Brave New Words by Salman Khan
When I was 12 years old, my parents bought me a TK90X, a Brazilian ZX Spectrum 8-bit home computer clone that came with a thick manual teaching the syntax for the BASIC language with sample programs. I remember that when they gave me the computer as a gift, we were in the process of traveling for a competition, my dad at the time being a professional supercross competitor. The day I got the computer, once I overcame the magical thrill of knowing that I had my own personal computer that I could just plug into the back of a TV and start playing with, I immediately proceeded to turn it on and was welcomed by a very anticlimactic black screen with a blinking prompt at the bottom.
After consulting the manual and asking my parents if they knew how to operate a computer—they didn’t and were actually getting ready for the competition, which was set to start only a few hours away—I proceeded to type the following question: What is the capital of Brazil? When I pressed the Enter key, I received a message that simply said “error.” I thought that maybe I needed to ask my question differently or that maybe it didn’t know anything about geography, so I tried other questions of increasing lower levels of difficulty, but no matter what I asked, the computer always had the same answer for me: error. It took me a while to understand first and then appreciate that if I wanted the computer to “be smart,” I’d have to program it so that it could do its job. So, at 12 years of age, my epiphany was that computers were not smarter than a human being, which was both disappointing and exciting, for it opened the doors for my creativity to take flight and got me started down the path of eventually becoming a software engineer later in life.
Fast forward a few decades later (okay, maybe closer to four decades, really), and we’re now living in a world where artificial intelligence is everywhere. Not only can I ask ChatGPT for the capital of Brazil, but I can also ask it to write me an entire class plan about the country, its history, people, and any other area of interest I can think of, and "deliver it as a PowerPoint presentation with talking points for each slide too while you’re at it, please?"
When I heard about "Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education" written by the founder of Khan Academy, I felt it would be a good idea to see what someone like him, who has been invested in improving and innovating how people learn math and other subjects, had to say about using AI to augment education. I know that the first reaction from many educational institutions when ChatGPT first came out was to outright block it from the classrooms or at least add obstacles and change how quizzes and assignments were given to ensure that kids were not “cheating” with AI. My opinion has always been that while one can easily use AI to do all the “thinking” and creative work for you, there’s also an amazing opportunity to leverage its generative power to build a learning plan and tools that are customized for your specific needs and learning style.
For example, if you are interested in learning chemistry but don’t have the time, patience, or interest to sit down and memorize the facts about the periodic table, you could ask ChatGPT to come up with a lesson plan that incorporates characters from your favorite TV show or book in the narrative to help you overlook the more dry and technical bits and focus on the main concepts of the subject itself. The cast of “Friends” or “Seinfeld” teaching me stoichiometry chemistry? Yes, please.
The book is definitely a strong pitch for people to sign up and use the author’s learning service, namely Khan Academy, and some chapters feel a lot like he’s selling the ultimate tool for helicopter parents—here's a report about how many minutes your child spent learning about polynomials this week—but overall, the book does provide, in my opinion, a good number of ideas and offers strong evidence that with well-defined prompts, AI can help you learn how to learn at your own pace and with the specific types of aids and support that cater to your learning needs. This approach can level the playing field and allow you to focus on the learning part.
About the Book
Published in 2023, "Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education" by Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, delves into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the field of education. Khan explores how AI can have a positive impact on learning by providing personalized educational experiences and addressing the diverse needs of students worldwide.
"Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education" is a thought-provoking and insightful book that offers a compelling vision of the future of education. Salman Khan’s expertise and passion for innovative learning shine through, making this a must-read for educators, parents, and anyone interested in the transformative potential of AI in education. If you’re curious about how AI can personalize and enhance the learning experience, this book provides a comprehensive and inspiring guide.
Author's Style
Salman Khan1 is an American educator and the founder of Khan Academy, a free online education platform offering a wide range of subjects. Known for his innovative approach to education, Khan has been a significant advocate for leveraging technology to enhance learning. His writing style is engaging and informative, often blending personal anecdotes with insightful analysis to make complex topics accessible.