Week in Edtech 1/28/26: SchoolAI in Classrooms, ChatGPT Blocked, OpenAI’s $30B Bet, Gemini vs Anthropic, China’s AI Literacy Push, Phone Bans Rise, Higher Ed Retention Challenges, and More! Feat. Jeremy Smith of pega6 & Stewart Brown of Code4Kids from Edtech Insiders

Edtech Insiders

Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell

Week in Edtech 1/28/26: SchoolAI in Classrooms, ChatGPT Blocked, OpenAI’s $30B Bet, Gemini vs Anthropic, China’s AI Literacy Push, Phone Bans Rise, Higher Ed Retention Challenges, and More! Feat. Jeremy Smith of pega6 & Stewart Brown of Code4Kids

1 hour 32 minutes Posted Feb 6, 2026 at 1:00 pm.

] SchoolAI study shows teachers using AI for reasoning and inquiry [00:09:58] Denver Public Schools blocks ChatGPT over safety and privacy concerns [00:12:20] SoftBank invests another $30B in OpenAI as ads roll out [00:13:24]...

SchoolAI study shows teachers using AI for reasoning and inquiry

Denver Public Schools blocks ChatGPT over safety and privacy concerns

SoftBank invests another $30B in OpenAI as ads roll out

Gemini and Anthropic lead the race for AI in education

China launches nationwide AI literacy for K–12

Most U.S. states still lack formal AI guidance for schools

Phone bans spread rapidly across schools

Higher ed enrollment rebounds but retention remains weak

Jeremy Smith, CEO and Co-founder of pega6, on one-year AI-first career accelerators

Stewart Brown, K–12 Computer Science and AI Literacy Leader at Code4kids, on CS as a core elementary subject

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Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin, joined by special co-host Mike Palmer, host of Trending in Ed, as they break down the biggest stories shaping AI, K–12 policy, higher education, and the global future of education. ✨ Episode Highlights: [

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