Salman Khan is the Founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit aimed at eliminating educational barriers for over 600 million children lacking basic skills in math and reading. His free curriculum has significantly impacted global education, with over a billion views of the academy's videos. Sal is now leveraging AI to enhance accessibility, introducing Khanmigo, an AI-powered tutor praised by The Washington Post as a leading model for the public good in AI. He discusses how technology can transform education through personalised learning in his talks.
Sal's influence in education has been recognised by major media outlets, including 60 Minutes and Forbes, and he was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. The Khan Academy began when he tutored his cousins and friends in math, leading to a growing demand and the establishment of the platform. Today, it serves over 62 million registered users in 190 countries, providing practice exercises, instructional videos, and personalised dashboards for self-paced learning.
With the rise of AI, Sal sees an opportunity to enhance education further. He believes this technology can elevate average students to exceptional levels and support below-average students in achieving above-average results. Khan Academy collaborates with institutions like NASA and MIT, positively impacting students at prestigious universities, particularly first-generation college attendees. In his book, "The One World Schoolhouse", Sal outlines his vision for education reform, advocating liberating teachers from rigid curriculums and promoting human interaction in classrooms. This philosophy underpins Khan Lab School, an independent extension of Khan Academy that emphasises collaborative, project-based learning for mixed-age groups.
Sal holds three MIT degrees and an MBA from Harvard Business School. While at MIT, he taught MCAT prep courses and was named Teacher of the Year by a national test preparation company.