entry-level knowledge-work jobs. The episode closes by looking ahead to 2026, including model updates, political backlash, environmental impacts, and what higher education faces if the AI

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00:39:30

Ep. 18 Parenting and Teaching in an AI World:...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/12/15

Dr. Shelley Hart joins Nik and Zach to explore how children and adolescents are forming relationships with generative AI. We discuss what “too young” means in an AI-saturated world, and how parents, teachers, and caregivers can responsibly shape norms, boundaries, and ethics around AI use. Drawing on her expertise in child development, Dr. Hart offers practical insights for guiding kids through emerging technologies.Shelley HartNik Janos, Typing, Talking, Googling: Seeing the AI-first generationTodd

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00:31:28

Ep. 17 AI has gone MAGA and What it means for higher...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/12/01

In this episode, Nik and Zach unpack how Trump’s alignment with AI labs, deregulation, and political culture wars collide with higher education. With weak federal guidance, states—and universities—are left to chart their own AI futures.Zach Justus and Nik Janos, Inside Higher Ed, AI Has Gone MAGAMohar Chatterjee, Politico, AI is Opening a MAGA-Trump SplitThoughts and suggestions? Email us at unfixed@meltsintoair.orgYou can find the full show notes and our writing at meltsintoair.org

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00:36:49

Ep. 16 Inside the CSU–OpenAI Partnership

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/11/17

California State University leaders Emily Magruder and Leslie Kennedy join Unfixed to discuss how the CSU–OpenAI partnership is reshaping conversations about teaching, technology, and faculty work. They share lessons from system-level innovation, union tensions, and the future of AI in higher education.Emily MagruderLeslie KennedyNik Janos, Melts into Air, Thoughts on the first AI-powered universityJulie Bajaras, LAist, Inside Cal State's big $17 million bet on ChatGPT for allThoughts and

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00:37:39

Episode 15 Bridging the Gaps: AI, EdTech and...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/11/03

Alchemy Learning’s Brett Christie joins us to unpack real gaps on campus—tools, culture, and strategy—and how partners can help. We discuss “build vs. buy” to faculty buy-in and smart governance and explore how Universal Design for Learning is as important as ever in the AI age.Alchemy Learning WebsiteAlchemy Webinar SeriesZach Justus on Melts into Air, “AI Is Making Edtech Pricier”CognitiZone of Proximal Development (ZPD)Thoughts and suggestions? Email us at unfixed@meltsintoair.orgYou can find the

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00:29:18

Hello Agent Smith: AI Agents in Higher Education

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/10/20

In this episode of Unfixed, Nik and Zach explore the rise of AI agents—autonomous, goal-driven systems that can research, plan, and even collaborate with learners. From inbox triage and coding prototypes to the not-yet-ready world of full computer control, they unpack where agents are already useful on campus and where hype outpaces reality. The conversation turns to higher ed implications: assessment, advising, operations, and governance. Tune in for a clear look at how AI agents are reshaping

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00:26:21

Ep. 13 The Enforcement Illusion: Why AI Use Policies...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/10/06

In this episode of Unfixed, Nik and Zach unpack the “enforcement illusion” behind AI use policies in higher education. From the impossibility of a true “no-AI” classroom to the cultural gap between faculty and students, they argue why cultivating dispositions, transparency, and dialogue offers a more meaningful path than rigid rules in the age of generative AI.Note: Dear listener please forgive the substandard audio. We had a technical malfunction during the recording of this episode.Zach Justus and

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00:28:58

Ep. 12 Unfixed Newswire: Fall AI Stories Shaping...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/09/22

Zach and Nik brings you the biggest AI-in-education headlines shaping higher ed this fall—from ChatGPT’s new Study Mode and Canvas integrations to Microsoft’s agents, Big Tech partnerships, and Grammarly’s AI grade oracle.OpenAI ChatGPT Study ModeInstructure: Canvas ChatGPT integrationMicrosoft Copilot AgentLA Times: Big Tech as SaviorReuters: Google Pledges Over $1 Billion for AI TrainingGrammarly, What Grade Will I Get?Thoughts and suggestions? Email us at unfixed@meltsintoair.orgYou can find the

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00:40:00

Ep. 11 AGI and the Future of Higher Ed: Talking with...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/09/08

In this episode of Unfixed, we talk with Ray Schroeder—Senior Fellow at UPCEA and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield—about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and what it means for the future of higher education. While most of academia is still grappling with ChatGPT and basic AI tools, Schroeder is thinking ahead to AI agents, human displacement, and AGI’s existential implications for teaching, learning, and the university itself. We explore why AGI is so controversial,

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00:35:58

Ep. 10 Ready for a Fight?

