Teenagers build AI platform for exam preparation

Two Bavarian teenagers have developed an AI platform that creates and grades practice exams, BR reports. The tool, called Klausurbuddy, uses the relevant state curriculum and students’ uploaded notes to generate tests and give feedback on areas that may need more work.

Fourteen-year-old Lukas Fröbel is using the platform to prepare for a maths exam next week. He said it can generate extra exercises on topics he finds difficult, including square roots.

Klausurbuddy was created by Fröbel’s classmates, 15-year-old Lukas Tomasek and 14-year-old Paul Aierle. They said they had been dissatisfied with general-purpose AI tools such as ChatGPT, which they felt did not meet the different requirements set by Germany’s federal states.

The pair won a startup competition in Berlin in June, receiving a 10,000-euro prize. Tomasek handles the technical work, while Aierle is responsible for marketing. Their parents helped them set up a small limited-liability company because they are minors.

Laura Brandl, a learning scientist at LMU Munich, said feedback and repeated self-testing can be effective learning methods. She cautioned students to assess AI feedback critically rather than assume it is correct. Simply memorising AI-provided answers could be counterproductive, she said, while using feedback to examine mistakes can make learning more effective.

The founders plan to enter another competition and are seeking feedback from teachers’ and parents’ associations as they develop the platform. Aierle said their goal is to help as many students as possible prepare for exams.