Ever since I was a child, I have loved creating things. I built with LEGO, created worlds in Minecraft, and later developed video games with Scratch. I would make a game, share it with other kids, read their feedback, and improve it. When I reached high school, however, studying began to take up more time than ever. I wanted to keep creating, so I looked for a way to study more efficiently while still earning strong grades. At Khan Academy, we were developing an AI tutor, but it was still on the waiting list. We decided to build one ourselves.
After months of experimenting with different projects, I created an AI tutor called Aceflow. Students can upload almost anything their teacher assigns—including a 30-minute lecture on YouTube, a blog post, a textbook PDF, or presentation slides—and receive personalized explanations and unlimited practice problems. I initially built Aceflow for myself, then showed it to my friends and shared it on TikTok. The project quickly attracted thousands of users and generated millions of views.
Justina Stasik
Were you worried that people would call it cheating? Absolutely. But I knew how to defend the idea. An AI tutor is not fundamentally different from an expensive private tutor hired by a wealthy family—except that AI tutoring can make personalized academic support available to everyone.
That mission is important to me. When I was in eighth grade, my teacher asked me to lead a small computer science class for about 30 children with special needs. Once the students received individual attention, they began creating games that many people never expected them to make. That experience showed me that children are capable of far more than adults often realize. AI can help scale personalized learning and give more students the support they need to succeed.
My first AI tutoring project eventually helped me find part-time work at BenchSci, one of Canada’s largest AI companies, and Simple Ventures, a venture capital firm. Most recently, I joined the AI Lab at MIT, where I co-taught a course on AI agents with an MIT professor. I also launched CheetahPrep.com, an AI-powered SAT preparation platform that adapts to each student’s needs.
I am generally optimistic about the impact AI can have on humanity, but I also understand why some children may initially feel afraid of it. That reaction is an important reminder that we must work together to develop AI responsibly. We can be excited about the future while also taking the risks seriously and ensuring that artificial intelligence works for everyone.
Jen Swetzoff and Keeley McNamara Anyway, an independent print magazine for teens and young adults.
Source: www.technologyreview.com