Sal Khan: New AI Bachelor’s Degree and the Future of Education

Khan Academy founder and CEO Sal Khan has announced the launch of a new bachelor’s degree program in applied artificial intelligence through the Khan TED Institute, a joint venture with TED and the Educational Testing Service (ETS), with support from Google, Microsoft, and McKinsey.

The program is designed to offer an affordable alternative to traditional university education, with a projected cost of under $10,000 for the full degree. This compares to tuition alone at Stanford, which is projected to reach $67,731 for the next academic year, and Harvard’s tuition of $62,226.

Khan stated that the goal of the Khan TED Institute is not to replace traditional higher education but to expand access and better align learning with the rapidly changing job market, particularly in AI-related fields. The program will target recent graduates, mid-career professionals seeking to reskill, and individuals in countries with limited access to traditional degree programs.

The Khan TED Institute is expected to launch within the next 12 to 24 months and will seek academic degree accreditation. It will begin with a bachelor’s in applied AI and expand over time to include additional programs.

Khan emphasized that the world is changing very quickly, and there is a need for ways for people with traditional degrees to continue reskilling to remain optimally prepared for the future. The program aims to equip students with the skills needed to stay relevant in AI-powered workplaces.