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‘Leveraging AI to improve educational resources’: KOBI reading app earns first OpenAI prize

Rebecca Barnabi
Ursula Lavrenčič, co-founder of Hopalai, draws from personal experience, her 16-year-old daughter has dyslexia. Photo: Lavrenčič,.

KOBI, an innovative reading app for dyslexic learners by Hopalai, has been awarded the inaugural OpenAI Learning Impact Prize.

The recognition places the KOBI app among the best educational tools globally, chosen from more than 1,900 applications in the distinguished Tools Competition.

KOBI builds on its significant success in Slovenia, where it has improved reading education for thousands of children with dyslexia, and is now expanding to the United States to replicate its positive impact among a broader audience.

KOBI has also received the Tools Competition award in the category of Accelerating Learning, further validating its effectiveness and innovative approach to educational technology.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from The Tools Competition and OpenAI,” said Ursula Lavrencic, co-founder and CEO of Hopalai. “Our mission with KOBI is to transform the reading practice for children who struggle, but our solution works great for all the kids learning to read.”

Lavrencic’s personal experience parenting a child with dyslexia gives her a very intimate understanding of the challenges faced by these learners. Her passion for helping children with dyslexia succeed has been a driving force behind KOBI’s development.

“KOBI has extensive experience leveraging AI to improve educational resources for people with disabilities and we are thrilled to recognize its innovative approach to support learners with dyslexia,” said Anna Makanju, VP of Global Affairs at OpenAI. “We look forward to seeing how KOBI’s AI-powered tools can help children in the US achieve their potential.”

KOBI will be released in the US market in October 2024, coinciding with Dyslexia Awareness Month, and will bring personalized, evidence-based learning strategies such as embedded phonics instruction, real-time feedback, and on-device speech recognition, all delivered through an engaging and interactive user interface.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.