The Tinker Table

Episode 7 – Class Time: Gemini, Ford, and Building Better Tools

🎙 Episode 7 – Class Time: Gemini, Ford, and Building Better Tools This week on The Tinker Table, we’re blending history, tech news, and AI tools in another quick “class time” session. In this episode: Innovator Spotlight: Henry Ford — From the Model T to the moving assembly line, how Ford reshaped production, labor, and access to technology. Stay in the Know: 🔧 Robots rebuild wildfire-hit homes in California 🤖 China’s World Humanoid Robot Games — robots sprint, fight, and flop, showing both promise and limits of embodied AI 🌊 Seashell-inspired recycling at Georgia Tech — turning plastics into stronger, more consistent composites Tools for the Table: Google Gemini — Google’s integrated AI assistant in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. We ask: when should AI stay in the sandbox, and when should it help build the sandbox? Reflection: What everyday tool in your life could benefit from the right kind of AI support? Sources & References: Henry Ford – Wikipedia ArchDaily. (2025). AI-powered robotics support rebuilding homes in Los Angeles fire zones. [https://www.archdaily.com/1033163/ai-powered-robotics-support-rebuilding-homes-in-los-angeles-fire-zones] AP News. (2025). Photos of Beijing’s World Humanoid Robot Games. [https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/china-world-humanoid-robot-games-ai-98acfd5ca24cd5fe331af8a7ab51ddec] Georgia Tech. (2025). Seashells inspire better way to recycle plastic. [https://coe.gatech.edu/news/2025/08/seashells-inspire-better-way-recycle-plastic] Google Gemini – Official Page [https://gemini.google/assistant/?hl=en]

Episode 6: Class time - Ada Lovelace, Notebook LM and more

🎙 Episode 6 – Class Is in Session This week on The Tinker Table, we’re kicking off a brand-new “class time” format—short, thoughtful episodes packed with stories, tools, and questions to keep your curiosity thriving between our deep dives. In this episode: Innovator Spotlight: Ada Lovelace—the visionary who imagined generative computing more than a century before it existed, blending logic and imagination into what she called poetical science. Stay in the Know: 🚀 SpaceX Crew-9 sets a record for the fastest human spaceflight to the ISS 🤖 The White House AI Action Plan outlines guardrails for AI use in public services 🧠 Google’s NotebookLM gets a major update, making it an even stronger closed-network AI study partner for students and educators Tools for the Table: A deep dive into NotebookLM—how it works, why it matters, and simple ways to try it this week. We’ll wrap with a reflection prompt and invite you to help choose the topic for our next deep dive: Digital Literacy or Systems Thinking. Sources & References: NASA. (2025). Crew-9 mission update. nasa.gov [https://www.nasa.gov/] The White House. (2025). AI Action Plan [https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com]. whitehouse.gov [https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/07/white-house-unveils-americas-ai-action-plan/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Google. (2025). NotebookLM update. notebooklm.google [http://notebooklm.google] To learn more about Ada Lovelace [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace]: Essinger, J. (2014). Ada’s Algorithm: How Lord Byron’s Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age. Melville House. Fuegi, J., & Francis, J. (2003). Lovelace & Babbage and the creation of the 1843 'notes'. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 25(4), 16–26. 🎧 Listen now to join our first “class time” session and see how history, tech news, and practical tools can spark your thinking for the week ahead.

Episode 5: Everyday Ethics: Should I Let AI do that?

🎙️ Episode 5 – Everyday Ethics: Should You Let AI Do That? with Hannah from The Tinker Table This is the final part in our 5 episode deep dive into AI Ethics. We all talk about the big questions in AI—regulation, safety, bias, policy. But what about the quiet ones? The ones that happen on an ordinary Tuesday? Today’s episode zooms in on the everyday ethics of using AI tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney to help with writing, art, or communication. Whether it’s a student turning in an AI-edited paper, a teacher testing lesson plans, a parent using AI to write a birthday caption, or a creator navigating authorship—you’ve probably wondered: Should I let AI do that? In this episode, Hannah explores: 💡 The classroom tension between academic integrity and accessibility 💬 Whether AI-generated condolences or thank-you notes still count as sincere 🎨 The creative gray area of using AI in illustration and art—when it’s helpful, when it’s harmful, and when it’s just… complicated 🧠 Why being honest about your creative process matters more than drawing hard lines Plus, we reflect on real-world cases like the 2023 lawsuit against Stability AI and Midjourney for unauthorized use of copyrighted art (Reuters, 2023). If you’ve ever caught yourself asking “Is this okay?”—this episode is for you. It’s not about shame. It’s about showing up with awareness, curiosity, and intention. ✨ Because ethics isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. 🔗 Referenced articles: • Reuters (2023): Artists sue Stability AI, Midjourney over AI-generated art https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/lawsuits-accuse-ai-content-creators-misusing-copyrighted-work-2023-01-17/ • NPR (2024): Authors warn of AI-generated books mimicking real authors on Amazon https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223567344 🎧 The Tinker Table is a space for thoughtful conversations about AI, education, creativity, and the human side of technology. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! —

Episode 4: Everyday Users, Extraordinary Influence

Episode 4 – Everyday Users, Extraordinary Influence | AI Ethics Deep-dive You don’t need to code to make a difference in how AI is used. In this episode of The Tinker Table, we spotlight teachers, nurses, caregivers, and small-town entrepreneurs who are using AI tools in thoughtful, powerful ways—raising questions, catching bias, and making tech more human-centered. We’ll unpack: * How everyday users influence AI outcomes * The 3 essential questions anyone can ask about AI tools * Why gatekeeping in tech leaves out critical voices * And how you belong in the conversation—even if you're not a tech expert This is part 4 of our 5 part deep dive into AI Ethics. It’s all about reclaiming your agency in a world shaped by algorithms. You don’t have to build the system to help change it. You just have to start asking better questions.

Episode 3: When AI gets it Wrong

When artificial intelligence systems fail, the consequences aren’t always small—or hypothetical. In this episode of The Tinker Table, we dive into what happens after the error: Who’s accountable? Who’s harmed? And what do these failures tell us about the systems we’ve built? We explore real-world case studies like: The wrongful arrest of Robert Williams in Detroit due to facial recognition bias, The racially biased predictions of COMPAS, a sentencing algorithm used in U.S. courts, And how predictive policing tools reinforce historical over-policing in marginalized communities, We also tackle AI hallucinations—false but believable outputs from tools like ChatGPT and Bing’s Sydney —and the serious trust issues that result, from fake legal citations to wrongful plagiarism flags. Finally, we examine the dangers of black-box algorithms—opaque decision-making systems that offer no clarity, no appeal, and no path to accountability. 📌 This episode is your reminder that AI is only as fair, accurate, and just as the humans who design it. We don’t just need smarter machines—we need ethically designed ones. 🔍 Sources & Further Reading: Facial recognition misidentification [https://www.aclu.org/cases/williams-v-city-of-detroit-face-recognition-false-arrest] Machine bias [https://www.propublica.org/article/machine-bias-risk-assessments-in-criminal-sentencing] Predictive policing [https://naacp.org/resources/artificial-intelligence-predictive-policing-issue-brief] AI hallucinations [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucination_(artificial_intelligence)] 🎧 Tune in to learn why we need more than innovation—we need accountability.