AI as an Extra Set of Hands: Redefining Classroom Roles with Matt Miller of OKO Labs

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Matt Miller is the CEO and Co-Founder of OKO Labs, an innovative EdTech company developing human-centric, pro-social AI to power collaborative learning in K-12 classrooms. With a background as CTO and VP of Labs at Amplify Education and VP of Product at Flatiron School, Matt brings deep technical expertise and a passion for leveraging technology to solve real-world educational challenges. Holding BS and MS degrees in Computer Science and Intelligent Systems from Columbia University, Matt co-founded OKO in 2020 to address the critical need for scalable, engaging, and equitable small-group learning solutions, starting with a focus on math intervention. He leads OKO's mission to foster not only academic growth but also essential skills like teamwork and communication, driven by a commitment to evidence-based practices and rigorous R&D.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why small group learning is a critical—and underserved—area in K-12 education
How OKO uses AI to foster real-time collaboration and discourse among students
The benefits of integrating AI to support, not replace, educators
How rigorous research and efficacy studies shaped OKO’s product design
Insights into OKO’s 30x classroom growth and founder-led sales strategy

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:03:07] Origin of OKO: Solving the challenge of small group instruction
[00:05:17] Using AI bots to facilitate collaborative student learning
[00:10:18] What a typical AI-powered OKO math session looks like
[00:14:47] Research partnership with WestEd shows strong early results
[00:19:42] Making efficacy a sales advantage in founder-led growth
[00:25:59] Combining grant funding and equity to scale responsibly
[00:31:37] Defining a new edtech category: small group AI instruction
[00:36:22] Future plans for subject expansion and deeper SEL integration
[00:40:14] Vision for AI-enabled, pro-social, human-centered classrooms

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Chapters

1. AI as an Extra Set of Hands: Redefining Classroom Roles with Matt Miller of OKO Labs (00:00:00)

2. Origin of OKO: Solving the challenge of small group instruction (00:03:40)

3. Using AI bots to facilitate collaborative student learning (00:05:50)

4. What a typical AI-powered OKO math session looks like (00:10:51)

5. Research partnership with WestEd shows strong early results (00:16:02)

6. Making efficacy a sales advantage in founder-led growth (00:20:57)

7. Combining grant funding and equity to scale responsibly (00:27:14)

8. Defining a new edtech category: small group AI instruction (00:32:52)

9. Future plans for subject expansion and deeper SEL integration (00:37:37)

10. Vision for AI-enabled, pro-social, human-centered classrooms (00:41:29)

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