1 00:00:15,076 --> 00:00:21,916 Speaker 1: Pushkin. I'm Mave Higgins and this is Solvable Interviews with 2 00:00:21,956 --> 00:00:25,596 Speaker 1: the world's most innovative thinkers working to solve the world's 3 00:00:25,596 --> 00:00:29,876 Speaker 1: biggest problems. My name is Salman Khan. I'm the founder 4 00:00:29,876 --> 00:00:33,676 Speaker 1: of the not for profit Khan Academy, and my solvable 5 00:00:33,836 --> 00:00:36,356 Speaker 1: is ensuring that everyone on the planet has access to 6 00:00:36,476 --> 00:00:40,236 Speaker 1: a free, world class education. Our guests this week is 7 00:00:40,276 --> 00:00:43,676 Speaker 1: a teacher who has thousands of students all over the 8 00:00:43,716 --> 00:00:47,676 Speaker 1: world and who says education needs to be radically different 9 00:00:48,116 --> 00:00:53,156 Speaker 1: in order to empower millions of people to thrive. Salman 10 00:00:53,236 --> 00:00:56,516 Speaker 1: Khan's Khan Academy reaches one hundred million people a year 11 00:00:56,636 --> 00:00:59,876 Speaker 1: all over the world, where remote students are able to 12 00:00:59,916 --> 00:01:03,436 Speaker 1: watch online videos that cover a wide variety of subjects 13 00:01:03,476 --> 00:01:07,396 Speaker 1: from mats and English to computer animation and art history. 14 00:01:07,836 --> 00:01:11,396 Speaker 1: They and sal agree that students results are better than 15 00:01:11,436 --> 00:01:14,996 Speaker 1: those of their peers. The can Academy focuses on what 16 00:01:15,156 --> 00:01:19,036 Speaker 1: sal calls mastery education, so you move through the courses 17 00:01:19,116 --> 00:01:21,876 Speaker 1: online at your own pace, only going on to the 18 00:01:21,916 --> 00:01:24,716 Speaker 1: next step when you've got it one hundred percent. Sala's 19 00:01:24,756 --> 00:01:27,956 Speaker 1: talking to Ammad Ali Atbar about new ways to address 20 00:01:28,116 --> 00:01:31,316 Speaker 1: education so that everyone can develop the skills needed to 21 00:01:31,396 --> 00:01:37,156 Speaker 1: navigate a future of AI and automation. Education systems have 22 00:01:37,236 --> 00:01:42,356 Speaker 1: transformed wildly since the earliest universal primary education system was 23 00:01:42,476 --> 00:01:46,196 Speaker 1: established in Prussia in seventeen seventeen, when I was only 24 00:01:46,196 --> 00:01:49,996 Speaker 1: a child. Many countries followed suit in the twentieth century, 25 00:01:50,036 --> 00:01:54,796 Speaker 1: and later India past laws introducing universal, free, and compulsory 26 00:01:54,876 --> 00:01:58,596 Speaker 1: education in two thousand and nine. Some countries still don't 27 00:01:58,636 --> 00:02:03,116 Speaker 1: have laws making education mandatory. It's really extraordinary to look 28 00:02:03,116 --> 00:02:07,476 Speaker 1: at literacy rates over time. The trend is hugely positive. 29 00:02:08,116 --> 00:02:11,836 Speaker 1: Take literacy rates among young people and we say that's 30 00:02:11,876 --> 00:02:14,956 Speaker 1: people aged between fifteen to twenty four, so sorry, all 31 00:02:14,996 --> 00:02:18,316 Speaker 1: of you twenty five year olds year old. Globally, the 32 00:02:18,436 --> 00:02:23,196 Speaker 1: youth literacy rate increased to ninety one percent over two decades, 33 00:02:23,676 --> 00:02:25,796 Speaker 1: with the number of young people who can't read or 34 00:02:25,836 --> 00:02:30,756 Speaker 1: write dramatically decreasing. But of course it's not all good news. 35 00:02:31,276 --> 00:02:36,196 Speaker 1: Regional and gender disparities persist. Literacy is lowest in least 36 00:02:36,196 --> 00:02:41,196 Speaker 1: developed countries and higher among males than females. So a 37 00:02:41,236 --> 00:02:44,036 Speaker 1: lot done and more to do. A good question to 38 00:02:44,076 --> 00:02:48,316 Speaker 1: ask is whether or not our education systems developed in 39 00:02:48,396 --> 00:02:52,116 Speaker 1: response to the Industrial Revolution are still fit for this 40 00:02:52,316 --> 00:02:56,956 Speaker 1: technological revolution. Add to that that even the brightest pupils 41 00:02:56,996 --> 00:02:59,596 Speaker 1: are left with gaps in their knowledge as they've moved 42 00:02:59,636 --> 00:03:03,116 Speaker 1: through the system according to their age, not really according 43 00:03:03,156 --> 00:03:06,196 Speaker 1: to what they've learned. And that's true even in countries 44 00:03:06,196 --> 00:03:09,396 Speaker 1: of the best education system. So what hope is there 45 00:03:09,436 --> 00:03:12,436 Speaker 1: for people where even traditional schooling is still out of reach? 46 00:03:13,396 --> 00:03:17,436 Speaker 1: In a global economy defined by artificial intelligence and robotics, 47 00:03:17,916 --> 00:03:21,596 Speaker 1: people would need much more than literacy and numerousy Can 48 00:03:21,676 --> 00:03:27,236 Speaker 1: we leverage technology to amplify human purpose and potential? Sal 49 00:03:27,396 --> 00:03:30,956 Speaker 1: believes that we can, and his organization, the Khan Academy, 50 00:03:31,396 --> 00:03:35,036 Speaker 1: shows that actually a world class education better than the 51 00:03:35,036 --> 00:03:38,876 Speaker 1: one in class can be made available for free to 52 00:03:39,276 --> 00:03:42,836 Speaker 1: everyone in the world. No really, and they have this 53 00:03:42,956 --> 00:03:45,756 Speaker 1: really great origin story which I love. I think you 54 00:03:45,756 --> 00:03:49,676 Speaker 1: will too. Okay, let's take a listen. I'll give you 55 00:03:49,676 --> 00:03:51,436 Speaker 1: a thought experiment. If we were to go back in 56 00:03:51,516 --> 00:03:54,796 Speaker 1: time five hundred years, a thousand years, pick a place 57 00:03:54,796 --> 00:03:56,676 Speaker 1: on the planet even you know, even then five hundred 58 00:03:56,716 --> 00:03:58,436 Speaker 1: years ago, Western Europe was actually one of the more 59 00:03:58,476 --> 00:04:00,996 Speaker 1: literate parts of the planet. You would have seen about 60 00:04:01,036 --> 00:04:03,236 Speaker 1: twenty percent of men and about ten percent of women 61 00:04:03,276 --> 00:04:05,836 Speaker 1: were literate, and I suspect that if you went to 62 00:04:05,836 --> 00:04:08,636 Speaker 1: someone who was literate and you said, what percentage of 63 00:04:08,676 --> 00:04:10,716 Speaker 1: the population you think is even capable of reading if 64 00:04:10,716 --> 00:04:13,796 Speaker 1: you had a perfect education system, they might have said, well, 65 00:04:13,956 --> 00:04:17,116 Speaker 1: you know, maybe maybe thirty forty percent with a great 66 00:04:17,196 --> 00:04:20,036 Speaker 1: education system. And if you said, well, I think that 67 00:04:20,036 --> 00:04:22,356 Speaker 1: that beggar on the side of the street could learn 68 00:04:22,436 --> 00:04:24,916 Speaker 1: to read and learn to write, and could learn to 69 00:04:24,956 --> 00:04:27,796 Speaker 1: do mathematics as good as anyone in the king's court, 70 00:04:28,036 --> 00:04:30,916 Speaker 1: they would have thought that you were absolutely delusional. But 71 00:04:31,236 --> 00:04:33,876 Speaker 1: you fast forward five hundred years, we know that their 72 00:04:33,916 --> 00:04:36,756 Speaker 1: prediction was the one that was widely pessimistic, that pretty 73 00:04:36,796 --> 00:04:40,076 Speaker 1: close to one hundred percent of the population is capable 74 00:04:40,156 --> 00:04:43,676 Speaker 1: of reading or doing or being numerous, or being able 75 00:04:43,716 --> 00:04:46,396 Speaker 1: to write and communicate. But if I