Israeli Pilot Introduces AI Avatars to Support Students in 20 Schools
Kaltura's AI pilot brings virtual avatars to 2,000 Israeli students across 20 schools to support math and science learning. The technology aims to assist educators, personalize instruction, and bridge classroom gaps.
Thousands of Israeli students are participating in a pioneering educational pilot using artificial intelligence avatars to study mathematics and science. As the education system grapples with teacher shortages, approximately 2,000 seventh and eighth-grade students across 20 schools are currently learning with AI-powered virtual teachers developed by the Israeli technology company Kaltura.
The virtual instructors appear as friendly avatars, communicating with students in Hebrew or Arabic to guide them through coursework. The system enables students to ask questions repeatedly without hesitation, explains concepts at an individual pace, and incorporates illustrations and interactive quizzes tailored to each student's specific learning challenges.
Supporting Human Educators
According to Kaltura's Israel operations manager, Bat-Sheva Moshe, the avatar allows every student to continue asking questions and receiving customized answers until the material is fully understood. Human teachers also benefit by receiving a dashboard tracking student progress, identifying knowledge gaps, and highlighting who requires additional attention.
While the Ministry of Education's Program 720 established an annual licensing cost of about 50 shekels per student for English programs funded by school budgets, the exact cost of Kaltura's current math and science pilot has not been disclosed. Schools must provide computers, internet connectivity, and train teaching staff to support the initiative.
Global Context and Future Outlook
Israel is not the first nation to introduce artificial intelligence into classrooms. In September 2024, London's David Game College launched an experimental class where roughly 20 students learned using AI systems and virtual reality headsets. South Korea also introduced digital AI-backed textbooks in 2025, though enthusiasm later gave way to caution regarding screen time and pedagogical effectiveness, leading authorities to make the tools optional.
Kaltura is already preparing to expand its activities into English language learning and hopes to export the Israeli model internationally. However, independent results proving that the pilot improves academic achievement have not yet been published, and the system is currently designed to assist teachers rather than replace them.
