Inspired by Sal Khan’s Vision of a Better Future for Education
For a long time in education, India has been torn between two goals: Inclusion and impact. We’ve made some headway on enrollment, but millions of students — especially those in rural areas — lack access to quality teaching, relevant skills and clear career pathways.
However, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes its way into our schools, we now have a new and potent question:
Can education in India shift from simply helping students learn to actually helping them earn?
Thanks to the groundbreaking work of Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, this is not only a dream. It is an actionable vision.
Interpreting AI Differently
We’ve all seen the headlines:
“ChatGPT will ruin education.”
“They will use AI to cheat their way through school.”
Valid concerns about misuse aside, Sal Khan presents a refreshing, positive perspective:
“We’re on the cusp of using AI to create the biggest positive transformation education has ever seen.”
— Sal Khan, TED Talk, 2023
His bold proposal is:
- Provide every student with an AI-powered tutor
- Provide all teachers with an AI assistant
This has the potential to solve one of education’s most intractable problems: scaling personal attention and mentorship.
AI Has the Potential to Connect Students on Both Sides of the Rural-Urban Educational Divide
India’s education system is pervasively unequal. If urban students may enjoy better infrastructure, rural students are handicapped by:
- Teacher shortages
- Poor Internet and tech access
- Language and comprehension barriers
- Rote learning and exam-focused methods
AI is a Great Equalizer
| Problem | AI Solution |
| No subject experts in rural schools | AI tutors like Khanmigo explain concepts step-by-step in natural, regional language |
| One-size-fits-all teaching | Adaptive learning adjusts content based on student pace and understanding |
| Overworked teachers | AI assists with lesson planning, grading, feedback, and administrative tasks |
| Language gaps | AI can translate, explain, and simplify in multilingual contexts |
It is like what mobile phones did for connectivity — AI is a potential leapfrog that could give every child a world-class tutor wherever they live.
Education That Leads to Earning
There is no such thing as education reform if it doesn’t help students earn a living. The objective has to change from grades to growth — from marksheets to marketable skills.
How can AI help to bridge the divide between school and salary?
1. Teaching of Skills that Are in Demand and Work Ready
Thanks to AI-driven tools, students can now learn:
- Coding and application development
- Digital Marketing
- Content writing and narrative quest
- Spoken English & communication
- Fundamentals of financial literacy and entrepreneurship
- Design & video editing tools (such as Canva or CapCut)
These are existing real-world skills that are too often absent from traditional curriculums.
2. AI can act as an Expert Career Coach
With tools like Khanmigo, students can:
- Explore career paths based on their interests
- Get interview preparation and resume support
- Rehearse job scenarios (customer service, coding, design)
- Ask questions with no fear of judgment
In a country where the counsellor-to-student ratio approaches 1:1000, this kind of 24/7, non-judgemental guidance is transformational.
3. Broadening Access to Remote Work & Freelancing
With AI-powered learning, a student from a village in Odisha or Assam can:
- Create a freelance portfolio
- Get remote jobs — Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer
- Write blogs, design logos, edit videos, code websites
- Make money in dollars or rupees — from home
That is the real definition of Digital India — access to income, not just access to the internet.
What Needs to Happen Next
This transformation is possible — but it is not automatic. To catalyze AI-driven education, we require cooperation such as:
- Government: Implement AI in School curriculums and skill missions (PMKVY etc.)
- Teachers: Learn & train to view AI as an ally, not an enemy
- Startups & NGOs: Create local-language AI learning tools and platforms
- Schools: Transition from rote exams to real-world applications
The True Purpose of Education
Education has to be more than preparing students for tests — it has to prepare students for life and work.
AI presents us with a historic and revolutionary chance to:
- Teach at scale
- Coach individually
- Upskill for employment
- New opportunity for every Indian child to dream and earn with dignity
AI will not only enable Indian students to learn better, It can empower them to live better — through learning, through earning.
Let’s make sure every child in India wins — no child held back by geography, no child held back by income, no child held back by the old systems.
The tools are here. The time is now. Let’s prepare the next generation — one student at a time.
The END
Credits & Acknowledgements
This blog was inspired by the incredible changes being driven forward by Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and the launch of Khanmigo, a new AI-powered tutoring system.
“The most transformative application of artificial intelligence may be to augment human intelligence, human intention and human capacity.”
— Sal Khan