Lagos–San Francisco lab launches KidGPT that teaches through questions, not answers

Compound AI, an applied AI research lab based in Lagos and San Francisco, has unveiled KidGPT, an AI agent designed specifically for children aged five to thirteen and their parents.

The launch comes as tech giants face mounting scrutiny over the risks AI poses to young users.  On Tuesday, the parents of a 16-year-old Adam Raine filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming ChatGPT contributed to their son’s death in April. The case underscores the growing unease families feel as generative AI becomes embedded in daily life. Segun Bash, Compound AI’s co-founder and a former Google product manager, says KidGPT was built with those concerns in mind. 

 “Children are usually the last group technology is designed for,” he said. “Kids are forced to adapt to technology not made for their needs or safety.” 

Building for children and parents

Researchers and parents worry that exposure to mainstream AI tools could stunt cognitive development. A June 2025 MIT study published by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) warned that overreliance on large language models for instant answers may impair long-term brain growth. The findings have fueled calls for age-appropriate alternatives.

Global players have begun to respond. OpenAI and Google introduced optional “study mode” features to their AI assistants this year. But the settings are easy to bypass, and the tools still supply ready-made answers that minimise effort.

KidGPT, by contrast, is designed in permanent study mode, according to Bash. When a child wants to learn about fractions or write history essays, it guides them through questions and additional prompts rather than simply solving the problem and providing the answers. 

Core KidGPT product view with different themes, games, and AI-powered learning assistance. Image source: Compound AI

The platform also promises “child-appropriate responses” and “protected interactions,” features still absent from mainstream tools.  Parents can monitor their child’s search activity through their own dashboard, which provides weekly insights, conversation histories, and allows them to set age-appropriate boundaries. 

“Kids need to be encouraged to discuss with parents and family what they are learning on AI, the same as they would discuss what they learnt at school or with friends, “ Bash said.  “This helps the parent guide the child appropriately.”

KidGPT dashboard for parents to track conversations and review flagged interactions. Image source: Compound AI

The agentic edge

KidGPT is built on what Compound AI calls an “agentic” framework: AI systems that can act on goals with limited supervision, rather than simply generate text.  Agentic systems extend the current capabilities of generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, by applying generative outputs towards particular goals. 

“The agentic approach for KidGPT allows us to go beyond flat answers and replies in regular chatbots,” Bash said. “ It allows us to have a tool that can make decisions on the fly to craft and shape product experiences differently for each child and parent.”

The team previously deployed such systems for Paystack, a leading African fintech, where an autonomous agent handled customer support while keeping human workers in the loop.

Building for a global market

Compound AI is developing KidGPT with a global audience in mind. The tool supports more than 30 languages, including French, Hindi, Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo. Beyond child-focused products, the lab also backs founders creating AI-native solutions across education, enterprise, and civic impact.

African AI startups face a familiar challenge: how to build products that aren’t easily outflanked by feature rollouts from giants like OpenAI or Anthropic. Investors have urged companies to focus on speed and execution.

“We just have to out-execute and move faster, and that’s what we are thinking about right now,” Bash said. 

Still, opportunities exist. PlayAI, an Egyptian-founded AI startup in the voice technology space, was acquired by Meta for an undisclosed amount in July. 

“If a bigger player decides to invest in this space fully, we will be a great acquisition target because we have done the work and built a brand that people trust, so that we can create some opportunities,” Bash added.

For now, the focus is on the product. “We are just focused on customers and creating the best experience we can for kids,” he said.

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