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Khan Academy’s AI Revolution: How Khanmigo is Reshaping Education

Summary – Collaboration with Claude AI

In this blog post, I am sharing my thoughts on Khan Academy’s innovative approach to education through AI.

In my post, I explore Sal Khan’s mission of “providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere” and how artificial intelligence is accelerating this bold vision. I highlight Khan’s optimistic perspective on AI from his 2023 TED Talk, where he argues that we must “fight like hell” for positive AI applications rather than surrendering to fear.

I share how this aligns with my twin’s and my perspective on Generative AI – we must acknowledge risks while embracing potential. The work Khan Academy is doing is genuinely making a difference in education, and curiosity and progress are essential despite the challenges of change.

I discuss my recent discovery of Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s AI initiative to transform education delivery and reduce teacher workload. This platform is being tested in school districts, creating impressive possibilities for improving education for children globally.

I provide resources for readers to learn more, including links to Khan Academy’s website and YouTube channel. The latter now boasts 8.74 million subscribers and 8,600 learning videos. Fifteen million worldwide use Khan Academy monthly for math and economics subjects.

I conclude by framing Khan’s work as both technological innovation and philosophical approach – one that demonstrates how AI can enhance human potential rather than diminish it. The question isn’t whether AI will transform education, but how we direct that transformation.

Full Original Writing

Many are familiar with Sal Kahn’s work and his mission of “providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” The mission is bold and audacious, yet progress has been made over years. Now, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is accelerating the pace of progress!

Sal is a proponent of optimism and leveraging possibilities to solve some challenges in the education system. In this post, I will share links and videos that take a deeper look at Kahn Academy’s evolving work. Don and I encourage siding with the optimists regarding the potential transformative future of AI.

This excerpt from the transcript of Sal’s April 2023 TED Talk, How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education, provides a compelling perspective on moving forward in the future of AI:

In the video linked below, I encourage you to watch from 13:33 to 15:29 where Sal addresses risks of bad actors and his thoughts on the importance of optimists “fighting like hell” for the good of AI [Bold emphasis are mine].

13:33 | Now, just to take a step back at a meta level, obviously we heard a lot today, the debates on either side.

13:39 | There’s folks who take a more pessimistic view of AI, they say this is scary, there’s all these dystopian scenarios, we maybe want to slow down, we want to pause. On the other side, there are the more optimistic folks that say, well, we’ve gone through inflection points before, we’ve gone through the Industrial Revolution.

13:57 | It was scary, but it all kind of worked out. And what I’d argue right now is I don’t think this is like a flip of a coin or this is something where we’ll just have to, like, wait and see which way it turns out. I think everyone here and beyond, we are active participants in this decision. I’m pretty convinced that the first line of reasoning is actually almost a self-fulfilling prophecy, that if we act with fear and if we say, “Hey, we’ve just got to stop doing this stuff,” what’s really going to happen is the rule followers might pause, might slow down, but the rule breakers, as Alexandr [Wang] mentioned, the totalitarian governments, the criminal organizations, they’re only going to accelerate. And that leads to what I am pretty convinced is the dystopian state, which is the good actors have worse AIs than the bad actors. But I’ll also, you know, talk to the optimists a little bit.

14:49 | I don’t think that means that, oh, yeah, then we should just relax and just hope for the best. That might not happen either. I think all of us together have to fight like hell to make sure that we put the guardrails, we put in — when the problems arise — reasonable regulations. But we fight like hell for the positive use cases.

15:10 | Because very close to my heart, and obviously there’s many potential positive use cases, but perhaps the most powerful use case and perhaps the most poetic use case is if AI, artificial intelligence, can be used to enhance HI, human intelligence, human potential and human purpose. Thank you.

Kahn’s perspective aligns with the message that my twin and I share about Generative AI. We must pay attention and be aware of the risks that “bad actors” can bring forth using AI, yet throwing up our hands, dismissing potential outright, and choosing not to do anything is reckless.

The work that Kahn Academy is doing in pursuit of its mission of “providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere,” is making a difference in the education world. We must stay curious and encourage progress on this mission. Change is difficult, but it is the only constant that is for sure.

Thanks to Terri Tomoff alerting me, I recently watched a 13-minute feature on Kahn Academy’s AI initiative to advance the education process. Sal Kahn and his team’s vision is impressive, and the possibilities for leveraging AI to improve education for all children AND the teacher workload are shifting to more value-added and meaningful work.

The initiative is an AI platform called Kahnmigo. With the help of the Custom ChatGPT (GPTs) Video Summarizer, I gained an impressive overview of the 60 minutes recent 13-minute episode, Meet Khanmigo: The Student Tutor being tested in school districts.