were to ask 76 00:04:46,436 --> 00:04:49,356 Speaker 1: people today a similar thought experiment, what percentage of the 77 00:04:49,396 --> 00:04:52,796 Speaker 1: population is capable of being a cancer researcher. What percentage 78 00:04:52,796 --> 00:04:56,396 Speaker 1: of the population is capable of being an entrepreneur, of 79 00:04:56,396 --> 00:05:00,196 Speaker 1: writing the next great novel, of pushing the frontiers of physics, 80 00:05:01,116 --> 00:05:03,236 Speaker 1: I think a lot of very smart and even well 81 00:05:03,276 --> 00:05:06,116 Speaker 1: intentioned people will say, well, today that's maybe one to 82 00:05:06,196 --> 00:05:09,516 Speaker 1: five percent, maybe with the great education system it is 83 00:05:09,556 --> 00:05:13,276 Speaker 1: ten fifteen percent. But what if that's a similar blinders 84 00:05:13,316 --> 00:05:15,796 Speaker 1: on the blinders of just a system that we've been in, 85 00:05:16,076 --> 00:05:20,356 Speaker 1: this kind of Industrial Revolution system that pushed everyone together 86 00:05:20,436 --> 00:05:23,676 Speaker 1: in this factory model. If someone didn't understand something, that's okay. 87 00:05:23,716 --> 00:05:26,676 Speaker 1: Because in the Industrial Revolution we had a triangular labor 88 00:05:26,716 --> 00:05:29,676 Speaker 1: pyramid and you only needed so many people who could 89 00:05:29,716 --> 00:05:32,076 Speaker 1: do the knowledge skills or be a member of the 90 00:05:32,076 --> 00:05:35,116 Speaker 1: creative class. This would have been a nice to have. 91 00:05:35,316 --> 00:05:37,676 Speaker 1: I think, if we're talking thirty years ago, wouldn't it 92 00:05:37,716 --> 00:05:40,396 Speaker 1: be nice if more people could operate at the top 93 00:05:40,436 --> 00:05:43,556 Speaker 1: of the pyramid in the knowledge economy? But I think 94 00:05:43,556 --> 00:05:45,676 Speaker 1: this is a societal imperative. I think I think the 95 00:05:45,796 --> 00:05:49,556 Speaker 1: very structure of our society is now dependent on us 96 00:05:49,636 --> 00:05:54,516 Speaker 1: as a civilization making a bet in this direction. Artificial intelligence, automation, 97 00:05:54,596 --> 00:05:58,276 Speaker 1: they're going to redefine what humans need to do anymore. 98 00:05:58,516 --> 00:06:01,116 Speaker 1: And there's a very optimistic sense, but there's some real questions. 99 00:06:01,156 --> 00:06:02,996 Speaker 1: What's going to happen to those truck drivers once we 100 00:06:02,996 --> 00:06:04,796 Speaker 1: have self driving cars, what's going to happen to those 101 00:06:04,796 --> 00:06:08,156 Speaker 1: cashier workers once we have automated cashiers? And those are 102 00:06:08,156 --> 00:06:11,156 Speaker 1: just the most obvious places. It's likely to hit every 103 00:06:11,796 --> 00:06:14,836 Speaker 1: part of what we now define as human work and purpose. 104 00:06:15,156 --> 00:06:17,396 Speaker 1: And I think there's some folks, I would call them 105 00:06:17,436 --> 00:06:21,556 Speaker 1: techno optimists who point at the Industrial Revolution and say, well, 106 00:06:21,596 --> 00:06:24,956 Speaker 1: the Industrial Revolution people had those same fears. Weavers were 107 00:06:24,956 --> 00:06:29,196 Speaker 1: afraid of kind of the weaving machines. Horses obviously lost 108 00:06:29,196 --> 00:06:34,076 Speaker 1: their jobs as cars came about. But net net, you 109 00:06:34,196 --> 00:06:36,516 Speaker 1: had job creation. And what I point to those folks, 110 00:06:36,516 --> 00:06:38,556 Speaker 1: and I'm actually surprised how little it is of the 111 00:06:38,596 --> 00:06:42,836 Speaker 1: conversation the Industrial Revolution. Net job creation did not happen 112 00:06:42,916 --> 00:06:45,276 Speaker 1: in a vacuum. It wasn't just say, hey, technology, it's 113 00:06:45,316 --> 00:06:48,796 Speaker 1: a little scary, but it always creates jobs. It coincided 114 00:06:48,836 --> 00:06:51,556 Speaker 1: with what I would argue as the largest societal bet 115 00:06:51,596 --> 00:06:54,716 Speaker 1: that we made in many hundreds of years, maybe ever, 116 00:06:54,836 --> 00:06:58,116 Speaker 1: and that was the notion of freemass public education. I 117 00:06:58,156 --> 00:07:01,436 Speaker 1: believe that's what allowed us to navigate the Industrial Revolution 118 00:07:01,476 --> 00:07:03,476 Speaker 1: in a way that built a middle class, that allowed 119 00:07:03,516 --> 00:07:06,556 Speaker 1: most people to participate. But now we're in a I 120 00:07:06,556 --> 00:07:09,316 Speaker 1: would say even a faster revolution. Some people call it 121 00:07:09,396 --> 00:07:11,556 Speaker 1: the Third Industrial Revolution, but whatever you want, to call it, 122 00:07:11,556 --> 00:07:14,476 Speaker 1: the AI automation Revolution. And I don't think we can 123 00:07:14,516 --> 00:07:16,596 Speaker 1: be complacent there. We need to make a similar type 124 00:07:16,596 --> 00:07:19,116 Speaker 1: of beat on human potential. So in my mind, the 125 00:07:19,156 --> 00:07:22,396 Speaker 1: only option we have is let's use these tools in 126 00:07:22,476 --> 00:07:27,316 Speaker 1: conjunction with amazing educators, amazing systems to create a world 127 00:07:27,636 --> 00:07:30,076 Speaker 1: where the truck driver of today could be the cancer 128 00:07:30,116 --> 00:07:32,316 Speaker 1: researcher of tomorrow. Let me just stop you here for 129 00:07:32,356 --> 00:07:34,636 Speaker 1: a second, because I think it's worth grappling with how 130 00:07:34,636 --> 00:07:38,596 Speaker 1: you came to this conclusion of education and your platform 131 00:07:38,916 --> 00:07:41,316 Speaker 1: is a place in which we can deal with the 132 00:07:41,356 --> 00:07:44,836 Speaker 1: automation problem. Well, from the early stages of kN Academy, 133 00:07:45,076 --> 00:07:48,036 Speaker 1: if you go back ten, twelve, thirteen years ago, back 134 00:07:48,076 --> 00:07:50,796 Speaker 1: then people weren't talking a lot about self driving cars 135 00:07:51,196 --> 00:07:54,276 Speaker 1: or the coming AI revolution, And so when I set 136 00:07:54,316 --> 00:07:57,276 Speaker 1: up kN Academy, it wasn't with that end. It was 137 00:07:57,316 --> 00:07:59,756 Speaker 1: really like, Hey, how can we give more people opportunity? 138 00:07:59,756 --> 00:08:01,556 Speaker 1: How can we give young girls and parts of the 139 00:08:01,596 --> 00:08:04,476 Speaker 1: planet that they don't have access to world class education? 140 00:08:04,556 --> 00:08:07,356 Speaker 1: How can we give an African American student an inner 141 00:08:07,396 --> 00:08:09,916 Speaker 1: city school, a majority of which don't even offer things 142 00:08:09,956 --> 00:08:12,436 Speaker 1: like calculus or physics. How do we make sure that 143 00:08:12,476 --> 00:08:14,636 Speaker 1: they have access to those types of materials? And that 144 00:08:14,716 --> 00:08:16,796 Speaker 1: it's at a world class level even where when they 145 00:08:16,836 --> 00:08:19,476 Speaker 1: do have access. So that's where we started. But then 146 00:08:19,516 --> 00:08:22,556 Speaker 1: over the last I would say about ten years, as 147 00:08:22,556 --> 00:08:26,196 Speaker 1: the public conversation I think rightfully started to say, hey, well, 148 00:08:26,196 --> 00:08:28,596 Speaker 1: what does it mean for society If you know, right 149 00:08:28,636 --> 00:08:31,436 Speaker 1: now we have five or ten million, mostly men, who 150 00:08:31,516 --> 00:08:34,636 Speaker 1: are drivers, whether it's an uber or lift driver, or 151 00:08:34,636 --> 00:08:37,436 Speaker 1: whether it's a truck driver. What's going to happen to 152 00:08:37,476 --> 00:08:39,116 Speaker 1: them when it seems like we're going to have self 153 00:08:39,196 --> 00:08:42,196 Speaker 1: driving cars in the next decade. What's what when you 154 00:08:42,196 --> 00:08:44,036 Speaker 1: have five million people work in retail? What does it 155 00:08:44,116 --> 00:08:49,636 Speaker 1: mean when you have fully automated stores. Kind Academy helps 156 00:08:49,836 --> 00:08:52,716 Speaker 1: millions of people every year learn economics and world history. 