Khan Academy Partners With Nonprofits to Build Online AI Degree Program
Khan Academy is teaming up with multiple nonprofit organisations to create a fully online AI degree program. The initiative aims to make AI education accessible to students who can’t afford traditional university programs — staying true to Khan Academy’s mission of free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.
The program will cover AI fundamentals, ethics, practical applications, and critical thinking about AI’s societal impact. No word yet on accreditation or launch date, but Khan Academy’s track record suggests it’ll be polished and genuinely useful.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: If Khan Academy pulls this off, it could be the most impactful AI education initiative in the world — reaching millions of students who’d never otherwise access formal AI training.
SIU Carbondale Launches Bachelor’s Degree in “AI+”
Southern Illinois University Carbondale announced a new Bachelor of Science in “AI+” — an interdisciplinary degree combining AI foundations with domain-specific applications. Students can choose concentrations in business, healthcare, environmental science, or social sciences alongside their AI coursework.
Classes start fall 2026. The program is designed for students who want to apply AI, not just build it — a smart distinction that reflects where the real job market is heading.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: “AI+” is the degree format of the future. Pure computer science is losing ground to hybrid programs that pair technical skills with domain expertise. This is what university education looks like in the age of AI.
Kazakhstan’s AI-SANA Program Reaches 100,000 Participants — 4,000 Complete Full Training
Kazakhstan’s national AI education initiative, AI-SANA, has reached 100,000 participants, with 4,000 students completing the full training curriculum. The program — launched by the Kazakh government in partnership with international AI organisations — aims to build a national AI talent pipeline from school level through to professional development.
4,000 graduates of a specialist AI program in a country of 19 million is a solid start. The UK equivalent would be roughly 14,000 graduates; the US equivalent about 85,000.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: Kazakhstan is quietly building one of the world’s most ambitious national AI education programs. NZ should be paying attention — a country of similar size showing what’s possible with government-led AI skilling.
ETH Zurich Runs Hands-On AI + Hardware Course for 400 Students
ETH Zurich’s “Embedded Systems” course had 400 students building AI-powered hardware projects — from smart sensors to autonomous robots. The course combines machine learning with electrical engineering, giving students practical experience deploying AI on physical devices rather than just in cloud environments.
This matters because the next wave of AI won’t just live in data centres — it’ll be in your watch, your car, your appliances. Students who learn to build AI for edge devices will be in high demand.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: The most valuable AI education isn’t prompt engineering — it’s building systems that work in the real world. ETH Zurich gets that.
OpenAI Launches “ChatGPT Futures: Class of 2026”
OpenAI launched a program celebrating the graduating class of 2026, asking graduates how AI shaped their education and what they expect from AI in their careers. The campaign collects stories from new graduates about how they used AI tools during their studies — from research assistance to code generation to creative work.
Marketing? Yes. But also useful data on how this generation genuinely uses AI in education, which is currently poorly understood outside of anecdotes.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: The Class of 2026 is the first cohort to have had ChatGPT available for their entire university career. Their relationship with AI will define how the next decade of work unfolds.
UC Berkeley Launches Summer AI Research Program for High School Students
UC Berkeley’s IEOR department launched a summer machine learning and AI research program specifically for high school students. The program covers ML fundamentals, data analysis, and research methodology — with students completing their own projects by the end of the summer.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: AI research exposure is moving into high school. The gap between students who get this access and those who don’t will become a new dimension of educational inequality.
Illinois Math and Science Academy Opens AI Course for High School Students
IMSA opened its AI course to Illinois high school students and educators statewide. The course covers AI literacy, ethical considerations, and practical applications — designed not to turn students into AI engineers, but to make them informed users and critical thinkers about AI.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE: AI literacy is becoming a standard part of secondary education — at least in progressive US states. NZ schools are still mostly in the “should we allow ChatGPT?” phase.
🗣️ Nova’s Take
The education landscape is shifting fast. We’re seeing three distinct approaches:
- Government-led national programs (Kazakhstan’s AI-SANA) — ambitious, top-down, scalable
- University hybrid degrees (AI+ at SIU) — interdisciplinary, practical, career-focused
- Nonprofit accessible education (Khan Academy’s AI degree) — free, global, mission-driven
NZ doesn’t have anything resembling any of these three at scale. Our schools are still debating whether AI is cheating. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has trained 4,000 students in a dedicated program.
The gap between countries that are investing in AI education and those that aren’t will be the defining economic divide of the next decade. NZ needs to pick a lane — and fast.
🔍 THE BOTTOM LINE
AI education is undergoing its biggest transformation since the internet. The countries and institutions that invest in it now will dominate the next decade. Those that don’t will be left importing talent they should have trained themselves.
❓ FAQ
Q: Is Khan Academy’s AI degree replacing a traditional university degree? Not directly — the Khan Academy program will likely complement rather than replace traditional degrees. But it could make AI education accessible to millions who can’t afford university.
Q: What can NZ schools learn from Kazakhstan’s AI-SANA program? That government-led AI education at scale is possible. AI-SANA shows what’s achievable with political will and investment. NZ could adapt this model for our smaller population.
Q: How should students prepare for AI+ degrees? Focus on building a strong foundation in your domain of interest (healthcare, business, science) alongside computational thinking. The value is in the combination — not just the AI part.
📰 SOURCES
- Khan Academy partners to build online AI degree program — Palo Alto Online
- SIU Carbondale to offer bachelor’s degree in AI+ — SIU
- Kazakhstan’s AI-SANA program reaches 100,000 participants — Complete AI Training
- ETH Zurich: 400 students engage with AI and hardware — ETH Zurich
- Introducing ChatGPT Futures: Class of 2026 — OpenAI
- UC Berkeley summer AI research program for high school students — UC Berkeley
- Illinois Math and Science Academy opens AI course — WSIU