Meet Amira: The AI program teaching San Francisco kids how to read episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 9, 2026 · 8 MIN

Meet Amira: The AI program teaching San Francisco kids how to read

from Crosscurrents · host KALW

There’s a new instructor measuring how well San Francisco’s first and second graders can read. Her name is Amira and she’s an AI bot.Teachers today are grappling with if and how to use AI in the classroom. When educators in the city went on strike last month, one of their demands was AI safety guards. But AI is already playing an important role in the classroom. KALW’s Education reporter, Julia Haney, wanted to understand how Amira works, so she went to see the program in action.

There’s a new instructor measuring how well San Francisco’s first and second graders can read. Her name is Amira and she’s an AI bot. Teachers today are grappling with if and how to use AI in the classroom. When educators in the city went on strike last month, one of their demands was AI safety guards. But AI is already playing an important role in the classroom. KALW’s Education reporter, Julia Haney, wanted to understand how Amira works, so she went to see the program in action.

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Meet Amira: The AI program teaching San Francisco kids how to read

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This episode was published on March 9, 2026.

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There’s a new instructor measuring how well San Francisco’s first and second graders can read. Her name is Amira and she’s an AI bot.Teachers today are grappling with if and how to use AI in the classroom. When educators in the city went on strike...

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