By Xu Xi
Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, followed by a proliferation of generative AI models, the global educational landscape has undergone unprecedented transformation. Teachers have lamented what they perceive as the end of authentic high school education, while many educational institutions have implemented outright bans on AI tools following persistent complaints from professors about student plagiarism. Yet paradoxically, parents find themselves increasingly anxious that their children might fall behind without mastering AI literacy, particularly as renowned entrepreneurs repeatedly warn that future work environments will inevitably require collaboration with artificial intelligence. As the popular saying suggests: "You won't be replaced by an AI, but you might be replaced by someone using AI."
This fundamental question—whether to allow students to use AI or not—has become a source of considerable anxiety for educators and parents worldwide. Salman Khan, founder of the globally recognized free online learning platform Khan Academy, offers a clear and decidedly optimistic answer in his recent book Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing). Khan argues that artificial intelligence has not only radically transformed learning methodologies but has done so for the better, presenting opportunities that far outweigh the risks.
Why are Khan's words worthy of our attention?
While Sal Khan is undoubtedly a celebrated innovator in education, he is not traditionally considered a major figure within the AI industry itself. What makes his perspective particularly compelling, however, is his unique position as one of the few educators who gained early access to ChatGPT before its public release, allowing him to successfully harness AI's potential for educational advancement.
In the summer of 2022, Khan was approached by OpenAI to test their groundbreaking new product. He immediately recognized its transformative power after witnessing the AI correctly solve an AP biology problem and provide instant, accurate explanations for its reasoning. This early exposure led to a rapid collaboration with OpenAI, resulting in the development of Khanmigo, an AI-enhanced educational platform powered by ChatGPT technology.
Within a remarkably short time, Khanmigo has emerged as a top-rated AI educational tool, attracting significant user engagement and positive reviews. Crucially, Khan's approach transcends mere theoretical speculation about AI's potential. Throughout his book, he provides numerous concrete, real-world examples drawn from actual Khanmigo users, lending practical weight to his arguments. It comes as no surprise that Bill Gates has praised the work as "a timely master class for anyone interested in the future of learning in the AI era."
Personalized learning: Ancient wisdom meets modern technology
The fundamental question of optimal teaching and learning methodologies is hardly new. The great Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius advocated for teaching students according to their distinct talents (因材施教) and believed education should be accessible to all people without discrimination (有教無類). Khan shares similar educational philosophies and positions AI as an effective tool for implementing these time-honored ideals in contemporary contexts.
Khan argues persuasively that AI can personalize learning content and make necessary adjustments to meet the various needs of individual students. He critiques the traditional classroom model as resembling a factory system designed to produce standardized outcomes through uniform measurement approaches, often overlooking individual learning aptitudes and pacing requirements. When students miss crucial concepts, knowledge gaps emerge that frequently go unnoticed by instructors, creating persistent barriers that compound as students advance to higher levels of study.
With AI tutoring systems like Khanmigo, however, each student can readily identify these gaps and address them promptly. The technology's capacity for individualization extends beyond mere content adjustment. AI can convincingly emulate historical or fictional characters to guide students through their studies of history, literature, and science. Imagine the educational possibilities: students can discuss The Federalist Papers directly with Alexander Hamilton, explore the symbolic significance of the green light in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby with Jay Gatsby himself, or invite Charles Darwin to personally explain evolutionary theory.
These represent the kind of dream mentors that most educators could only fantasize about having available for their subjects. In reality, the prohibitive cost of hiring personal tutors places such individualized attention beyond the reach of most families. AI educational tools, by contrast, offer comparatively affordable alternatives that can democratize access to high-quality instruction for broader populations worldwide, effectively lowering economic barriers to educational excellence.
Addressing valid concerns about AI in education
However, legitimate concerns persist about the integration of generative AI into student learning. Will it truly benefit young learners to use AI for writing essays, creating presentations, and even taking examinations? Could overreliance on AI prevent students from developing essential skills such as critical thinking and creative imagination? What about the proliferation of false and biased information circulating online, leading to the phenomenon known as "AI hallucinations"? Might our children become dogmatic and prejudiced if AI feeds them inaccurate information?
Khan acknowledges these safety and bias concerns as genuinely important considerations. His team has embedded multiple safeguards within Khanmigo to filter false information and ensure that external links provided in responses have been thoroughly vetted behind the scenes. What proves most impressive about Khan's approach is how Khanmigo differs fundamentally from other generative AI systems that simply write essays for students when given prompts.
Instead, Khanmigo writes with students rather than for them. The system raises thought-provoking questions to help students identify themes, collaboratively brainstorms outlines, and provides immediate feedback on drafts for further revision. Students cannot simply cheat because the system records and reports the entire collaborative process, including time spent working together, to both parents and teachers. As Khan confidently asserts, "With proper care, we can mitigate the risks and potential downsides of generative AI."
A complex perspective on AI's educational future
Personally, I maintain a nuanced attitude toward generative AI's expanding role in education. On one hand, I deeply appreciate Khan's efforts to create a free platform that minimizes risks while maximizing AI's educational potential. His commitment to democratizing access to quality education through technology represents a genuinely admirable endeavor.
On the other hand, I find myself profoundly concerned about Khan's more ambitious proposals for using AI in college admissions and job applications. His vision suggests that since AI tutors will have accompanied students throughout their educational journey, these systems will develop intimate knowledge of individual interests and strengths. Consequently, AI could theoretically match students with the most suitable colleges and companies while crafting personalized recommendation letters for applications.
Khan's excitement about this prospect is evident when he writes: "Imagine if everyone in the country had the same teacher. This teacher would actually be a pretty good arbiter. If we want to take this to the extreme – and it is not clear that we do – the AI recommender could talk to the AI interviewer on the admissions side to see if there is a good fit."
This vision of all students being taught and evaluated by the same artificial teacher, producing standardized recommendation letters, strikes me as genuinely alarming. The scenario evokes uncomfortable parallels to Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel Brave New World (from which I think Khan gets the inspiration for his book title), where individuals live under rigid technological control that eliminates human diversity and authentic choice.
The value of diversity in education
British philosopher Bertrand Russell once observed that "diversity is essential to happiness." I share this conviction and hope that future generations will continue learning from teachers representing diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. While I strongly admire Khan's concept of "educated bravery"—the necessity of confronting technological challenges head-on while seeking to understand and harness their potential—I remain steadfast in my belief that educational diversity must be preserved.
The prospect of all children being taught and assessed by a single artificial intelligence, regardless of how intelligent that system might become, represents a fundamental threat to the rich tapestry of human learning experiences. Education at its best involves not just the transfer of information but the cultivation of wisdom, empathy, and critical thinking through meaningful relationships with diverse mentors and peers.
Embracing AI while preserving human values
Khan offers valuable insights into generative AI's transformative potential in education, supported by practical experience and concrete examples. His vision of personalized, accessible, and affordable education powered by AI technology addresses genuine needs in our current educational system. However, as we navigate this technological revolution, we must remain vigilant about preserving the human elements that make education truly transformative.
The challenge lies not in choosing between human and artificial intelligence in education, but in thoughtfully integrating AI tools while maintaining the diversity, creativity, and human connection that foster genuine learning and growth. As we move forward, educated bravery indeed requires us to embrace AI's potential while protecting the values that make education a fundamentally human endeavor.
Xu Xi is a literary scholar teaching at BNBU, Zhuhai. Xu holds a PhD from HKU.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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