The YouTube video is linked below:

The link to the Video Summarizer analysis is an impressive recap that enables a deeper dive interaction. For example, I asked the video summarizer to provide a conclusion diagram to help increase my awareness of the topics covered in the episode.

I am inspired to see Kahn Academy striving to leverage AI to change the future of education and improve the lives of learning for children [hopefully] around the world!

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For more information about the beginnings of Kahn Academy, please check out this  60-minutes 2012 highlighting Kahn Academy:

Teacher to the World – March 11, 2012 (60 Minutes):

Video Conclusion Diagram generated by ChatGPT:

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Kahn Academy website: www.khanacademy.org

Kahn Academy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy

As of January 8, 2025, the presence includes 8.74 million subscribers and 8,600 learning videos.

About

Khan Academy is a nonprofit providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Our interactive practice problems, articles, and videos help students succeed in math, biology, chemistry, physics, history, economics, finance, grammar, and many other topics.

Khan Academy provides teachers with data on how their students are doing so they can identify gaps in learning and provide tailored instruction. We also offer free personalized SAT and LSAT practice in partnership with the College Board and the Law School Admission Council.

Our resources have been translated into dozens of languages, and 15 million people around the globe learn on Khan Academy each month.

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(Conclusion in collaboration with Claude AI)

Sal Khan’s work with AI through Khanmigo represents technological innovation and a philosophical approach that balances awareness of risks with determined optimism. As we navigate this transformative period in education, Khan Academy continues to exemplify how thoughtful AI implementation can enhance human potential rather than diminish it. The progress made since their beginning in 2012 – now reaching millions worldwide with their learning resources – demonstrates the power of persistence in pursuing their mission. By embracing AI as a tool for educational equity rather than fearing its challenges, Khan Academy invites us all to become active participants in shaping a future where technology amplifies human intelligence, expands access to quality education, and ultimately fulfills the promise of providing “a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” The question isn’t whether AI will transform education, but how we choose to direct that transformation – and Khan Academy is showing us one inspiring path forward.

Dall-E AI Image | #TwinzTalk Brainstorming and Learning
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Discovering Myself Through Memoir: A Journey of Self-Reflection and Gratitude

Summary Overview – Collaboration with Claude.AI

In this introspective blog post, I reflect on the concept of one’s “body of work” – the unique collection of experiences, talents, and contributions that make up an individual’s life story. Inspired by the writings of Steven Pressfield and Seth Godin, who emphasize that we are all artists in our own lives, I encourage readers to recognize and embrace their personal growth, leadership, and positive impact on others as their own form of art.

I share my own journey of self-discovery, which began in June 2020 when I joined a writing community with my wife, Terri. Through daily writing, I gained clarity of thought and a deeper appreciation for the power of the written word. This led to the creation of four unpublished memoirs, each focusing on a different aspect of my life: my personal story, my daughter’s soccer career, my older brother’s profound impact, and my shared experiences with my twin brother.

My work encompasses various meaningful areas that have shaped my identity and the value I strive to bring to the world. These include my experiences as a competitive distance runner, my academic and professional achievements, my role as a family man and caregiver to my son (a five-time cancer survivor), my love of sports, my involvement in soccer and refereeing, my advocacy for childhood cancer, personal development, and kindness, as well as my engagement in social media and communities of practice.

I conclude the blog post with an invitation to readers to contemplate their own life experiences and recognize the unique talents and nuances that make up their individual stories. I encourage everyone to embrace their personal body of work and continue refining it throughout their lives, joining me on this shared adventure of self-discovery and growth.

Full Original Writing – Introduction to My Body of Work

What is your story? Everyone has a story… and we all develop a body of work that builds as we find our path through life. Our body of work grows and our life perspective and wisdom is the gift of our work. We all are artists creating our own unique art that cannot be replicated by another human.

“One of the major responsibilities of a person is to make that intellectual spark which you have received from heaven illuminate the world around you.”

—Chinese Wisdom

The opportunity I am embracing here is to share my interpretation of my body of work through my personal lens. This writing is inspired by reading The Daily Pressfield by Steven Pressfield and The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin. Steven and Seth emphasize that we all can be/are artists in our lives. I love this – we just need to recognize how we grow, lead, contribute, and help others, is our art, if we care enough to put our heart and soul into the work of being our best every day.

As you read the rest of this introduction, I encourage you to contemplate, “What is my body of work that is the art creating my life story?”

My life has evolved from being a fiercely independent, accomplishment-driven young man to a family man led by my life experiences to building and developing my talents so I can maximize helping others and leaving the world a better place for having been alive.

