#Japan #Tokyo #Education #Al Saga Partners #AI+Me

Revolutionizing Education with AI+Me

Al Saga Partners, a leading company in digital transformation (DX) based in Shibuya, Tokyo, has officially launched AI+Me, an innovative generative AI service aimed specifically at enhancing classroom experiences. Co-founded by CEO Junpei Watanabe and CTO Taiki Omata, the service is designed based on voices gathered from teachers and students, focusing on enriching their capacity to think critically.

Background of Development

In recent years, the proliferation of versatile generative AI services—such as ChatGPT by OpenAI, Gemini by Google, and Copilot by Microsoft—has significantly augmented productivity for professionals. However, transitioning these advanced tools directly into educational environments presents unique challenges:
1. Complex User Interfaces: Many AI applications suffer from non-intuitive interfaces that deter tech-averse teachers and students from utilizing them effectively.
2. Operational Burdens: Teachers often find it cumbersome to oversee and guide student usage individually.
3. Data Security Concerns: The risk of sensitive information being leaked due to improper settings leads to justified hesitance among educational institutions to adopt such technologies.

To tackle these issues, Al Saga Partners collaborated with Kudan Secondary School, aiding the development of the in-house generative AI tool named otomotto. Insights gleaned from this partnership, combined with ongoing dialogue with educators and students, crystallized into the robust service known as AI+Me.

Features of AI+Me

1. Safe Data Management: The AI service is designed not to transmit any usage data externally, eliminating worries about the use of confidential information in AI training datasets, ensuring a secure environment within the school.
2. Collaborative Development: By incorporating feedback from teachers and students, AI+Me is built for real classroom scenarios, providing an engaging and straightforward usability.
3. Educational Focus: The service answers questions suitable for various ages and learning stages, helping students deepen their learning without feeling overwhelmed.
4. Dialogue-Driven Design: Instead of merely providing answers, the system engages students by prompting critical thinking through questions like, “Why do you think that?” or “What if we look at it from another perspective?”
5. Strong Policy Compliance: The AI refrains from responding to unethical queries, and teachers can monitor usage history via an administrative account for added peace of mind.

Capabilities of AI+Me

• - Chat Functionality: By pre-registering school-specific materials, AI+Me can automatically generate exercises and explanations based on the curriculum. This feature liberates teachers from extensive lesson preparation while enabling personalized learning for students. Users can choose from multiple large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude.
• - Discussion Facilitation: AI+Me acts as a facilitator in inquiry-based learning, promoting thoughtful discussions. It generates new perspectives based on input from students and teachers, enhancing dialogue depth and fostering creative outputs.
• - Prompt Creation Training: Students can practice creating effective AI prompts, learning to share their prompts within class or utilize those crafted by peers, nurturing AI literacy in an enjoyable manner.
• - Output Comparison: With the ability to examine varied responses from different LLMs using the same prompt, students gain insights into the distinct strengths and characteristics of each AI, fostering analytical skills.

Practical Applications of AI+Me

For Students:

• - Report Writing Assistance: Helps organize relevant points regarding assignment topics and suggests diverse viewpoints, deepening understanding during the writing process.
• - Self-Study Exercises: AI rapidly generates original questions based on school material, enabling efficient mastering of challenging subjects.

For Teachers:

• - Supporting Inquiry Lessons: Teachers can confidently encourage student-led queries on topics of interest without needing to pre-determine discussion themes, allowing AI to provide hints and inspire independent thought.
• - Feedback Utilization: AI offers objective insights on student essays and reports, delivering personalized feedback that alleviates teachers’ workloads.

Pricing Structure

The service is available at a monthly rate of 800 yen (excluding tax) per account. With any interest, inquiries can be directed via the official AI+Me website: AI+Me.

Future Prospects

AI+Me represents more than just a tool for enhanced efficiency; it has the potential to significantly transform educational landscapes. By shifting teachers' focus from solely imparting knowledge to engaging in dialogues with students, we anticipate an educational experience where learners collaborate with AI rather than simply receiving answers from it.
Through this approach, our aim is to promote a learning environment where students naturally develop AI literacy—an essential skill set on par with reading, writing, and arithmetic. Through AI+Me, Al Saga Partners stands at the forefront of educational DX to instigate the next generation of learning experiences.

About Al Saga Partners

Located in the heart of Shibuya, Al Saga Partners is a comprehensive firm committed to providing one-stop DX solutions, aligning its mission with the vision of transforming Japanese DX into a globally acclaimed industry. The company offers a wide spectrum of services from consulting to system development and operation, ensuring rapid, high-quality solutions for business success. Established in 2016, it has grown to employ over 420 members with various locations across Japan, contributing actively to the digital transformation scene.