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/08/25

In this episode of Unfixed, “Ready for a Fight?”, we explore the growing resistance to generative AI in higher education. While we don’t adopt the “Fight AI” stance ourselves, we take it seriously—as a revealing response to the rapid automation of knowledge work. Drawing from educators, artists, organizers, and labor movements, we unpack what motivates this rejection of AI, what it’s defending, and where it might lead. Featuring references to union actions, institutional policy shifts, and

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00:37:06

Ep. 9: Bridging the AI Gap: From Kindergarten to...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/08/11

AI is reshaping every level of education—but K–12 and higher ed often feel worlds apart. In this episode, we talk with Teach Smarter podcast hosts Stephanie Dinnen and Pete Siner about how generative AI is transforming K–12 schools, the evolving challenges across grade levels, and what higher education needs to understand about the next generation of AI-native students.Stephanie Dinnen is an implementation specialist, supporting districts and schools in building MTSS frameworks for literacy, math

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00:32:19

Ep. 8 We Built an AI Advising Bot, Here’s What Happened

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/07/28

Advising is part mentorship, part logistics—and often a confusing mess. In this episode, we explore how AI might help (or hurt) students and advisors trying to navigate course selection, degree requirements, and policy mazes. We share what happened when we built our own advising bot and tested it in the wild. Could this be the future of student support, or just another edtech fantasy? With special guest Jamie Gunderson. Josh Farris and Chi Chan, Guiding First-Generation Students to SuccessLauren

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00:30:44

Ep. 7 Insecure University

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/07/14

In this episode of Unfixed, we unpack the mounting pressures that are destabilizing higher education. From the looming enrollment cliff and partisan political attacks to the unresolved trauma of COVID-19 and the disruptive arrival of generative AI, universities are being pulled in multiple, often contradictory, directions. Nik and Zach explore how these forces intersect to create what they call the “insecure university.” What does it mean to learn, teach, and lead in institutions struggling to

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00:24:14

Ep. 6 AI and the Slow University

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/06/30

Mark Carrigan, Are Universities Too Slow to Cope With Generative AI?Melts into Air, Thoughts on the First AI-Powered UniversitySeb Murray, Business Schools Ease Their Resistance to AIThoughts and suggestions? Email us at unfixed@meltsintoair.orgYou can find the full show notes and our writing a meltsintoair.org

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00:30:18

Ep. 5 The Wild West

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/06/16

Nik Janos, Thoughts on the First AI-powered University Rob Nelson, What is an AI-empowered University Rob Nelson, Alignment Problem Thoughts and suggestions? Email us at unfixed@meltsintoair.orgYou can find the full show notes and our writing a meltsintoair.org

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00:31:04

Ep. 4 AI is Coming for White-Collar Jobs-Is Higher Ed...

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/06/05

In this special breaking-news episode of Unfixed, Nik and Zach dive into urgent headlines warning that AI could eliminate millions of entry-level white-collar jobs. They unpack what this means for students, the public perception of higher education, and what colleges must do now to stay relevant. Featuring insights from Kevin Roose, Dario Amodei, Hard Fork, and more, the episode explores how universities can reposition themselves in an era of accelerating automation and economic uncertainty.Kevin

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00:28:14

Ep. 3 Shock and Awe

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/06/02

Melts into Air, Assistant for the Rest of UsMelts into Air, Tenure, Promoton, AIMelts into Air, AI Personality Disorder

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00:24:22

Ep. 2: AI is Devil Magic

Unfixed: How AI Is Reshaping the University ·

2025/05/18

Inside Higher Ed, Assessment of Student Learning Is BrokenThoughts and suggestions? Email us at unfixed@meltsintoair.orgYou can find the full show notes and our writing a meltsintoair.org

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