Chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude can be asked to create apps. But it works well only if you ask for something simple and then iteratively ask for improvements, test them, and provide feedback. You can also ask for text-based adventures and all sorts of discussions including conversations between historical figures, participation in panel discussions and debates, and co-creation of illustrated stories.

About the workshop leader
Ken Kahn has been interested in AI, programming languages, and education for 50 years. His 1977 paper “Three Interactions between AI and Education” may be among the first publications on the topic. He received his doctorate from the MIT AI Lab in 1979 where he worked with Seymour Papert, Marvin Minsky, and Cynthia Solomon. His doctoral thesis Creation of Computer Animation from Story Descriptions foresaw generative AI. He designed and implemented ToonTalk, a programming language for children that looks and feels like a video game. He has developed a large collection of AI programming resources in Snap! He recently retired from the University of Oxford as a Senior Researcher. He recently published The Learner’s Apprentice: AI and the Amplification of Human Creativity, a book about how students can use chatbots to create apps, adventures, illustrated stories, and more.