Luca.ai Website Uses ChatGPT to Teach Reading Skills to Children with Dyslexia
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Scott Sosso developed a website called Luca.ai after his son Luca was diagnosed with dyslexia, dedicating ten years of relentless exploration to help others facing similar challenges learn to read.
Luca.ai officially launched on November 2, featuring three core functionalities: StoryLabs uses artificial intelligence to create stories based on user prompts (such as "mountains" and "magic"); LucaListens tracks phonetic features to provide real-time pronunciation improvement suggestions; and ProfessorAI builds on these insights to develop personalized learning plans.
This Pittsburgh-based platform is specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by individuals with dyslexia—reading, spelling, and comprehension. With AI integration, it learns the user's learning style, creating a "personalized learning tool that continuously adapts to the reader's skill level".
Sosso believes that "personalized learning is the future of education". He admitted facing challenges while helping his son with homework. "We sought help from reading specialists, therapists, and psychologists," Sosso said. "He is a very bright child with good grades, but he really struggled with reading."
Now a 17-year-old high school student at Eden Christian Academy, Luca said that tools like this could have helped him appreciate written stories in a whole new way earlier.
As Luca prepares to study business in college, his cartoon avatar will continue to guide readers as the digital mascot of Luca.ai. Sosso mentioned that this "Dora the Explorer"-like icon will become increasingly expressive as generative AI technology advances.
The Luca.ai website requires learners to obtain parental approval in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and has implemented security measures to protect user information when training its AI models.
The platform is currently still in the beta testing phase but has been opened to paid subscribers, with a pricing of $15 per user per month. Families with multiple children can enjoy a 50% discount or prepay an annual fee of $150.
Sosso recommends 15 minutes of daily reading training to steadily improve reading skills. He mentioned that the privacy of online learning helps boost confidence.
The team plans to launch the Luca.ai app version early next year, followed by classroom integration. The company has already partnered with Provident Charter Schools, which focuses on dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, with campuses in Troy Hill and Beaver County. Last year, twenty students from Provident helped refine the user interface.
Carnegie Mellon University students also participated in the app's development and seized the opportunity to integrate ChatGPT. "That's when I realized this platform had the potential to take off because now we can truly provide a customized learning experience for each student," Sosso said, expressing special gratitude to CMU students: "They are truly at the forefront of things."
The speech recognition software used to identify different pronunciations is also an academic research achievement from the University of Michigan.
Luca.ai currently has approximately 50 users, but Sosso mentioned that there has been almost no promotion yet.
He has received multiple inquiries from local public schools. "The demand exists," he said.