AI for Kids Can a Robot Really Be Your Study Buddy? (Elementary | Middle)
Oct 7, 2025
Ivan Crewkov, founder of Buddy AI, discusses his journey of creating a fun, animated study buddy that helps kids learn languages safely. He explains how Buddy AI understands children's speech through 25,000 hours of diverse input. With a focus on gamification and a structured curriculum, Buddy transforms learning into an engaging experience. Ivan also highlights their strict privacy measures and shares exciting plans for virtual pets and personalized learning experiences, reminding us that AI should be a helpful tool, not a substitute for human interaction.
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Started To Help His Daughter Learn English
- Ivan built Buddy because his preschool daughter struggled to learn English after immigrating to the U.S. and needed help interacting with peers.
- His older daughter Sofia became the first tester and family needs shaped the product early on.
Trained On Massive Kids' Speech Data
- Buddy learned children's speech by training on 25,000 hours of kids' voices and accents.
- Extensive child-specific audio data improved recognition across ages and global accents.
Embodiment Enhances Learning
- Buddy's 3D embodiment and gamified curriculum differentiate it from voice assistants like Siri or Alexa.
- Embodiment lets the character use visuals and body actions to reinforce vocabulary and concepts.
