BETT UK 2026: Google and Khan Academy set out shared vision for AI tutoring and writing tools

A fireside conversation at Bett UK 2026 brought together Google and Khan Academy to explain how their long-running partnership is shaping AI tutoring, writing support, and classroom practice, with teachers remaining firmly in control.

A fireside chat at Bett UK 2026, held on the opening morning at Excel London, offered one of the most detailed public explanations yet of how artificial intelligence is being designed for classroom use rather than automation.

The session was facilitated by Laura McInerney and featured Sal Khan, Founder and CEO of Khan Academy, in conversation with Ben Gomes, Chief Technologist for Learning and Sustainability at Google.

Together, they discussed the origins of their partnership, the development of AI tutoring and writing tools, and why both organisations see AI as a way to support teachers rather than replace them.

Khan began by recounting how Khan Academy started in 2004 as a series of informal tutoring sessions for a younger cousin who was struggling with math. “I offered to tutor her remotely,” Khan explained. “Slowly but surely, she got caught up with her class. Then I became what I call her ‘tiger cousin,’ and I called up her school and said, ‘I really think she should be able to retake the placement exam.’”

He said the experience revealed a pattern that would later shape Khan Academy’s approach. “The reason they were struggling wasn’t because they weren’t smart, and it wasn’t because they didn’t have great teachers,” Khan said. “It was because they had gaps in their knowledge.”

To address that, he began writing simple software to provide practice and feedback, which he described as “the core of learning.” What began as tutoring a handful of family members quickly expanded. “Before I knew it, I was tutoring five, ten cousins and family friends,” he said. “I was still working as a financial analyst, but in the afternoons I was writing code, making videos, and calling my cousins.”

Khan said the decision to upload videos to YouTube was initially reluctant. “I thought it was a horrible idea,” he laughed. “But my cousins famously told me they liked me better on YouTube than in person.” He added that what students valued most was flexibility.

“They liked having it on demand. They liked being able to pause, repeat, and not feel judged if they were reviewing something from three years ago.”

Google’s early role and long-term commitment

Khan noted that Google became involved early, funding Khan Academy as it transitioned into a nonprofit organisation. “In 2010, Google was one of the first two major funders to support Khan Academy,” he said. “That support helped us become a real organisation.”

Gomes described his own path into education as emerging naturally from Google’s work on search and language. “A big chunk of what people use search for is to change themselves, to learn something,” Gomes said. “Education has always been embedded in that mission.”

He added that many Google tools now used in schools were not originally designed for education but evolved through practice. “You’ve got YouTube, Docs, Sheets, Classroom, Search, and now Gemini,” he said. “Because we’re an information-oriented company, those products ended up being useful for learning.”

Gomes argued that recent advances in AI mark a significant shift because machines can now work meaningfully with language. “Language is how we transfer information from one person to another,” he said. “That’s what makes our species special. We don’t lose knowledge when someone leaves.”

He stressed, however, that this does not change the role of teachers. “At the center of all of this, it’s still the teachers who bring learning to life,” Gomes said, referencing his own mother, who was a teacher.

Writing still matters in an AI world

A major theme of the discussion was whether generative AI reduces the importance of writing. Khan was unequivocal. “People ask, ‘Do kids need to learn to write anymore?’” he said. “We’ve heard this before.” He compared current debates to earlier technological shifts. “When calculators came out, people said we wouldn’t need arithmetic. When Google came out, people said content wouldn’t matter anymore,” he said. “But the people who knew arithmetic got the most benefit from calculators, and the people with knowledge got the most out of search.”

Khan said the same pattern is emerging with AI. “The tools raise the floor, but they don’t raise the ceiling,” he said. “The people who are strong thinkers and strong writers can go much further with these tools.”

Inside Khan Academy’s Writing Coach

That thinking underpins Khan Academy’s Writing Coach, an AI-supported writing tool discussed at length during the session. “We didn’t want this to be a chatbot that just spits out an essay,” Khan said. “We wanted something structured.”

He described Writing Coach as a system that helps students outline ideas, develop thesis statements, and revise drafts. “It’s more like collaborating on a document with an editor,” he said. “The AI helps, but it doesn’t do the work for the student.”

Khan also addressed concerns about academic integrity. “Teachers are understandably worried about cheating,” he said. “And anyone who thinks they can just block AI is fooling themselves.” Instead, he argued, Writing Coach increases transparency. “When a teacher gets an essay back, they can ask the system, ‘Where did this come from?’” he explained. “They can see where a student struggled, where they revised, and whether something looks inconsistent.”

Gemini and education-specific AI

Gomes explained that the underlying AI capabilities are built on Gemini, but adapted specifically for education. “One of the most important things is managing cognitive load,” he said. “You can go down a rabbit hole and realise you’ve absorbed nothing because there was too much information.”

He said Google has spent several years developing models that support guided learning rather than open-ended generation. “We’ve been building AI that’s really suited for education,” Gomes said. “Writing is particularly important because writing is how we learn to think.”

Schoolhouse and AI-supported tutoring

The discussion also covered Schoolhouse, Khan Academy’s peer tutoring platform. “When the pandemic hit, we saw kids sitting at home isolated,” Khan said. “We thought, what if we could connect people online and have them teach each other?”

Schoolhouse now connects learners with trained volunteer tutors, and AI is increasingly used to support those tutors. “The AI can sit in on sessions, look at transcripts, and give feedback,” Khan said. “It might say, ‘You didn’t call on this student,’ or ‘This concept seemed confusing.’”

He stressed that the goal is to strengthen human interaction. “This is a very clear example of technology facilitating human-to-human connection,” Khan said.

Teachers remain in charge

McInerney challenged both speakers on whether AI risks sidelining teachers. Khan rejected the idea. “When textbooks came out, teachers worried they’d lose their jobs,” he said. “Now you can’t imagine teaching without them.” He argued that AI allows teachers to focus on higher-value activities.

“Instead of spending hours preparing, teachers can adapt lessons quickly,” he said. “They can spend more time on discussion, games, simulations.” Gomes agreed, adding that AI can help teachers manage classroom variation. “Every classroom has students who are struggling and students who are bored,” he said. “AI can help teachers deal with that variance.”

Khan cited evidence from districts using AI-supported tools. “Some districts are seeing teachers save five to ten hours a week,” he said. “They’re using that as a recruitment and retention tool.”

Gomes acknowledged that adoption brings challenges, but said language-based AI may be easier to learn than previous technologies. “This is not about learning a complex interface,” he said. “It’s about conversation.”

From promise to progress

As the session closed, McInerney asked what could prevent AI’s promise from being realised. Khan warned against adopting tools without purpose.

“You should never use technology for its own sake,” he said. “You have to start with the problem you’re trying to solve.”

Gomes echoed that view. “The risk is noise,” he said. “The opportunity is thoughtful implementation.”

ETIH Innovation Awards 2026

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open and recognize education technology organizations delivering measurable impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. The awards are open to entries from the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with submissions assessed on evidence of outcomes and real-world application.