Creating an AI character that can talk in real-time with kids learning English as a foreign language was a yearslong process for the team behind the voice-based tutoring app Buddy.ai.
The vision for the product update required developing an LLM with guardrails to keep conversations appropriate for children and focused on learning. The tool had to be designed with kids’ safety in mind. And it had to be fun.
The result, a new feature called ChitChat, is rolling out to users across Europe.
Buddy the Robot, who has acted as the app’s playful AI tutor since launching in 2019, can now have spontaneous dialogue with young English learners rather than just simple exchanges.
“We can have richer, funnier, and more educational conversations that are better fit for more advanced students,” said Ivan Crewkov, Buddy.ai’s co-founder and CEO.
English language skills are increasingly important for European youth, with 89% of upper secondary students learning English as a foreign language, according to 2023 European Union statistics. Kids can start learning with Buddy.ai much younger, even before they can read or write.
“For most of our students, Buddy is their first English teacher,” Crewkov said.
Personalized conversations
Buddy.ai was inspired by the struggles Crewkov’s daughter faced learning English after his family immigrated from Siberia to the US. He envisioned an app that could mimic live tutoring at a lower cost and make language learning more accessible.
Buddy.ai uses voice-recognition and AI technology designed to understand children and their accented speech. The subscription-based app has been downloaded more than 76 million times worldwide.
ChitChat is the next step for Buddy.ai, which uses games, cartoons, and other activities to help kids learn English vocabulary and practice speaking. The app also recently added a feature called “Buddy’s Home” that lets users complete different activities in the rooms of a house, such as feeding and dressing Buddy in various outfits.
“They treat Buddy more as a virtual toy,” Crewkov said.
Safety was top of mind when designing ChitChat, which allows kids to have personalized conversations with Buddy, Crewkov said. The team recognizes that AI chatbots can be extremely engaging, and they didn’t rush to release the functionality, he said.
Organizations such as UNICEF have noted that AI tools could support children in areas such as creativity but also pose significant risks when not designed for a child’s safety and wellbeing.
The organization kidSAFE has certified Buddy.ai as compliant with the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The law restricts how websites and apps treat the data of children under 13 years old.
“I’m also a concerned parent,” Crewkov said.
New technology
Buddy.ai will roll out ChitChat gradually in Europe and collect feedback from users, Crewkov said. The region is a fast-growing market for the app, Crewkov said, noting that 42% of paying users are based in Europe.
Parents in Europe increasingly view foreign language skills as essential for educational and professional opportunities. A 2023 survey by the European Commission found 85% of participants viewed English as the most important language children should learn for their future.
Buddy.ai is available for native speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, German, Turkish, Arabic, and French, with more to come. The app has the most European users in Poland, Turkey, Germany, Spain, and France, according to Buddy.ai.
“We believe that with AI, especially with this new generation of technology, we can achieve some educational goals that were not possible just five years ago,” Crewkov said.
Featured image: Compare Fibre via Unsplash+
Disclosure: This article mentions clients of an Espacio portfolio company.
