Glasgow college relaunches Olivia AI to guide young coders

A Glasgow children's tuition business has relaunched its AI virtual class assistant, Olivia, and scheduled a free online workshop to guide children through building a simple chatbot.

British Youth International College (BYITC) has linked the relaunch to its Coding Week programme, which it describes as a focus on digital skills and creative learning for children. The week includes a session titled "Create Your Own Chatbot", designed to give children hands-on experience with coding and introductory AI concepts in an age-appropriate format.

The new version, Olivia 2.0, follows feedback from parents, pupils and educators. BYITC describes the updated assistant as a tool that guides children on how to think about a problem, rather than returning direct answers.

In-house build

BYITC developed Olivia 2.0 internally. Founder Dr Rashmi Mantri said this gives the organisation control over the technology and the direction of future changes. Olivia 2.0 is now integrated into Supermaths, a game-based abacus learning app.

Olivia currently responds to subject-based questions in areas including Maths and English. It explains concepts rather than providing final solutions, translations or completed work.

BYITC said the assistant is intended to reinforce learning habits rather than reduce effort. "We learned a great deal from the first version of Olivia, and we listened carefully to what parents and pupils told us. Children don't need answers handed to them; they need guidance on how to think," Mantri said.

Olivia can cover topics such as nouns, sentence structure and basic language rules, and can guide children through mathematical reasoning. BYITC said it does not complete homework and instead steers children through problem-solving steps.

Mantri said this is a deliberate design choice. "If a child asks Olivia for an answer, she won't give it. Instead, she encourages step-by-step thinking, explains the concept behind the question, and supports children to arrive at the solution themselves. Confidence comes first, then accuracy follows," she said.

Positioning and limits

The relaunch comes as schools, parents and education providers continue to debate the role of generative AI in learning, particularly around accuracy, bias and misuse. Many classroom policies now focus on when children may use AI tools and how to avoid turning them into answer engines.

BYITC said it explored more detailed language-instruction features early in development, but later narrowed Olivia's role to keep the experience simple and age-appropriate.

The organisation positioned the assistant as a supplement to teaching rather than a replacement for teachers. It said Olivia can reduce repetition and encourage independent practice, and is aimed at children who study independently and want one-to-one support with homework, revision and daily practice.

Mantri said the assistant is also intended to reduce the social pressure some children feel when they do not understand a concept straight away.

"Many children hesitate to ask questions repeatedly or feel embarrassed when they don't understand. Olivia listens patiently, explains gently, and never rushes. That emotional safety is vital for learning," she said.

Coding week

The "Create Your Own Chatbot" workshop is part of the Coding Week schedule. BYITC said the free online session will run as a practical introduction to coding and AI concepts, with a focus on children building a basic chatbot.

BYITC said it will demonstrate Olivia during Coding Week activities and that interest has been strong, although places remain available.

"No one understands our children's learning needs better than we do. Developing Olivia ourselves allows us to move quickly, stay true to our values, and ensure the technology reflects how children should learn: calmly, confidently, and with encouragement. "And we will be demonstrating her extraordinary abilities before, during and after our Coding Week event. Demand has been substantial, though places are still available," Mantri said.

BYITC runs online and in-person courses and events for children across subjects including coding, maths and language learning, and plans further free events during 2026.