Khan Academy and Microsoft Link-up

Quick Sidenote: Although I do want to cover the other two articles that were included in my research paper about machine learning, I couldn’t help but write an intermissionary blog post about Microsoft and it’s plans with machine learning and artificial intelligence. Therefore, next week I will be covering the next two articles and today I will be talking about Microsoft.

As we learned recently, Microsoft has partnered with Khan Academy to bring artificial intelligence-based education to consumers. The integration of their Azure AI with Khan Academy’s pilot program Khanmigo has significantly enhanced the educational platform, making learning more personalized and interactive. With Azure, students can now learn through customized learning paths created through the data anlyzed by AI. In addition, students can also use AI-driven chatbots and virtual tutors for real-time support. The platform also aids in efficient content creation, automates grading with instant feedback, and offers interactive learning tools and simulations. This partnership ensures Khan Academy continues to offer a world-class education by leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to meet the evolving needs of learners.

Big plans for the future are already in motion, as well, with the collaboration looking to expand its educational platform using Phi-3, a group of small language models developed by Microsoft. The goal of this expansion is to scale and enhance the development of its math tutoring models. Microsoft’s Phi-3 model, part of the Azure OpenAI suite, operates on advanced natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning techniques, primarily using transformer architecture. This architecture utilizes self-attention mechanisms to understand the context and relationships between words in a sentence, allowing the model to generate relevant text. Phi-3 undergoes a two-step training process. The first step involves pre-training on a broad dataset to learn general language patterns, and the second step involves fine-tuning on specific datasets to optimize performance for particular tasks, such as education. This makes Phi-3 special since it allows it to maintain context over longer texts, making it capable of understanding and generating appropriate responses even in extended interactions.

Utilizing Phi-3 can significantly enhance educational platforms like Khan Academy’s Khanmigo by offering personalized learning paths. It can analyze student performance data to recommend tailored learning materials and provide instant, contextually relevant assistance through interactive capabilities. Additionally, Phi-3 will automate grading and feedback and supports language translation and accessibility, making educational content accessible to non-native speakers and students with disabilities. By integrating Phi-3, educational platforms will be able to deliver a more personalized, efficient, and high-quality learning experiences tailored to students’ needs.

In summary, the future of education through artificial intelligence looks extremely positive. Through Azure AI and the innovative capabilities of Khanmigo, the platform has already seen significant improvements, becoming more personalized, interactive, and accessible. With Microsoft planning to integrate Phi-3 with Khanmigo in the future, the potential of AI in education could be limitless. This partnership not only paves the way for innovation in education but sets a new standard for how AI will be used to enhance the learning experience of students. By utilizing AI in education, Microsoft and Khan Academy are changing the dynamic between teacher and learner.