The conversation surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its adoption across different sectors is always polarizing. Especially when it comes to the field of education, it is difficult to draw a firm consensus on the issue. Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, which provides free learning resources to students, chimed in this week on the potential benefits AI can bring to the table with education. His position is that the technology could offer a personalized tutoring experience for every student.
Khan recently gave a demo of his organization’s chatbot (called Khanmigo), which employs the GPT-4 technology, to TED. It is designed to help students with math, computer science, and writing. It has been tested at 500 public schools and districts, with the results being generally positive. The chatbot functions as a virtual academic coach, and additional services such as college and career counseling are also available.
Parents of students below the age of 18 can sign up for the chatbot through Khan Academy, but need to make a monthly donation of $20 to access it. Seemingly, the chatbot won’t just offer answers, but rather walk the user through problem-solving steps to understand it fully. How useful the technology is remains to be seen, but the customer feedback has been positive so far.
In terms of its application in the classroom, Khan suggested AI can assist teachers with pre-class work like lesson plans, report cards, and other administrative tasks. It can also offer personalized assistance to individual students. Bill Gates is also of the opinion that this sort of technology must be learned and regulated, rather than feared.
When it comes to Khan Academy, the nonprofit offers free online educational resources and content, founded in 2006 by Salman Khan. It was initially started as a series of YouTube videos and individualized teaching for his cousin who struggled with math. It has since become one of the world’s largest educational portals, with over 6 million users and more than 100 million assessments completed during 2019. The company offers thousands of courses and lessons available to students across all grade levels, ranging from Kindergarten to K-12, and also offers test-prep courses and college counseling. Furthermore, it has expanded its services to include Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