157 00:08:52,756 --> 00:08:54,796 Speaker 1: And I remember making a lot of these videos on 158 00:08:54,836 --> 00:08:58,196 Speaker 1: whether it's the Industrial Revolution or these major inflection points 159 00:08:58,196 --> 00:09:01,236 Speaker 1: in history, from agriculture to the advent of writing to 160 00:09:01,316 --> 00:09:03,796 Speaker 1: the printing press, and I'm like, we are at one 161 00:09:03,796 --> 00:09:06,556 Speaker 1: of those inflection points. And every one of those other 162 00:09:06,556 --> 00:09:10,516 Speaker 1: inflection points either helped catalyze human potential, a step change 163 00:09:10,516 --> 00:09:13,956 Speaker 1: in human potential, or that the tools of that inflection 164 00:09:13,996 --> 00:09:17,556 Speaker 1: point were used to address the disruptions of the inflection point, 165 00:09:17,596 --> 00:09:19,556 Speaker 1: and so I said, why how come people are not 166 00:09:19,676 --> 00:09:22,116 Speaker 1: thinking in those terms today? In my mind, if you 167 00:09:22,156 --> 00:09:25,196 Speaker 1: don't view it as an education issue, you're resolving to 168 00:09:25,316 --> 00:09:27,436 Speaker 1: just have your fingers crossed that we don't get into 169 00:09:27,516 --> 00:09:30,596 Speaker 1: kind of some tech feudal system where a small percentage 170 00:09:30,596 --> 00:09:33,076 Speaker 1: of the population who does have the right skills are 171 00:09:33,156 --> 00:09:36,396 Speaker 1: able to benefit from all of the returns from the robots, 172 00:09:36,716 --> 00:09:38,676 Speaker 1: and that everyone else is on some type of social 173 00:09:38,676 --> 00:09:41,116 Speaker 1: safety net. That is a dystopian society. And I think 174 00:09:41,676 --> 00:09:43,476 Speaker 1: if we don't figure out a way to up level 175 00:09:43,516 --> 00:09:45,436 Speaker 1: a lot of people, that's where we're heading. Can you 176 00:09:45,476 --> 00:09:49,156 Speaker 1: just tell us how you started Han Academy. Yeah, if 177 00:09:49,156 --> 00:09:51,636 Speaker 1: you rewind back to two thousand and four, I was 178 00:09:51,676 --> 00:09:54,516 Speaker 1: a year out of business school. My background was originally 179 00:09:54,756 --> 00:09:57,436 Speaker 1: in technology and software and in math, but now I 180 00:09:57,476 --> 00:09:59,476 Speaker 1: had found myself. I was an analyst at a hedge fund, 181 00:09:59,756 --> 00:10:02,596 Speaker 1: and I had just gotten married in the Northeast, and 182 00:10:02,636 --> 00:10:04,916 Speaker 1: I had family visiting me from New Orleans, which is 183 00:10:04,916 --> 00:10:06,436 Speaker 1: where I was born and raised. And it just came 184 00:10:06,436 --> 00:10:10,116 Speaker 1: out a conversation with my aunt that heard Nadia, who 185 00:10:10,156 --> 00:10:12,196 Speaker 1: was twelve years old at the time, was having trouble 186 00:10:12,196 --> 00:10:13,836 Speaker 1: in math and because of that she was being placed 187 00:10:13,836 --> 00:10:16,436 Speaker 1: into a slower math class. So I offered to tutor 188 00:10:16,476 --> 00:10:18,236 Speaker 1: her when she went back to New Orleans. And so 189 00:10:18,316 --> 00:10:21,516 Speaker 1: she goes back to New Orleans every day after school 190 00:10:21,556 --> 00:10:23,436 Speaker 1: for her after work for me, we get on the phone, 191 00:10:23,516 --> 00:10:26,196 Speaker 1: we use instant messenger, whatever we could off the internet, 192 00:10:26,516 --> 00:10:30,196 Speaker 1: and I start tutoring her one thing after another. She 193 00:10:30,236 --> 00:10:33,156 Speaker 1: slowly gets caught up with her class. She understands unit conversion. 194 00:10:33,476 --> 00:10:36,236 Speaker 1: I called up her school and I say, you know, 195 00:10:36,276 --> 00:10:39,036 Speaker 1: I really think Nadia Orman should should really be able 196 00:10:39,036 --> 00:10:41,036 Speaker 1: to take that placement exam from last year. And they 197 00:10:41,036 --> 00:10:43,236 Speaker 1: said who are you and I said, I'm her cousin, 198 00:10:43,596 --> 00:10:45,756 Speaker 1: and they actually led her and that same Nadia that 199 00:10:45,836 --> 00:10:49,276 Speaker 1: was being placed into that remedial math class only after 200 00:10:49,276 --> 00:10:51,556 Speaker 1: about two months of tutoring was able to be put 201 00:10:51,556 --> 00:10:54,716 Speaker 1: into an advanced math class. And so I was hooked. 202 00:10:54,796 --> 00:10:58,196 Speaker 1: I started tutoring her younger brothers, and then over the 203 00:10:58,236 --> 00:11:00,556 Speaker 1: next two years or so, word gets around my family 204 00:11:00,636 --> 00:11:03,956 Speaker 1: that free tutoring is going on, and I find myself 205 00:11:03,996 --> 00:11:07,116 Speaker 1: every day after work with ten fifteen cousins, family friends 206 00:11:07,196 --> 00:11:11,796 Speaker 1: all around the country being their their tutor. And the 207 00:11:11,876 --> 00:11:14,876 Speaker 1: first con Academy a lot of folks associated with videos, 208 00:11:14,916 --> 00:11:17,036 Speaker 1: but it had nothing to do with videos. I saw 209 00:11:17,116 --> 00:11:20,196 Speaker 1: that a lot of my cousins were having trouble, not 210 00:11:20,276 --> 00:11:22,196 Speaker 1: because the subject matter was hard or not because they 211 00:11:22,196 --> 00:11:24,836 Speaker 1: weren't bright. It's because they had gaps. And I wanted 212 00:11:24,876 --> 00:11:27,036 Speaker 1: them to be able to practice and remediate and fill 213 00:11:27,076 --> 00:11:29,156 Speaker 1: in those gaps. And so I started writing software for 214 00:11:29,196 --> 00:11:31,356 Speaker 1: them so that they could get as much practice as 215 00:11:31,356 --> 00:11:33,356 Speaker 1: they need and get feedback on what they got wrong 216 00:11:33,436 --> 00:11:35,636 Speaker 1: or right. I started making tools so that I, is 217 00:11:35,676 --> 00:11:37,876 Speaker 1: their tutor, could see what they were up to, and 218 00:11:37,956 --> 00:11:40,156 Speaker 1: I could assign things. And I just put it on 219 00:11:40,196 --> 00:11:42,316 Speaker 1: a website, and I needed to get a domain name, 220 00:11:42,356 --> 00:11:44,076 Speaker 1: and the only one I could find was con Academy. 221 00:11:44,276 --> 00:11:47,156 Speaker 1: And it was a little bit of a joke, but 222 00:11:47,156 --> 00:11:48,956 Speaker 1: but I liked the way it sounded it, you know, 223 00:11:49,076 --> 00:11:50,516 Speaker 1: it made it sound like it was more than a 224 00:11:50,756 --> 00:11:53,156 Speaker 1: family tutoring project. And in the back of my mind, 225 00:11:53,196 --> 00:11:56,676 Speaker 1: I did I did start to dream that, hey, now 226 00:11:56,716 --> 00:11:59,356 Speaker 1: that I'm writing software, software can scale to a lot 227 00:11:59,396 --> 00:12:02,596 Speaker 1: of folks. And I saw that it was helping my family. 