Every student in Israel will soon have access to private AI tutors, thanks to a new partnership between eSelf, an AI platform that lets users create and customize their own avatars, and the Center for Educational Technology (CET), Israel’s largest K-12 textbook publisher.
The new partnership, which was announced on Tuesday, will make Israel the first country in the world to implement AI-driven tutoring at a national level.
Harvard University will act as an academic advisor during the pilot program of the new initiative.
"We’re partnering with eSelf to provide a personal AI tutor to every student in Israel,” said Tzachi Langer, VP of Marketing and Product at CET.
“This partnership is just the first step in making AI a truly accessible tool for students nationwide, increasing educational equity and empowering Israel’s children to feel more confident in their academic capabilities and potential.”
Through the CET and eSelf initiative, Israeli students will have access to a smart digital tutor – an interactive avatar - that will assist them inside and outside the classroom. The AI tutor can help students prepare for exams, understand materials and practice questions. Additionally, the advanced AI avatar continuously adapts to each student’s individual strengths and challenges, offering personalized guidance.
eSelf’s AI avatars can be customized, both in terms of appearance and personality. They can create tailored visual explanations aligned with classroom content and respond directly to students’ questions – adapting to each learner’s level over time and refining the lesson accordingly.
The avatars are also multilingual, however the pilot will begin with Hebrew language instruction. Eventually, every K-12 student in Israel will have access to an AI-powered learning companion.
Victor Pereira, Faculty and Co-Chair of the Teaching and Teaching Leadership program at Harvard University, said he was thrilled by eSelf's "transformative potential."
“Education is one of the strongest predictors of future opportunity – yet access to quality support remains deeply unequal, at a time when it’s more critical than ever."
Socioeconomic gaps
He added that the partnership between eSelf, CET, and Harvard University creates an "unprecedented opportunity to bridge socioeconomic gaps – giving every student a virtual tutor, no matter their background."
"This is precisely how AI should be integrated into education: not as a replacement for human educators, but as a powerful supplement that extends learning and promotes independence."
"eSelf is making history as the first AI tutoring initiative to be deployed at a national scale,” said Dr. Alan Bekker, CEO and Co-Founder of eSelf. “It’s an honor to lead an effort that shows how AI can be used for good, leveling the playing field and supporting students at a time when the education system worldwide is under immense strain."