Episode 45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc4-M6GFRAk

In Episode 45 of AI for the Humanities, Dr. Meghan McInnis-Domínguez unpacks the latest AI developments shaping education, research, and cultural work. From Microsoft and OpenAI renegotiations to the rollout of GPT-5, the release of open-weight models like GPT-OSS, and Google’s Gemini 2.5 “Deep Think,” this episode explores how “ambient AI” is becoming invisible infrastructure in our classrooms and institutions.

We also cover Google’s new AI Mode with Canvas, NotebookLM’s narrated video overviews, Microsoft Edge’s Copilot Mode, Netflix’s use of generative VFX in El Eternauta, and the impact of AI summaries on publishers. Regulatory challenges—from deepfake scandals to voice-cloning fraud—are examined alongside the White House AI Action Plan.

Each story is translated into concrete takeaways for the humanities classroom: designing platform-agnostic assignments, teaching AI literacy, safeguarding student agency, and understanding the policy and cultural stakes of AI adoption.

If you’re looking for clear, critical, and classroom-ready insights on the AI changes making headlines, this episode has you covered.