Ep 45 News in AI for the Humanities July Aug 2025

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.
Check out our new website for all of our episodes and information about the channel.

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome
0:11 Intro
2:08 Microsoft and OpenAI Renegotiations
6:21 OpenAI's GPT5 and the Fall Out
11:49 OpenAI's GPT OSS
15:59 Google Gemini 2.5's Deep Think Mode
24:00 Google NotebookLM's Video Overviews
28:13 OpenAI's Study and Learn
32:04 Microsoft Edge's Copilot Mode
36:19 Neflix Experiments with AI in "El Eternauta"
40:21 Google's AI Search Summaries Harm Publishers
45:29 XAI's Deep Fakes and Meta's Child Safety Concerns
49:26 Open AI's Sam Altman Raises Concerns with Voice Verification
53:28 White House's AI Action Plan
57:29 Conclusion
1:00 Outro

Sources:
“Gemini 2.5 Deep Think Explained: Everything You Need to Know.” Google Blog, Aug. 2025, blog.google/products/gemini/google-ai-updates-august-2025/.

“Google’s AI Mode Gets New ‘Canvas’ Feature, Real-Time Help with Search Live, and More.” TechCrunch, 2025, techcrunch.com/2025/07/17/googles-ai-mode-gets-new-canvas-feature-real-time-help-with-search-live-and-more/.

“Google’s Shift to AI Summaries Harming News Publishers, DCN Survey Reveals.” Press Gazette, 2025, pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/platforms/googles-shift-to-ai-summaries-harming-news-publishers-dcn-survey-reveals/.

Heater, Brian. “Google’s NotebookLM Can Now Make Narrated Slideshows with AI.” The Verge, 2025, www.theverge.com/2025/07/30/googles-notebooklm-narrated-slideshows-ai-video
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“Introducing Copilot Mode in Edge: A New Way to Browse the Web.” Microsoft Edge Blog, 2025, blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2025/07/introducing-copilot-mode-in-edge/.

“Introducing GPT-OSS.” OpenAI, 2025, openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-oss/.

McInnis-Domínguez, Meghan. Ambient Intelligence. Suno, 2025.

Metz, Cade. “OpenAI’s GPT-5 Is Here.” Wired, 2025, www.wired.com/story/openais-gpt-5-is-here/

“Microsoft in Talks to Maintain Access to OpenAI’s Tech beyond AGI Milestone.” TechCrunch, 2025, techcrunch.com/2025/07/31/microsoft-in-talks-to-maintain-access-to-openais-tech-beyond-agi-milestone/.

“Netflix Ushers in a New Creative Era with Generative AI Debut in El Eternauta.” The Economic Times, 2025, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/netflix-ushers-in-a-new-creative-era-with-generative-ai-debut-in-el-eternauta/articleshow/123456789.cms.

“OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Speaks at Federal Reserve Banking Conference.” AP News, 2025, apnews.com/article/openai-sam-altman-federal-reserve-ai-fraud-voice-cloning.

Sharf, Zack. “Elon Musk AI Deepfakes of Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift Spark Outrage.” Deadline, 2 Aug. 2025, deadline.com/2025/08/elon-musk-ai-deepfakes-scarlett-johansson-taylor-swift-1236480553/.

“Study Mode in ChatGPT.” ChatGPT Help, OpenAI, 2025, help.openai.com/en/articles/1234567-study-mode-in-chatgpt.

“The White House Unveils AI Action Plan—Executive Orders Signed.” White House Briefing Room, 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/08/15/white-house-unveils-ai-action-plan-executive-orders-signed/

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