Start With the Problem: David Adams on Using AI to Actually Fix Education

<p>AI in public education isn't failing because the technology is bad. It's failing because most schools adopted tools without ever naming the problem they were trying to solve.</p><p>David Adams has spent his career inside public schools, working on the parts of education that don't get fixed by good intentions alone. As a leader at The Urban Assembly in New York City, he's built two AI tools that start where most tools don't: with a specific, bounded problem. CounselorGPT helps students understand their post-secondary options before they make expensive, uninformed guesses about their futures. Project Cafe gives teachers video-based feedback on their own classroom practice, without adding to anyone's workload or budget. Both tools came from knowing the problem well enough to know when the solution was working.</p><p>In this episode, David and Kathryn talk through what it actually looks like to use AI responsibly inside schools, where the real constraints are, and what happens when educators reach for a tool before they've named what they're trying to fix. David also makes a clear case for what AI shouldn't touch, from bedtime stories to jury verdicts, and why the difference has nothing to do with capability and everything to do with legitimacy.</p><p>This one is for school leaders, educators, and anyone building with AI who wants to stop chasing tools and start solving problems.</p><p>Download the free AI Policy template at goodcirclemarketing.com/summer-of-good-ai and build the guardrails your team needs before your next AI decision.</p><p>Connect with David Adams and The Urban Assembly at urbanassembly.org.</p><p>A Good Pour: Summer of Good AI is a limited series helping small business owners and nonprofit leaders use AI with confidence and integrity. New episodes drop weekly through July 2026.</p><p><br /></p>