228 00:12:02,636 --> 00:12:05,476 Speaker 1: And I was showing off this software to a friend 229 00:12:05,516 --> 00:12:07,996 Speaker 1: at a dinner party in November two thousand and six, 230 00:12:08,396 --> 00:12:10,676 Speaker 1: and his name's Zulfakar runs on I have to give 231 00:12:10,716 --> 00:12:13,436 Speaker 1: him full credit. And he said, well, this is all cool, 232 00:12:13,476 --> 00:12:16,116 Speaker 1: sal but how are you scaling up your actual lessons? 233 00:12:16,476 --> 00:12:17,956 Speaker 1: And I said, you know, Zuli, it's hard to do 234 00:12:18,036 --> 00:12:20,156 Speaker 1: with fifteen cousins what I was originally just doing what 235 00:12:20,316 --> 00:12:22,996 Speaker 1: Nadia or Nadia and her brothers. And he says, well, 236 00:12:22,996 --> 00:12:25,636 Speaker 1: I have an idea. You could record them as videos 237 00:12:25,916 --> 00:12:28,556 Speaker 1: and upload them onto YouTube for your family. And my 238 00:12:28,996 --> 00:12:34,036 Speaker 1: initial reaction was, no, that's a horrible idea. YouTube is 239 00:12:34,876 --> 00:12:39,156 Speaker 1: YouTube is for cats playing piano, it's not for serious mathematics. 240 00:12:39,596 --> 00:12:42,156 Speaker 1: But I went home that that weekend, I got over 241 00:12:42,196 --> 00:12:45,956 Speaker 1: the idea that it wasn't my idea, and I gave 242 00:12:45,996 --> 00:12:49,716 Speaker 1: it a shot. And you know those videos they were. 243 00:12:49,876 --> 00:12:51,316 Speaker 1: If you look at some of those early videos that 244 00:12:51,316 --> 00:12:53,756 Speaker 1: I uploaded in November of two thousand and six, they 245 00:12:53,756 --> 00:12:56,676 Speaker 1: say things like welcome to Level three equations, because Level 246 00:12:56,756 --> 00:12:58,836 Speaker 1: three Equations was a little software module that I had 247 00:12:58,876 --> 00:13:01,796 Speaker 1: created for my cousins. But they happen to be public, 248 00:13:02,116 --> 00:13:05,076 Speaker 1: happened to be on YouTube. Soon became clear that people 249 00:13:05,076 --> 00:13:08,756 Speaker 1: who are not my cousins were watching, and the viewcount 250 00:13:08,796 --> 00:13:12,116 Speaker 1: started to grow, exponentially and comments started to come in, 251 00:13:12,476 --> 00:13:14,716 Speaker 1: some of them pretty you know, just nice, like thank you, 252 00:13:14,756 --> 00:13:16,996 Speaker 1: this really helped. But a lot of folks saying that 253 00:13:17,636 --> 00:13:20,996 Speaker 1: this was the tutor that their family can't afford, that 254 00:13:21,356 --> 00:13:22,796 Speaker 1: this was the way that the only way they're able 255 00:13:22,796 --> 00:13:24,836 Speaker 1: to keep up with class. People in the military saying 256 00:13:24,836 --> 00:13:26,676 Speaker 1: that they're able to go back to college or study 257 00:13:26,676 --> 00:13:29,356 Speaker 1: while they're being deployed. So it really started to dawn 258 00:13:29,396 --> 00:13:32,076 Speaker 1: on me that wow, even at this early phase between 259 00:13:32,116 --> 00:13:34,956 Speaker 1: the software and now the lessons that were on video, 260 00:13:35,516 --> 00:13:37,476 Speaker 1: this could one day And it was me, you know, 261 00:13:37,516 --> 00:13:39,116 Speaker 1: operating in a walk in closet at the time, so 262 00:13:39,116 --> 00:13:41,556 Speaker 1: it was delusional, but maybe this could one day reach 263 00:13:41,676 --> 00:13:43,876 Speaker 1: millions or tens of millions or billions of people. And 264 00:13:43,876 --> 00:13:45,396 Speaker 1: so that's when it started to get in my mind 265 00:13:45,396 --> 00:13:47,036 Speaker 1: that this could, this could be more than just a 266 00:13:47,036 --> 00:13:49,676 Speaker 1: family project. So I give us some of the numbers there, 267 00:13:49,796 --> 00:13:53,516 Speaker 1: what is the scale of han Academy's work right now? Well, 268 00:13:53,556 --> 00:13:55,596 Speaker 1: as of you know, the last numbers I saw, we 269 00:13:55,676 --> 00:14:01,236 Speaker 1: have about seventy two million registered users. Seventeen million students 270 00:14:01,276 --> 00:14:04,036 Speaker 1: of all ages from around the world come every month 271 00:14:04,956 --> 00:14:09,236 Speaker 1: to use the platform. About two million of those are 272 00:14:09,356 --> 00:14:13,716 Speaker 1: predominantly classroom users who are using US with a teacher 273 00:14:13,836 --> 00:14:18,636 Speaker 1: and are using us for several hours a week, and 274 00:14:18,676 --> 00:14:21,876 Speaker 1: that's associated with efficacy claims where they're able to grow 275 00:14:22,196 --> 00:14:25,716 Speaker 1: twenty thirty percent faster than their peers or they might 276 00:14:25,876 --> 00:14:28,916 Speaker 1: otherwise have. And it's being used in almost every country 277 00:14:28,916 --> 00:14:30,836 Speaker 1: in the world. So in some of those cases, it's 278 00:14:30,836 --> 00:14:33,716 Speaker 1: reaching more than just the user that's sitting there. It's 279 00:14:33,996 --> 00:14:35,956 Speaker 1: going to a group of folks trying to learn together. 280 00:14:36,356 --> 00:14:39,036 Speaker 1: So the impact even it seems to reach beyond even 281 00:14:39,156 --> 00:14:42,236 Speaker 1: those numbers, Is that correct. Yeah, a lot of people 282 00:14:42,276 --> 00:14:44,036 Speaker 1: think of kin academy, or you might do a web 283 00:14:44,036 --> 00:14:46,516 Speaker 1: search looking for a photosynthesis and you stumble on kN 284 00:14:46,596 --> 00:14:48,276 Speaker 1: academy and you either watch a video and then we 285 00:14:48,396 --> 00:14:50,956 Speaker 1: now have practice and you can get feedback and keep 286 00:14:51,036 --> 00:14:52,836 Speaker 1: learning if you like. So there's a lot of what 287 00:14:52,836 --> 00:14:56,756 Speaker 1: we call independent learners, but increasingly, in fact roughly a 288 00:14:56,836 --> 00:14:59,436 Speaker 1: majority of our usage is from what we would call 289 00:14:59,476 --> 00:15:02,276 Speaker 1: teacher directed users. These are where the teacher is making 290 00:15:02,356 --> 00:15:06,636 Speaker 1: con Academy an integral part of the classroom, and the 291 00:15:06,636 --> 00:15:09,716 Speaker 1: teacher is using a much more sophisticate version of the 292 00:15:09,716 --> 00:15:13,156 Speaker 1: tools that I started making for myself as my cousin's tutor, 293 00:15:13,396 --> 00:15:15,236 Speaker 1: where they can keep track of where the student saw, 294 00:15:15,356 --> 00:15:17,876 Speaker 1: where students might need to be unblocked, where they might 295 00:15:17,916 --> 00:15:20,116 Speaker 1: be able to do a focused intervention. Tell us some 296 00:15:20,196 --> 00:15:24,076 Speaker 1: stories of people who have used han Academy and materials 297 00:15:24,316 --> 00:15:27,396 Speaker 1: to move towards educational success. I remember in the early days, 298 00:15:27,396 --> 00:15:29,796 Speaker 1: there was a mother that emailed me and I brought 299 00:15:29,836 --> 00:15:32,076 Speaker 1: my wife over because it was such a moving story 300 00:15:32,116 --> 00:15:35,156 Speaker 1: of her son's. Two sons had a learning disability, and 301 00:15:35,476 --> 00:15:38,316 Speaker 1: according to this mother, kN Academy was the only way 302 00:15:38,316 --> 00:15:40,236 Speaker 1: that her sons could keep up with their class. And 303 00:15:40,756 --> 00:15:42,756 Speaker 1: she said because of that, her and her entire family 304 00:15:42,796 --> 00:15:45,756 Speaker 1: were praying for me and my entire family, and you 305 00:15:45,796 --> 00:15:47,876 Speaker 1: had to imagine, I mean, that would be powerful on 306 00:15:47,916 --> 00:15:50,196 Speaker 1: any level. But you have to remember my day job. 307 00:15:50,196 --> 00:15:52,396 Speaker 1: I was an analyst at a hedge fund. I was 308 00:15:52,436 --> 00:15:55,636 Speaker 1: not used to people praying for me, so that was 309 00:15:55,756 --> 00:15:58,076 Speaker 1: or at least in that way, you know. I used 310 00:15:58,116 --> 00:16:01,396 Speaker 1: to give talks and interviews like this and talk about 311 00:16:01,556 --> 00:16:03,516 Speaker 1: maybe one day it'll be used, you know, in Mongolia, 312 00:16:03,636 --> 00:16:07,436 Speaker 1: just imagining the furthest remotest place on the planet. And 313 00:16:07,716 --> 00:16:10,276 Speaker 1: a few months after that, I got a note from 314 00:16:10,276 --> 00:16:13,356 Speaker 1: Mongolia and as an email with a YouTube link. I 315 00:16:13,356 --> 00:16:15,076 Speaker 1: click on the YouTube link. It was this young girl 316 00:16:15,156 --> 00:16:17,996 Speaker 1: named Zia, she was sixteen at the time, from Mongolia, 317 00:16:18,036 --> 00:16:20,356 Speaker 1: and she talks about how she really enjoys Khan Academy. 