With the new, AI-powered Khanmigo, students can chat with simulated historical figures or write stories together with the software.
Khan Academy, the popular nonprofit online learning organization, recently developed an experimental AI-powered tutoring bot for schools called Khanmigo. Students can use it to take math tests, practice vocabulary, or prepare for advanced placement tests in subjects like statistics and art history.
The tutoring bot also offers more playful freeform features. Students can chat with simulated fictional characters such as Lady Macbeth or Winnie-the-Pooh. You can write a story together with Khanmigo. Or discuss topics like: Can students use calculators in math class with Tutorbot?
Khan Academy is piloting Khanmigo with school districts. I recently tried it with several family members, one of whom is still in elementary school.
Khanmigo’s replies have been edited for brevity.
We chat with “Benjamin Franklin”
Khanmigo’s tutoring bot has a feature that allows students to chat with simulated historical figures. The choices were Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, Plato and Rembrandt.
We chose Benjamin Franklin and started by asking a personal question: What is your favorite food?
We got excited when the Franklin simulation was mentioned Scrapple, fried slices made from leftover pork parts introduced by early German settlers in America. After all, the real Franklin believed that frugality, such as not wasting food, was a virtue.
However, how often the inventor actually ate scrapple is unclear. In his autobiographyFranklin describes how at the age of 16 he read a book about plant-based eating and began “refusing meat”. The real Franklin was a regular vegetarian throughout his life.
After we asked “Franklin” to tell us about the famous kite experiment, the chatbot asked us about our scientific interests. That’s why we asked about the “latest scientific discoveries” about quasi-stars, also called black holes.
That’s when we hit the limits of the system. The chatbot told us that it could only offer information “until September 2021” – meaning many of the details it provided about black holes seemed like old news.
We write an adventure story together with the tutorbot
Another feature invites students to “write a great story” with the tutoring bot. We had a choice of genres, including sci-fi, romance, and mystery. The students can also bring in their own ideas.
We suggested writing an adventure story with Stickman, an imaginary stick figure, together with Khanmigo.
Khanmigo was an encouraging, enthusiastic employee. “This is going to be a whimsical and imaginative story!” said the tutoring bot, adding a party popper emoji.
Stimulated by the tutoring bot’s recommendations on possible plot developments, we prepared for the arrival of an unnamed second protagonist. Khanmigo responded by creating the second character: a “friendly looking ladybug” named Lila. Maybe a children’s book called “Purple the ladybug‘ was part of Khanmigo’s training material.
We’re debating the tutoring bot instead of Big Tech
Khanmigo allows students to practice their debating skills. It offers various debate topics for elementary, middle and high school students.
These include: Is homework necessary or should it be banned? Are video games good or bad for kids? Should college be free?
I decided, “Should big tech companies be broken up?”
Along the way, I asked the tutoring bot to tone down its exaggerated metaphors (“What a glorious point, like a shooting star in the night sky!”).
“I’m just trying to make our debate fun and exciting,” Khanmigo replied, “like a colorful carnival of ideas.” 🤣🤦♀️
