Khan Academy brings AI tutor 'Khanmigo' to Pakistan, revolutionising education

Prominent educators, tech entrepreneurs, and business leaders have joined forces to introduce Khan Academy, a global pioneer in free online learning, to Pakistan, offering world-class education powered by advanced AI technology.

Khan Academy Pakistan (KAP) was officially launched at a hotel in Karachi on Thursday. With the launch, KAP unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered online tutor named 'Khanmigo' to help teachers be more efficient and students to learn more effectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Zeeshan Hasan, CEO of KAP, said: "Today is a very important day. From here, a new era of innovation in education begins, offering world-class content."

He highlighted that Pakistan, with a population of over 240 million, faced critical educational challenges, including high dropout rates and inadequate infrastructure. "We aim to address challenges in the education sector using technology to provide world-class education," Hasan announced.

"This initiative with Khan Academy is inclusive and not limited to any particular segment of society. We plan to collaborate with both private and public schools to expand access to quality education."

Hasan explained that KAP would launch a pilot programme in the beginning of the next year, starting with teachers and gradually extending to students. He said KAP's approach focuses on localised curriculum: content aligned with Pakistan’s national education standards and available in Urdu and regional languages; teacher empowerment with tools and training for teachers to enhance classroom learning and thirdly, KAP will focus on bringing Khanmigo to the widest student base in Pakistan to maximise its impact, The News reported.

He said KAP has partnered with AKHUWAT, CARE Foundation, TCF, Foundation Public School, Education Trust Nasra School, Aga Khan University – Institute of Education Development, CFC, and Durbeen for the programme, adding that it would be collaborating with other leading private school networks in the second round of Student Pilot in 2025.

Osman Rashid, chairperson of KAP, said: “Khan Academy Pakistan is more than an initiative; it is a commitment to our children and our future. By integrating AI and localised content, we aim to use Khanmigo to transform the educational landscape of Pakistan, ensuring that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has access to quality learning."

Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, in a video message, said: "With Khan Academy Pakistan, we are bringing the power of AI to tackle the unique challenges faced by students and teachers. Together, we can help unlock the incredible potential of Pakistan’s youth and inspire a brighter future for all.”

Qandeel of Khan Academy explained that the academy was founded in 2008 in California, and it's already well-known in the world for its amazing content in math and science. Sal Khan's vision was to help each learner learn at their own pace and achieve mastery before moving further, she added.

"He started by teaching his cousins by recording his videos and putting them on YouTube and one day many people were just watching those videos, and so he decided to scale it. Today, Khan Academy has a significant global reach. It provides free educational resources to learners in over 190 countries in more than 50 languages," she said.

"Each year, more than 100 million people use Khan Academy to enhance their learning."

She said the academy's newest innovation, Khanmigo, has taken this dream to the next level, thanks to the rapid advancement in the domain of artificial intelligence. "The name, Khanmogo, is a combination of the founder's last name, Khan and a Spanish word, amigo, which means friend, a friend."

Khanmigo is an AI-powered tool developed by Khan Academy to enhance student learning and support teachers, according to a press release. It acts as a personal tutor for students, providing personalised assistance and helping them understand complex concepts at their own pace. For teachers, Khanmigo offers valuable resources like automated lesson planning and personalised feedback tools, making it easier to manage classroom tasks and focus on student engagement.

Overall, Khanmigo aims to improve the quality of education by making learning more accessible and teaching more efficient. Khanmigo is designed to be accessible on a wide range of devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. This ensures that students from all backgrounds can benefit from its personalised learning support, regardless of their access to specific technology. By making Khanmigo available on various platforms and languages, Khan Academy aims to provide equitable educational opportunities to students everywhere.

A collective of Pakistani diaspora and local leaders have collaborated to bring KAP to Pakistan. The board includes leading educationalists, technology entrepreneurs and business leaders who collectively seek to improve Pakistan’s future trajectory through improving learning for the masses.

Board members of KAP include Osman Rashid, Naeem Zamindar, Amin Hashwani, Mir Ibrahim Rahman, Rehan Jalil, Mubarak Imam, Bilal Musharraf. KAP is funded by supportive Pakistanis from across the globe.

Khan Academy is a non-profit organisation providing free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. With resources in multiple languages, Khan Academy reaches over 100 million users globally each year.

Khan Academy Pakistan is an initiative dedicated to addressing Pakistan’s educational challenges through innovative AI-powered solutions, localised content, and teacher support systems. KAP is an initiative of Jaglot, a non-profit comprising selective Pakistani diaspora and local business leaders who seek to bring positive change to Pakistan.

Naeem Zamindar and Amin Hashwani also spoke on the occasion.