318 00:16:20,356 --> 00:16:22,196 Speaker 1: It's really helped her and her friends like it and 319 00:16:22,276 --> 00:16:24,916 Speaker 1: things like that, and I thought it was cool someone 320 00:16:24,956 --> 00:16:27,956 Speaker 1: in Mongolia is using Khan Academy. I immediately assumed that 321 00:16:27,996 --> 00:16:31,156 Speaker 1: she must be middle class or upper middle class. She 322 00:16:31,236 --> 00:16:34,156 Speaker 1: clearly had access to the Internet and a computer. Her 323 00:16:34,156 --> 00:16:36,916 Speaker 1: English was actually quite good. And then I read the 324 00:16:36,916 --> 00:16:38,836 Speaker 1: text of her email more closely, and it turns out 325 00:16:38,836 --> 00:16:40,636 Speaker 1: that there was a group of engineers who worked at 326 00:16:40,676 --> 00:16:43,916 Speaker 1: Cisco Systems who were using their vacation time to go 327 00:16:43,996 --> 00:16:47,556 Speaker 1: to Mongolia and set up computer labs and orphanages, and 328 00:16:47,916 --> 00:16:51,276 Speaker 1: Zia was one of those orphans. And so that kind 329 00:16:51,276 --> 00:16:53,756 Speaker 1: of it just blew my mind. It's like, wow, this 330 00:16:53,836 --> 00:16:55,436 Speaker 1: is like something I would only have expected to read 331 00:16:55,476 --> 00:16:57,916 Speaker 1: in like a science fiction book. And what's even cooler 332 00:16:58,276 --> 00:17:00,276 Speaker 1: is that Zia, a few years after that, after she 333 00:17:00,356 --> 00:17:02,756 Speaker 1: graduated from high school, became one of the top contributors 334 00:17:02,876 --> 00:17:06,316 Speaker 1: to Kin Academy in the Mongolian language. So It's this 335 00:17:06,476 --> 00:17:08,516 Speaker 1: meta story of if you just let people tap into 336 00:17:08,556 --> 00:17:12,716 Speaker 1: their potential a little bit, they themselves can become amplifiers, 337 00:17:12,836 --> 00:17:16,676 Speaker 1: especially for their own people. You know. Another analogous story 338 00:17:17,396 --> 00:17:20,556 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago, it's about, yeah, eighteen months ago. Now, 339 00:17:21,196 --> 00:17:25,116 Speaker 1: I got an email from actually this girl the University 340 00:17:25,116 --> 00:17:27,196 Speaker 1: of Iowa who said, you have got to know about 341 00:17:27,196 --> 00:17:29,676 Speaker 1: this girl in Afghanistan. And I'm like, well, what's going on? 342 00:17:29,756 --> 00:17:31,716 Speaker 1: And she's like and she told me the story of 343 00:17:31,756 --> 00:17:34,956 Speaker 1: this this young woman named Sultana. At the age of twelve, 344 00:17:35,196 --> 00:17:39,116 Speaker 1: the Taliban take over her town in Afghanistan, forbid all 345 00:17:39,116 --> 00:17:41,276 Speaker 1: the young girls from going to school, threatened them with 346 00:17:41,316 --> 00:17:44,436 Speaker 1: horrible things, you know, acid attacks, etcetera, etce. And so 347 00:17:44,476 --> 00:17:46,276 Speaker 1: she doesn't go to school. So she's doing like ten 348 00:17:46,276 --> 00:17:49,516 Speaker 1: hours of chores a day, taking you know, cleaning, cooking, etc. Etc. 349 00:17:50,396 --> 00:17:54,476 Speaker 1: And her brother in law sees that she's really curious 350 00:17:54,476 --> 00:17:56,516 Speaker 1: and really wants to learn, and it's like almost like 351 00:17:56,516 --> 00:17:58,756 Speaker 1: the biggest blow to her that she can't go to school, 352 00:17:59,196 --> 00:18:02,036 Speaker 1: and so he got her a computer with internet connection, 353 00:18:02,556 --> 00:18:05,476 Speaker 1: and so she uses that, starting at age twelve, to 354 00:18:05,716 --> 00:18:08,076 Speaker 1: first try to learn English because most of the Internet 355 00:18:08,116 --> 00:18:11,516 Speaker 1: is still in English, and she actually got ahold of 356 00:18:11,516 --> 00:18:13,876 Speaker 1: a Time magazine in English because she was trying to 357 00:18:13,876 --> 00:18:15,596 Speaker 1: get as much material to read in English, and it 358 00:18:15,596 --> 00:18:18,476 Speaker 1: happened had an article on Kon Academy in it, and 359 00:18:18,516 --> 00:18:20,596 Speaker 1: so she says, this is what I need. So every 360 00:18:20,756 --> 00:18:23,516 Speaker 1: waking hour when she's not doing chores, she was on 361 00:18:23,836 --> 00:18:27,396 Speaker 1: kon Academy and she goes from she was actually at 362 00:18:27,516 --> 00:18:30,236 Speaker 1: what we would consider a late elementary school level, and 363 00:18:30,876 --> 00:18:34,876 Speaker 1: especially in math and science, all the way through middle school, 364 00:18:34,956 --> 00:18:38,316 Speaker 1: high school, even more advanced topics, you know, she says. 365 00:18:38,316 --> 00:18:40,436 Speaker 1: You know, her big aha was the moment that she 366 00:18:40,476 --> 00:18:42,436 Speaker 1: realized that she was two grade levels ahead of her 367 00:18:42,436 --> 00:18:45,036 Speaker 1: older brothers who who are still allowed to go to school. 368 00:18:45,476 --> 00:18:50,116 Speaker 1: And by you know, late high school, she's doing calculus 369 00:18:50,156 --> 00:18:53,836 Speaker 1: and physics and chemistry and biology and she wants to 370 00:18:53,876 --> 00:18:56,396 Speaker 1: become a physicist. She's so passionate about it now and 371 00:18:56,476 --> 00:18:58,796 Speaker 1: she wants to study in the US and do physics research. 372 00:18:59,396 --> 00:19:02,556 Speaker 1: And this is when she meets this young woman from 373 00:19:02,556 --> 00:19:06,756 Speaker 1: Iowa through some type of an online language instruction program 374 00:19:07,556 --> 00:19:12,156 Speaker 1: and she learns about the SAT. Sultana smuggles herself into 375 00:19:12,196 --> 00:19:16,356 Speaker 1: Pakistan to take the SAT because it's not an offered 376 00:19:16,436 --> 00:19:18,196 Speaker 1: enough guys yet. So if you have any family members 377 00:19:18,236 --> 00:19:20,676 Speaker 1: who are grumbling about going on a Saturday morning to 378 00:19:20,836 --> 00:19:24,836 Speaker 1: take the SAT, tell them sultana story. There are people 379 00:19:25,076 --> 00:19:27,476 Speaker 1: who are willing to do. She lied to her parents 380 00:19:27,996 --> 00:19:32,076 Speaker 1: to go to Karachi to take the SAT, and she 381 00:19:32,156 --> 00:19:34,836 Speaker 1: does shockingly well for someone who has self taught in 382 00:19:34,916 --> 00:19:38,476 Speaker 1: English and learned everything she knew kind of on her own. 383 00:19:39,236 --> 00:19:42,716 Speaker 1: And that's the point at which why I was why 384 00:19:42,396 --> 00:19:45,756 Speaker 1: they were able to get my email address, and we're 385 00:19:45,796 --> 00:19:47,476 Speaker 1: all now trying to say, how do we get Sultana 386 00:19:47,516 --> 00:19:49,116 Speaker 1: to come to this country. She got into a few 387 00:19:49,196 --> 00:19:52,316 Speaker 1: universities out here, but if you're a foreign student, it's 388 00:19:52,356 --> 00:19:54,676 Speaker 1: pretty you know, before you even get a student visa, 389 00:19:54,716 --> 00:19:55,836 Speaker 1: you have to show that you have a one hundred 390 00:19:55,836 --> 00:19:57,916 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in the bank, etcetera. She did not have 391 00:19:57,956 --> 00:20:00,396 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand dollars in the bank. No, we're close 392 00:20:00,436 --> 00:20:03,356 Speaker 1: to it, and so we kept trying to call people, etcetera. 