Can a chatbot help dismantle inequity in schools—or make it worse?

In this kickoff to Season 2 of AmpED to 11, we sit down with Amanda Bickerstaff, co-founder and CEO of AI for Education and one of the most fearless, future-focused educators in the generative AI space. From training more real humans on gen AI than anyone else (seriously—she might be the most prolific AI educator on the planet), Amanda drops a masterclass on what AI literacy truly means and why it goes far beyond “Top 10 Tools for Teachers.”

She dives deep into the ethics conversation—wading through climate impacts, model bias, training data transparency, and why she refuses to train on paid tools—while still radiating relentless optimism about what’s possible when humans lead with curiosity and intention. You’ll also hear surprising insights from real students, like the eighth grader who tried to prompt an “unsexist CEO”… and what that image generator did next.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

📚 Bold reframe: Why AI literacy isn’t something you “get”—it’s something you build.

📚 Systemic tension: How AI can narrow or widen opportunity gaps—and who’s really responsible.

📚 Tools that matter: Why Amanda’s team sticks to foundation models (and their favorite application layer for students and teachers).

📚 Failure is a feature: How the “messy middle” of experimentation creates the most transformative adult learning.

🌎 Ethics, decoded: Amanda’s 2-part definition of true AI ethics—and what most people get wrong.

🤖 Student obsession: What kids are doing, questioning, and loving when we give them space to explore AI critically and creatively.

Rebecca also spills her AI Tip of the Week on why models hallucinate—and what OpenAI’s scoring system has to do with it. Brett shares stories from the field on districts innovating in real time.

With Amanda, Brett, and Rebecca in the room, this one doesn’t pull any punches—and you’ll leave smarter, braver, and way more AmpED than when you started.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.