TED is teaming up with Khan Academy to fight AI 'slop' online

TED, the nonprofit behind the viral "talks worth spreading," is entering a new chapter under shared leadership with education platform Khan Academy, seeking to reaffirm its role as a trusted source of knowledge in an era of misinformation and artificial intelligence.

The organization announced on 15 October a leadership transition that emphasizes continuity rather than a sale. Sal Khan, founder and chief executive of Khan Academy, has been appointed TED's "vision steward," while Logan McClure Davda, previously head of impact, was promoted to chief executive.

Chris Anderson, who purchased TED in 2001 and led it for nearly 25 years, will remain involved, focusing on fundraising and philanthropy, says the Economist.

Khan, who will continue to run his own non-profit and will not be paid by TED, said the partnership reflects a shared mission: "to fight the crisis of trust and AI slop online" by promoting credible, human-centered learning.

A new chapter for a global institution

Founded in 1984 in Monterey, California, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) began as a small conference for innovators. After Anderson bought it for $14 million during the dot-com crash, he turned it into a global phenomenon.

Under his leadership, TED pioneered short, accessible talks by experts and made them freely available online—an unconventional move that helped the brand achieve near-universal recognition.

Today, TED operates as a nonprofit with an unusual mix of philanthropy, events, and open community engagement. It relies on volunteer translators to make talks accessible in more than 100 languages, licenses local TEDx events worldwide, and funds ambitious social projects through its "Audacious Project," which channels roughly $1 billion annually to social entrepreneurs.

Partnering to rebuild credibility

The collaboration with Khan Academy—one of the world's leading free education platforms—marks TED's most significant strategic shift in decades. While Khan Academy focuses primarily on educational videos for children, TED's core audience remains adults and professionals.

Together, they aim to bridge lifelong learning, with an emphasis on critical thinking and media literacy.

"Both TED and Khan Academy were founded on the belief that knowledge should be free and that optimism can be taught," Anderson said in a statement. "This partnership brings that mission into a new era."

Navigating a changing digital landscape

The shift comes amid turbulent times for global nonprofits and education platforms. Public trust in institutions has declined, and the internet is increasingly flooded with AI-generated misinformation.

At the same time, attention spans are shrinking. TED, known for its 18-minute talk format, faces the challenge of staying relevant in an age dominated by "two-minute TikToks."

Despite occasional mockery as a "parody of gabby utopianism," TED remains influential in business, academia, and global culture. It continues to expand its executive education programs, including training in leadership and emotional intelligence—areas it hopes to grow under the new leadership structure.

Reinvention in an uncertain era

The transition also reflects a broader recalibration of global "do-gooder" institutions. As Anderson noted, TED's values of openness and optimism are being tested as "do-gooder globalism ebbs into polarized populism" and philanthropic funding becomes more cautious.

Still, the organization sees opportunity. With in-person conferences surging again as remote workers crave connection, TED aims to blend its real-world events with digital learning tools from Khan Academy to reach new audiences.

"TED helped the world fall in love with big ideas," Khan said. "Now, we want to help people learn how to trust—and think—again."