393 00:20:03,356 --> 00:20:06,556 Speaker 1: Et Luckily, Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times caught wind. 394 00:20:06,556 --> 00:20:08,676 Speaker 1: I actually don't know how, and he wrote an op 395 00:20:08,836 --> 00:20:12,196 Speaker 1: ed out her titled Meet Sultana, the Taliban's Worst fear 396 00:20:12,196 --> 00:20:14,156 Speaker 1: and if people do a Google search, they can find it, 397 00:20:14,476 --> 00:20:17,996 Speaker 1: and that talks about Sultana's story. And after that, she 398 00:20:18,076 --> 00:20:21,556 Speaker 1: was able to get a humanitarian visa, and so she's 399 00:20:21,596 --> 00:20:24,796 Speaker 1: now in the country and and and studying, and she's 400 00:20:24,836 --> 00:20:28,556 Speaker 1: actually already collaborating with some Nobel Prize winning physicists. And 401 00:20:28,796 --> 00:20:30,796 Speaker 1: the only reason why you're actually not hearing more about 402 00:20:30,796 --> 00:20:33,636 Speaker 1: Sultana is her family is still in that town and 403 00:20:33,716 --> 00:20:36,076 Speaker 1: that's why I'm not mentioning the town. And it's actually 404 00:20:36,076 --> 00:20:38,516 Speaker 1: a security risk. So she's she's actually still a little 405 00:20:38,516 --> 00:20:40,676 Speaker 1: bit under the radar. We've kind of gotten into this 406 00:20:40,756 --> 00:20:42,956 Speaker 1: with these two stories. But what are some of the 407 00:20:43,036 --> 00:20:47,396 Speaker 1: challenges around the language difference, the existing literacy that some 408 00:20:47,476 --> 00:20:50,796 Speaker 1: of your potential learners, the challenges that they might have. 409 00:20:51,036 --> 00:20:56,316 Speaker 1: How are you grappling with that? Yeah, so our missions 410 00:20:56,316 --> 00:20:59,116 Speaker 1: free world class education for anyone anywhere. So we need 411 00:20:59,156 --> 00:21:03,436 Speaker 1: to be able to reach everyone everywhere world with world 412 00:21:03,476 --> 00:21:08,196 Speaker 1: class education. And so already part of that is kind 413 00:21:08,156 --> 00:21:10,756 Speaker 1: of academy. There's thirty six projects around the world. These 414 00:21:10,756 --> 00:21:14,476 Speaker 1: are volunteers. There's actually been over fourteen thousand volunteers who 415 00:21:14,516 --> 00:21:19,796 Speaker 1: have helped translate redo subtitle videos that's where, you know, 416 00:21:19,956 --> 00:21:26,116 Speaker 1: whether it's India, Mongolia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Sweden. I mean 417 00:21:26,156 --> 00:21:29,196 Speaker 1: I could, I could keep listening listening. These areas are 418 00:21:29,276 --> 00:21:32,596 Speaker 1: most focused. Efforts have actually been in Latin America and India, 419 00:21:32,636 --> 00:21:35,996 Speaker 1: both Spanish speaking Latin America and Portuguese speaking, you know, 420 00:21:35,996 --> 00:21:38,836 Speaker 1: in Brazil, that's where we have the most focus efforts. 421 00:21:38,996 --> 00:21:42,196 Speaker 1: But if we're talking generally access, you know, to use 422 00:21:42,276 --> 00:21:45,356 Speaker 1: con Academy, you need to use it properly. You need 423 00:21:45,396 --> 00:21:48,596 Speaker 1: a computer and you need the Internet, and we know 424 00:21:48,676 --> 00:21:50,916 Speaker 1: that not everyone on the planet today has that. Now, 425 00:21:51,236 --> 00:21:53,436 Speaker 1: the trends are very good, if even relative to when 426 00:21:53,476 --> 00:21:55,836 Speaker 1: kN Academy was just getting started. Over the last ten 427 00:21:55,916 --> 00:21:59,876 Speaker 1: twelve years, things have dramatically improved there about a year 428 00:21:59,876 --> 00:22:02,356 Speaker 1: and a half ago. In places like India, broadband rates 429 00:22:02,396 --> 00:22:04,916 Speaker 1: have gone really low. People are able to access system 430 00:22:05,036 --> 00:22:07,556 Speaker 1: on their cell phones, but we do have stop gap measures. 431 00:22:07,796 --> 00:22:11,636 Speaker 1: There's organizations that are created offline versions of con Academy 432 00:22:11,676 --> 00:22:14,316 Speaker 1: called ka Light. There's folks who've taken just the videos, 433 00:22:14,316 --> 00:22:15,636 Speaker 1: even though that's just a piece of what we do, 434 00:22:15,676 --> 00:22:17,636 Speaker 1: and they put it on DVDs. You know, places like India, 435 00:22:17,636 --> 00:22:20,116 Speaker 1: everyone watches Bollywood, so they all have you know, the 436 00:22:20,316 --> 00:22:22,036 Speaker 1: places that might not have electricity, but they have a 437 00:22:22,036 --> 00:22:25,436 Speaker 1: generator and a DVD player and so, um, we're we're 438 00:22:25,476 --> 00:22:28,076 Speaker 1: we're able, We're able to reach that way. But you know, 439 00:22:28,156 --> 00:22:30,596 Speaker 1: we're we're not going to be the ones. We're a 440 00:22:30,676 --> 00:22:33,796 Speaker 1: small organization, a small nonprofit that's philanthropically funded. We're not 441 00:22:33,836 --> 00:22:34,796 Speaker 1: the ones that are going to be able to put 442 00:22:34,876 --> 00:22:37,716 Speaker 1: up the satellites and build out the telecom infrastructure, but 443 00:22:37,796 --> 00:22:39,636 Speaker 1: we can be the ones that make it very clear 444 00:22:39,676 --> 00:22:42,276 Speaker 1: to government officials that it's important they do that. But 445 00:22:42,356 --> 00:22:44,956 Speaker 1: I'm really excited. You know, Elon Musk is putting up 446 00:22:44,956 --> 00:22:48,556 Speaker 1: his constellation of satellites out that should give global Internet 447 00:22:48,596 --> 00:22:51,356 Speaker 1: access to you know, the remotest parts of the most 448 00:22:51,396 --> 00:22:54,796 Speaker 1: remote parts of the planet, and we're gonna be right there. Um. 449 00:22:54,916 --> 00:22:57,756 Speaker 1: And as he does that, Um, there's no reason why 450 00:22:57,756 --> 00:23:00,556 Speaker 1: anyone on the planet shouldn't be able to access Cohn Academy. 451 00:23:01,116 --> 00:23:02,836 Speaker 1: And then the question is are they going to be 452 00:23:02,836 --> 00:23:05,076 Speaker 1: able to access it in a way that's um, you know, 453 00:23:05,076 --> 00:23:08,156 Speaker 1: they can understand it. And so that's where we are 454 00:23:08,316 --> 00:23:13,436 Speaker 1: working with, whether it's volunteers, corporations, ministries of education to 455 00:23:13,836 --> 00:23:17,436 Speaker 1: not only localize the content, but to map it to 456 00:23:18,116 --> 00:23:21,876 Speaker 1: local standards, and localization is an interesting challenge. Sometimes it 457 00:23:21,916 --> 00:23:24,996 Speaker 1: goes quite well. Oftentimes we're redoing, but you know, you 458 00:23:25,036 --> 00:23:28,076 Speaker 1: do realize that, you know, the math oftentimes is much easier. 