March marks the beginning of a new school year, a time filled with both excitement and anxiety for many young students. Concerns about adapting to new environments, navigating friendships, and academic pressures can weigh heavily on their minds. For these teenagers, who may find it difficult to confide in others, the AI counseling chatbot 'Sangnyangyi' is emerging as a promising alternative.

'Sangnyangyi': An AI Counseling Chatbot Tailored for Youth

Developed by the AI startup IntelliAus, 'Sangnyangyi' (sangnyang.ai) is an AI chatbot specializing in counseling young people on emotional, career, and academic concerns. Unlike typical chatbots that provide fixed answers to predetermined questions, 'Sangnyangyi' offers a conversational experience that feels remarkably human. It accurately grasps the user's intent, provides personalized responses, and even suggests helpful video links or inspirational quotes to aid in problem-solving.

Key Features and Characteristics

Natural Conversation: Understands context and accurately recognizes sentences with grammatical errors or typos, enabling seamless and natural dialogue.
Diverse Topics: Covers a wide range of subjects, including family issues, friendships, academics, career paths, and even entertainment and humor.
Youth-Tailored Information: While powered by a large-scale generative AI, it filters out harmful content and delivers age-appropriate, beneficial information.
Psychological Assessments and Reports: Offers various psychological tests, such as depression, self-esteem, and trauma assessments, and provides results in report form to help users objectively understand their mental state.
Crisis Response: Provides contact information and coping strategies for users in crisis situations.
Teacher Support: Enables teachers to monitor students' mental well-being in real-time and take appropriate action when necessary. Sensitive information is encrypted for privacy, and conversation logs are deleted after a certain period.
Validation in Educational Settings
'Sangnyangyi' has been recognized for its effectiveness in various educational settings, including Seoul's EduTech Soft Lab, Gwangju's EduTech Soft Lab, and Gangwon-do's Haemi School. It has received high ratings in teacher satisfaction, student engagement, and reduction of psychological burden. Currently, over 50 schools and local governments across the country have adopted 'Sangnyangyi'.

Interview with IntelliAus CEO Kim Sun-ho

IntelliAus CEO Kim Sun-ho stated, "We wanted to create a platform where young people could freely express their feelings without feeling judged." He also revealed plans to develop an AI service for teachers' rights counseling. "Building on IntelliAus's expertise in psychology and education, we will continue to develop AI services that benefit the educational field," he emphasized.