My adventure into deeper self-introspection started in June 2020 when I joined my wife, Terri, in a writing community. Over the past [almost] four years, we have grown to love the daily process of writing, the clarity the writing brings to our thoughts, and an appreciation of the gift of writing and the community of kind and caring people participating with us.

My efforts have resulted in four unpublished memoirs that I have completed. I have gained tremendous enjoyment from writing these memoirs and fulfillment knowing the thoughts, appreciation, and memories I ultimately leave for my family. The four memoirs have now made it possible to think about and more clearly articulate my body of work through the blessing of my 65-plus years of life,

The four unpublished memoirs completed, and one in process, include:

  1. December 2020 – Living Life…Off The Track. My personal memoir.
  2. December 2021 – Forever Changed: One Family’s Adventure with The Beautiful Game of Soccer. My memoir of our daughter Olivia’s 15-year soccer career.
  3. January 2023 – “Million Dollar Al” and Beyond. My memoir of my older brother Alex and his profound impact on my life.
  4. December 2023 – Double Vision: Seeing Life Through Twin Eyes. My memoir of my twin brother Don and our shared adventure in life.
  5. TBD (in-process) 2024 – I Did My Best. I Cared: Reflections on Experiences, Lessons Learned, and Heartfelt Tips to Live a Fulfilling Life.

As I write at this point in time, the meaningful areas of my body of work are many. I hold each of these close to my heart. They have shaped who I am and the value I strive to bring to the world every day. The areas include:

  1. Competitive distance runner
  2. College academics
  3. Career
  4. Family
  5. Caregiver, with Terri, for our five-time cancer survivor son Ryan.
  6. Post-Traumatic Growth
  7. Love of sports shared with family
  8. Soccer and soccer referee
  9. Advocate for childhood cancer
  10. Advocate for personal development
  11. Advocate for kindness
  12. Social Media 2010 and forward
  13. #TwinzTalk cofounder 2018
  14. Philosophy of Stoicism since 2019
  15. Communities of practice

What is your story? Contemplating your life experiences, you may realize, as I have, that there are many nuances to every person’s life. We are all unique and have talents within us that no one else owns. Embrace yours and continue refining your body of work for the rest of your life! Join me on this adventure.

Follow my writing as I expand in greater depth to highlight each area of my body of work. Thank you for reading!

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Making a Ruckus with AI: A Call to Action for Agile Thinkers

Are you on the sideline thinking about using AI tools such as ChatGPT Plus and Claude.AI? Hard stop – listen to the incredible wisdom of Seth Godin on Branding & Marketing In The Age of AI with Stephen Houraghan.

When ChatGPT was introduced on November 30, 2023, Don Tomoff and I quickly thought, “We need to understand what is happening here.” Since then, we have been stunned by the potential of this technology to assist us personally and professionally. We encourage anyone to adopt the ChatGPT Plus Pro plan for $20 per month and dedicate daily time to experimenting and getting a sense of the technology. We focus on narrowing the path to help others enter the AI-enabled world. For a quick start, see blog post dated February 14, 2024, ChatGPT Lite – How to Get Started: Introduction Part 1 of 6.

In the podcast episode linked below, Stephen asks Seth about his thoughts on the impact of AI. The image below speaks volumes. When Seth heard the question – he smiled as if to say “I was hoping you would ask this question!” For almost four minutes, Seth made compelling points that everyone should pay heed to:

  1. “I think AI is the biggest change in our world since the invention of electricity. A bigger change than the internet.”
  2. “If you are not using it for half an hour a day, you don’t understand.”
  3. “Every word I put out there with my name on it [Seth Godin blog, etc.] was written by me. But if I was starting today, that would not be true.”
  4. “What AI does today is it replaces competence… The only space left is to not be simply competent… You have to figure out how to do something that AI couldn’t do because that is the only thing worth charging for.”
  5. “When you are doing work that could be done by AI, you should have AI do it so you can get back to the work that we need to pay you for.”
  6. “You have helped create change. And now, change is coming after you.”
  7. “The opportunities for agile, smart people to take advantage of AI over the next three years are enormous.”

The last point bears repeating for emphasis: “The opportunities for agile, smart people to take advantage of AI over the next three years are enormous.“

The YouTube video posted here will start at 32:18 when Stephen asks the AI question. The conversation goes to 36:00 minutes. Embrace these four minutes of learning Seth’s thoughtful and dramatic observations about the future of AI and what every professional needs to do now.

As Seth would encourage, “Go. Make a ruckus.” Please. The world needs your contribution. AI will help you create value for yourself and your ability to contribute and help others!