459 00:23:28,316 --> 00:23:30,596 Speaker 1: Once you go into the humanities, that becomes a much 460 00:23:30,636 --> 00:23:34,436 Speaker 1: more sensitive issue. And that's why we're we're we're leading 461 00:23:34,556 --> 00:23:37,476 Speaker 1: with with with math because that's less sensitive in math 462 00:23:37,516 --> 00:23:40,476 Speaker 1: and science and so. But but I'm excited about it. 463 00:23:40,556 --> 00:23:43,556 Speaker 1: You know, the US, Latin America and to some degree 464 00:23:43,636 --> 00:23:48,036 Speaker 1: India or where we're most developed. But you know, in 465 00:23:48,116 --> 00:23:50,276 Speaker 1: the long run, we've got to be able to reach 466 00:23:50,316 --> 00:23:52,676 Speaker 1: the whole planet. You know, you mentioned people using YouTube 467 00:23:52,676 --> 00:23:54,676 Speaker 1: and Google a lot, but in a lot of countries 468 00:23:54,716 --> 00:23:57,396 Speaker 1: there are periods of time where YouTube will be taken 469 00:23:57,396 --> 00:24:00,396 Speaker 1: off public internet access for for years at a time, 470 00:24:00,476 --> 00:24:04,836 Speaker 1: like in Pakistan. Um. So what are the other ways 471 00:24:04,916 --> 00:24:06,996 Speaker 1: that you have you know, subverted some of some of 472 00:24:06,996 --> 00:24:10,836 Speaker 1: those government censorship possibilities that would prevent people from accessing 473 00:24:11,076 --> 00:24:15,796 Speaker 1: hon Academy materials. Yeah, you know, it's interesting things like YouTube. 474 00:24:15,836 --> 00:24:17,796 Speaker 1: It's not just governments that sometimes sends to them, even 475 00:24:17,796 --> 00:24:20,996 Speaker 1: school districts in the US of course, so we've had 476 00:24:20,996 --> 00:24:23,276 Speaker 1: to do workarounds there so when when people, you know, 477 00:24:23,316 --> 00:24:25,956 Speaker 1: we use people. Some people discover us through YouTube or 478 00:24:26,036 --> 00:24:30,596 Speaker 1: use some of our content through YouTube, but um, the 479 00:24:31,076 --> 00:24:32,436 Speaker 1: main way to use con Academy if you go to 480 00:24:32,516 --> 00:24:36,396 Speaker 1: con academy site, our default hosting for our our videos 481 00:24:36,476 --> 00:24:39,396 Speaker 1: is through YouTube, but if YouTube isn't accessible, we do 482 00:24:39,436 --> 00:24:42,236 Speaker 1: host it other places like Amazon Web Services and places 483 00:24:42,236 --> 00:24:45,636 Speaker 1: like China. We have other folks who've mirror mirrored a 484 00:24:45,716 --> 00:24:49,276 Speaker 1: lot of the content. So we're constantly thinking of ways 485 00:24:49,676 --> 00:24:53,716 Speaker 1: to get in front of students and make it as 486 00:24:54,116 --> 00:24:58,036 Speaker 1: accessible as possible, whether it's the internet access, the technology access, 487 00:24:58,036 --> 00:25:00,196 Speaker 1: you know, where we've put a lot of investment in 488 00:25:00,316 --> 00:25:02,876 Speaker 1: being able to do things on mobile, obviously, the localization, 489 00:25:03,316 --> 00:25:06,116 Speaker 1: not being dependent on a Google or YouTube and being 490 00:25:06,156 --> 00:25:08,116 Speaker 1: able to be you know obviously, con academy dot org 491 00:25:08,156 --> 00:25:10,236 Speaker 1: is where we want people ago if they want to 492 00:25:10,236 --> 00:25:13,836 Speaker 1: go ast us in Spanish ees dot con academy dot org. Interestingly, 493 00:25:13,836 --> 00:25:18,636 Speaker 1: in Mexico, the Carlos Slim Foundation has worked with tell Cell, 494 00:25:18,676 --> 00:25:22,316 Speaker 1: which is Carlo Slim's telecom company, to zero rate kN Academy. 495 00:25:22,636 --> 00:25:26,196 Speaker 1: So if you're a student in in Mexico and you 496 00:25:26,196 --> 00:25:28,636 Speaker 1: want to use ees dot com Academy dot org, which 497 00:25:28,676 --> 00:25:31,236 Speaker 1: is the Spanish version of khn Academy. It does not 498 00:25:31,276 --> 00:25:33,236 Speaker 1: even hit your cell plan, so you just see a 499 00:25:33,236 --> 00:25:36,036 Speaker 1: low cost device phone and you could be anywhere and 500 00:25:36,076 --> 00:25:38,476 Speaker 1: you could be streaming videos et et no cost to you. 501 00:25:39,436 --> 00:25:41,636 Speaker 1: All right, So we just want to end with the 502 00:25:41,636 --> 00:25:44,356 Speaker 1: biggest vision of Khan Academy for the future for you, 503 00:25:44,996 --> 00:25:47,836 Speaker 1: What is your most concrete ambition for the future of 504 00:25:47,916 --> 00:25:51,636 Speaker 1: Khan Academy. You know my ambition for Khan Academy, and 505 00:25:51,676 --> 00:25:54,076 Speaker 1: it was delusional when I was a guy operating in 506 00:25:54,396 --> 00:25:58,236 Speaker 1: a closet talking to a computer a lot, that we 507 00:25:58,316 --> 00:26:02,476 Speaker 1: really can become an institution for the planet that is 508 00:26:02,556 --> 00:26:05,876 Speaker 1: really serving you know, we're we're already serving over one 509 00:26:05,916 --> 00:26:09,276 Speaker 1: hundred million folks every year in some way, shape or form. 510 00:26:09,316 --> 00:26:11,436 Speaker 1: There's no reason why within ten years that can't be 511 00:26:11,436 --> 00:26:14,396 Speaker 1: a billion folks every year or several billions of folks 512 00:26:14,396 --> 00:26:16,356 Speaker 1: every year, and that they could use this at deeper 513 00:26:16,356 --> 00:26:18,836 Speaker 1: and deeper levels, whether they just need a little bit 514 00:26:18,836 --> 00:26:23,796 Speaker 1: of help, have that free tutor that they couldn't otherwise afford, 515 00:26:24,116 --> 00:26:27,916 Speaker 1: whether it's having access to course materials in a personalized 516 00:26:27,956 --> 00:26:30,916 Speaker 1: way that would have. You know, before kN academy have 517 00:26:31,036 --> 00:26:33,916 Speaker 1: been you know, just a dream that would have seemed inaccessible. 518 00:26:34,516 --> 00:26:37,076 Speaker 1: But it's not just the learning. It's not just the access. 519 00:26:37,116 --> 00:26:38,716 Speaker 1: It's not just the being able to do it in 520 00:26:38,716 --> 00:26:41,836 Speaker 1: a way that's personalized for the student. I hope in 521 00:26:41,876 --> 00:26:44,036 Speaker 1: the next five years you're going to be hearing from 522 00:26:44,156 --> 00:26:47,236 Speaker 1: us about ways to connect that learning and that competency 523 00:26:47,236 --> 00:26:50,636 Speaker 1: that you've developed on kN Academy to real economic opportunity, 524 00:26:50,876 --> 00:26:53,596 Speaker 1: so that might be an internship, that might be college credit, 525 00:26:53,636 --> 00:26:56,076 Speaker 1: that might be a job, and that we stay with you. 526 00:26:56,556 --> 00:27:00,196 Speaker 1: A lot of corporations are talking to us globally about hey, 527 00:27:00,276 --> 00:27:03,636 Speaker 1: but you know, education shouldn't end once you've graduated, so 528 00:27:03,636 --> 00:27:06,076 Speaker 1: to speak, whether it's high school or college or graduate school. 