eSelf AI, a startup specializing in face-to-face, conversational AI agents, is teaming up with the Center for Educational Technology (CET) to bring personalized AI tutor experiences to students around the globe.
CET, Israel’s largest K–12 textbook publisher, is leading this ambitious initiative, with support from Harvard University as an academic adviser. The project aims to measure the impact of one-on-one digital tutoring at scale, marking Israel as the first country to integrate AI tutors at a national level. The pilot launches in May, starting with 10,000 students participating in A/B testing.
The move is grounded in the insights from the renowned "Two Sigma Problem" study, which found that students receiving one-on-one tutoring performed two standard deviations better than those in traditional classrooms. With global test scores in decline and a critical teacher shortage—UNESCO estimates a need for 44 million educators—the demand for scalable, personalized learning solutions has never been more urgent. AI tutors are emerging as a powerful tool to close this educational gap.
In this pioneering partnership, students will engage with an intelligent digital companion—an AI tutor in the form of a responsive avatar that supports learning both in and outside the classroom. These tutors help students grasp academic content, practice independently, and prepare for exams. Using advanced AI, the avatars dynamically adjust their teaching style and pace to match each student’s individual learning needs.
eSelf AI reports that its avatars deliver faster response times than ChatGPT's voice assistant, ensuring a smoother, more natural conversational experience.
Backed by a $4.5 million seed round raised in December 2024, eSelf AI now boasts a team of 20. CEO Alan Bekker and CTO Eylon Shoshan are leading the charge to transform how students learn. According to Bekker, “eSelf is making history as the first AI tutoring initiative to be deployed at a national scale. Our mission is to use AI for good—bridging learning gaps and helping students succeed in a time of global educational strain.”
Tzachi Langer, VP of Marketing and Product at CET, emphasized the significance of the project: “We’re giving every student in Israel access to a personal AI tutor. This partnership sets a new global benchmark for using AI in education, advancing equity and helping students feel more confident in their potential.”
Harvard's Victor Pereira, a long-time advocate for educational equity, added: “This partnership between eSelf AI, CET, and Harvard presents a unique opportunity to provide every student with a personal tutor, regardless of background. This is the right way to implement AI in education—supporting teachers, not replacing them.”
These AI tutors go beyond typical digital tools. They’re customizable in appearance and personality, capable of generating lesson-aligned visuals and video content, and able to respond to students’ questions in real time. They also support multiple languages, making learning more inclusive and accessible.
The pilot begins with Hebrew language instruction and will expand to cover all K–12 subjects—from math to computer science—by September 2025.
With this groundbreaking initiative, eSelf AI is setting a new standard for how technology can enhance education, offering students across Israel a smarter, more tailored way to learn.
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Media Contact
eSelf
Tel Aviv, Israel
alan@eself.ai
https://eself.ai/
Source: 38 Digital Market News
Release ID: 1457035
