We Should Listen
As a classroom teacher, I’ve been waiting for the moment Sal Khan describes in his new book “Brave New Words.” Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, shows how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) might finally solve one of education’s most persistent challenges: providing personalized learning experiences for each student. It sure would have helped the year that I taught a remedial math class that the math department had given up on,
Khan introduces “Khanmigo,” an AI-powered tutor developed by Khan Academy in partnership with OpenAI, makers of ChatGPT. It offers individualized support to students, helping them learn at their own pace and giving them additional practice and instruction where and when they need it. Khanmigo also guides them to think more deeply and more broadly. Educators have known for decades that individual tutoring is by far the most effective instructional method. The roadblock is that an individual human tutor for each student is way too expensive. Khan shows how GenAI can be a personal tutor for every student, enhancing learning outcomes and supporting teachers in delivering personalized instruction. By using GenAI to support rather than replace teachers, communities could make great strides in leveling the educational playing field. He offers insights and a roadmap for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this new world, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges AI brings to learning.
Why This Book Matters Now
When OpenAI approached Khan about integrating their generative AI into Khan Academy, they weren’t just partnering with another ed-tech company. They were joining forces with a successful disruptor of the status quo in traditional classroom education. It began when Khan’s aunt asked him to tutor his cousins in math. They didn’t understand some basic concepts and were falling behind. Soon, more family and friends joined, and Khan, a busy finance professional by day, realized he needed to take advantage of technology. He created 3-5-minute online videos to explain concepts clearly and provide practice. The demand was tremendous, and the success of so many students was so rewarding that he left his lucrative finance job to build Khan Academy.
He has created a platform serving millions, demonstrating a path to share quality education widely. Now, with Khanmigo, he’s taking on the enormous challenge of adding GenAI.
Testing Khanmigo
Like most teachers who’ve lived through waves of over-hyped education technology, I approached Khanmigo with hope and measured skepticism. After years in the classroom, I’ve seen many “revolutionary” education technologies that don’t quite meet my expectations. But in Khanmigo, I recognized an AI tutor that could actually replicate many aspects of human one-on-one teaching. Khanmigo is still developing, but the trajectory is clear. The future is finally here.
The implications struck a chord as I remembered a particular class illustrating Khan’s main points. One year, at the request of my principal, I taught a basic math class that no one else would teach. The math department had refused to teach these students because they were too far behind, and each was at a different place and had different needs. Without intervention, none of them would graduate.
These students didn’t need advanced calculus—they needed someone to meet them where they were, rebuild their confidence, and guide them step by step. They needed personalized attention, infinite patience, and the ability to progress at their own pace. Every night, I created custom worksheets for each of my 15 students. During class, I circulated among them, offering encouragement here, clarification there, while trying to keep everyone else on task. We succeeded—but barely, and I was exhausted. What we all needed most, my students and I, was exactly what Khan describes in “Brave New Words,” personalized instruction and continuing practice until mastery, with untiring encouragement.
Reading Khan’s book, I couldn’t help but imagine how different that class could have been with Khanmigo. While I focused on the students who needed an immediate human connection, the AI could have provided constant support to others, offering unlimited practice problems, instant feedback, and gentle encouragement.
One day, I noticed one student, we’ll call her Emma, struggling with a concept, and we talked it out. With tears in her eyes, she thanked me and said, “I have to learn this. I need to be able to help my own children with math one day. I don’t want them to think that their mother is stupid!”
Emma graduated with her class that year. But her story captures both the promise and the challenge Khan describes in “Brave New Words.” While AI tutors like Khanmigo can’t replace the human connection that helped Emma find her motivation, they can multiply the reach of teachers. No student should fall behind simply because there aren’t enough hours in the day to give them individual attention.
The Future of Learning
Khan’s vision isn’t about replacing teachers with AI—it’s about finally giving us the tools to reach every student. After reading “Brave New Words” and experiencing Khanmigo firsthand, I’m convinced that this could be the breakthrough that helps future students like Emma succeed without requiring superhuman effort from their teachers. If you are interested in the future of education, this book is essential reading. Tell me your thoughts.
Read about students who created remarkable inventions in my book Teen Innovators: Nine Young People Engineering a Better World with Creative Inventions. Want to know more about how they did it? My new book on Design Thinking: A Guide to Innovation is available for pre-order now.