529 00:27:06,236 --> 00:27:08,996 Speaker 1: It should continue. And we want to figure out how, 530 00:27:09,876 --> 00:27:12,396 Speaker 1: let's say, our bank tellers can keep reskilling so they 531 00:27:12,396 --> 00:27:14,316 Speaker 1: can come to managers, and they can keep reskilling so 532 00:27:14,356 --> 00:27:18,796 Speaker 1: they become accountants or regional managers or executives, etc. Etc. 533 00:27:19,556 --> 00:27:21,836 Speaker 1: Or or go into other functions. And that's happening in 534 00:27:22,156 --> 00:27:25,036 Speaker 1: almost every industry. The one thing we know about the 535 00:27:25,036 --> 00:27:27,436 Speaker 1: future is we the pace of change is going to 536 00:27:27,796 --> 00:27:30,516 Speaker 1: happen faster and faster and faster in the model of 537 00:27:30,556 --> 00:27:33,556 Speaker 1: just having a sixteen years of education or twelve years 538 00:27:33,556 --> 00:27:36,116 Speaker 1: of education and then just relying on that until you 539 00:27:36,116 --> 00:27:38,556 Speaker 1: get to retirement. That's those days are over. And I 540 00:27:38,596 --> 00:27:43,076 Speaker 1: think we are almost uniquely suited or needed to ensure 541 00:27:43,156 --> 00:27:44,996 Speaker 1: that as many people are going to not only get 542 00:27:45,036 --> 00:27:48,476 Speaker 1: that that baseline academic education, but then they can keep 543 00:27:48,596 --> 00:27:50,956 Speaker 1: reskilling themselves and keep filling in those gaps so they 544 00:27:50,996 --> 00:27:54,436 Speaker 1: can really reach their potential. For you, what are some 545 00:27:54,476 --> 00:27:59,076 Speaker 1: things that we can as parents, as as workers, as 546 00:27:59,516 --> 00:28:03,236 Speaker 1: people interested in furthering education and investing in it. What 547 00:28:03,316 --> 00:28:05,996 Speaker 1: are some practical things that people can do well the 548 00:28:06,036 --> 00:28:08,236 Speaker 1: individual level. I'll start with a parent. I think the 549 00:28:08,276 --> 00:28:10,636 Speaker 1: best thing that you could do for your children and 550 00:28:10,996 --> 00:28:14,836 Speaker 1: likely for yourself is to have the attitude of a 551 00:28:14,836 --> 00:28:17,596 Speaker 1: lifelong learner. You know, I cringe a little bit when 552 00:28:18,756 --> 00:28:21,956 Speaker 1: a parent will tell me in front of their child like, oh, algebra. 553 00:28:22,036 --> 00:28:25,196 Speaker 1: Oh that scares me because it signals the wrong thing 554 00:28:25,276 --> 00:28:27,756 Speaker 1: to their child. And I would and what instead? I 555 00:28:28,636 --> 00:28:30,316 Speaker 1: wish I could hear the parent And I do hear 556 00:28:30,356 --> 00:28:31,916 Speaker 1: this from parents, and I like here or I coached 557 00:28:31,956 --> 00:28:34,236 Speaker 1: them to say this. It's like yeah, you know, the 558 00:28:34,276 --> 00:28:36,436 Speaker 1: first time I learned algebra, I didn't really get it, 559 00:28:36,476 --> 00:28:39,316 Speaker 1: and I wish I did because it helps people build 560 00:28:39,316 --> 00:28:41,676 Speaker 1: the analytical skills of critical thinking skills that you are 561 00:28:41,716 --> 00:28:45,196 Speaker 1: going to need throughout life. And now we're in this 562 00:28:45,396 --> 00:28:49,676 Speaker 1: renaissance where we are able to learn through free tools 563 00:28:49,876 --> 00:28:53,276 Speaker 1: run by nonprofits on the internet. I as a forty 564 00:28:53,316 --> 00:28:56,236 Speaker 1: year old, I'm going to go back and learn this properly. 565 00:28:56,476 --> 00:28:58,716 Speaker 1: And I guarantee you if if they're ten year old 566 00:28:58,756 --> 00:29:00,796 Speaker 1: sees that, they're like, wow, if mom and dad are 567 00:29:00,836 --> 00:29:02,596 Speaker 1: doing it now, I want to do it with them. 568 00:29:02,756 --> 00:29:05,196 Speaker 1: And it's actually a great thing to bond around, to 569 00:29:05,276 --> 00:29:07,556 Speaker 1: go on a shared learning journey with them. So I 570 00:29:07,556 --> 00:29:09,876 Speaker 1: would say that's that's number one as a parent, and 571 00:29:09,956 --> 00:29:12,236 Speaker 1: that's also going to help the parent in their life 572 00:29:12,276 --> 00:29:15,716 Speaker 1: as well. There you know, actually algebra in particular and 573 00:29:15,836 --> 00:29:18,396 Speaker 1: unlocks all sorts of things. I guarantee you there's all 574 00:29:18,476 --> 00:29:21,156 Speaker 1: sorts of thirty year olds, thirty five year olds, four 575 00:29:21,236 --> 00:29:23,636 Speaker 1: year olds, fifty year olds who know in their field 576 00:29:23,636 --> 00:29:25,476 Speaker 1: regardless of what they are. They might be doctors, they 577 00:29:25,516 --> 00:29:27,316 Speaker 1: might be lawyers, but they're like I have a feeling 578 00:29:27,356 --> 00:29:30,516 Speaker 1: that there's some opportunities to do some interesting things with 579 00:29:30,556 --> 00:29:33,036 Speaker 1: technology in my space. But gee, to do that, I'd 580 00:29:33,036 --> 00:29:34,836 Speaker 1: have to learn the program. But to learn a program, 581 00:29:34,836 --> 00:29:36,756 Speaker 1: I have to re engage with mathematics. And I'm afraid 582 00:29:36,796 --> 00:29:39,596 Speaker 1: of mathematics. Well, you shouldn't have to be anymore. There's 583 00:29:39,596 --> 00:29:41,276 Speaker 1: no stigma. You don't have to be embarrassed that you're 584 00:29:41,276 --> 00:29:43,556 Speaker 1: a little shaky on dividing decimals, are a little shaky 585 00:29:43,596 --> 00:29:45,836 Speaker 1: on exponents. Do it at your own time and pace, 586 00:29:45,916 --> 00:29:48,396 Speaker 1: build that muscle. Learn it and you'll find that it's 587 00:29:48,396 --> 00:29:50,876 Speaker 1: really not that daunting, and you'll find that it's it's 588 00:29:50,916 --> 00:29:55,116 Speaker 1: actually quite empowering, and it's going to give you momentum 589 00:29:55,116 --> 00:29:57,276 Speaker 1: to keep doing that as the pace of change and 590 00:29:57,316 --> 00:30:01,796 Speaker 1: the skills you need continue to adapt. We're living in 591 00:30:01,836 --> 00:30:04,716 Speaker 1: a time right now where technology is making us rethink 592 00:30:04,956 --> 00:30:09,316 Speaker 1: the nature of human purpose and potential. This can be 593 00:30:09,356 --> 00:30:13,076 Speaker 1: scary but also thrilling. If we can muster the energy, 594 00:30:13,196 --> 00:30:16,036 Speaker 1: sal thinks we could perhaps see the strangest and most 595 00:30:16,076 --> 00:30:21,796 Speaker 1: beautiful byproduct of technology. Yet, millions of people, unshackled by 596 00:30:21,876 --> 00:30:25,956 Speaker 1: automation from repetitive and mind numbing labor, empowered with the 597 00:30:25,996 --> 00:30:28,796 Speaker 1: skills to participate in what could be the most exciting 598 00:30:28,876 --> 00:30:32,076 Speaker 1: century yet like Think of what we could do if 599 00:30:32,076 --> 00:30:35,276 Speaker 1: our brains were loaded up just right and the robots 600 00:30:35,276 --> 00:30:41,156 Speaker 1: did all our work for us. Solvable is a collaboration 601 00:30:41,276 --> 00:30:45,316 Speaker 1: between Pushkin Industries and the Rockefeller Foundation, with production by 602 00:30:45,476 --> 00:30:49,316 Speaker 1: Laura Hyde, Hester Kant, Laura Sheeter, and Ruth Barnes from 603 00:30:49,396 --> 00:30:53,836 Speaker 1: Chalk and Blade. Pushkin's executive producer is Mia LaBelle, Research 604 00:30:53,956 --> 00:30:57,916 Speaker 1: by Sheer, Vincent engineering by Jason Gambrel and the great 605 00:30:57,956 --> 00:31:02,836 Speaker 1: folks at GSI Studios. Original music composed by Pascal Wise 606 00:31:02,956 --> 00:31:06,916 Speaker 1: and special thanks to Maggie Taylor, Heather Fine, Julia Barton, 607 00:31:07,316 --> 00:31:11,156 Speaker 1: Carly Mgliori, Jacob weiss Berg, and Malcolm Gladwell. You can 608 00:31:11,276 --> 00:31:15,756 Speaker 1: learn more about solving today's biggest problems at Rockefeller Foundation 609 00:31:15,916 --> 00:31:20,596 Speaker 1: dot org slash solvable. I'm Mave Higgins. Now go solve it.