Developing chatbots to support female students in mountainous regions.

Vo Nguyen Tuong Minh, a 10th-grade student at Concordia International School Hanoi and founder of the Future Uplift Foundation, has recently collaborated with her friends to create a unique technological solution: a chatbot aimed at providing educational, gender-related, and psychological information to female students in mountainous regions.

In this interview, Minh shares about the journey of developing the chatbot, the challenges encountered, as well as his and his team's future dreams .

Greet Tuong Minh! Can you share what inspired you and your team to create this chatbot?

This idea originated after volunteer trips to the northern mountainous provinces during Tet (Lunar New Year). During those trips, I met many female students from ethnic minority groups facing difficult circumstances. Despite being intelligent and hardworking, they lacked basic information about health, psychology, and academic guidance. I realized that while many organizations provided material support, they lacked the knowledge and information relevant to their real-world needs. This motivated my team and I to develop an accessible chatbot specifically for female students in mountainous regions.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Youth Union and President of the Central Council of the Young Pioneers Nguyen Pham Duy Trang (wearing a blue ao dai) with the research team of the project "AI Friend of Female Students" on the sidelines of the 15th Hanoi City "Good Children of Uncle Ho" Congress.

So What was the journey like for you and your teammates in developing this chatbot ? In particular, what difficulties did you and your team encounter?

We used VedaX's ZeroChat platform to build this chatbot. First, we collected and cleaned the data, then fed it into a RAG model so the chatbot could search and provide effective answers. The first version was Callbot, which was later developed into Chatbot. The biggest challenge was making the chatbot content both easy to understand and accurate, while still making users feel comfortable during conversations.

So, what about the chatbots of the... What information did you provide to the female students? What was the feedback from users?

The chatbot currently focuses on three areas: sex education , mental health, and learning. To access the chatbot, female students can use this link: https://zerophone.us/customerEmbed/bvte/sk_KKhRGRVPBUCFxM2MMf2qtgDntDy8ElJkuCXfZC3ZvKBSTQgA6E2rHnXaquWmkw to chat via call. Additionally, we also have a website to introduce the project further: https://hotronusinh.org/.

Initially, many users were hesitant to talk to the AI, but after a while, they felt more comfortable. The number of questions and the frequency of interactions also increased. To date, the feedback has been quite positive. Users often ask about topics such as nutrition, cooking, and healthcare.

How can you ensure that the information provided by the chatbot is accurate and age-appropriate for the users?

We always strive to ensure that our chatbots are not only user-friendly but also provide accurate content. During the data building process, we collaborated with Dr. Tang Ky Ninh to review and select information, ensuring the chatbot delivers safe and relevant knowledge.

In the future, the Do you plan to add any new features to the chatbot?

We plan to develop a multilingual feature, not only in Vietnamese but also in English and some popular ethnic minority languages ​​such as Thai and Hmong. Adding languages ​​will help the chatbot reach students in specific regions more effectively. Additionally, we hope to develop a text reading and explanation feature to help female students in mountainous areas study more efficiently.

How do you think AI technology can change the way girls in mountainous regions are educated ?

We believe that AI is a powerful bridge between hard-to-reach areas and sources of knowledge. For female students in remote areas facing learning barriers, AI can provide a 24/7 listening companion, always ready to help and encourage without judgment.

Thank you for sharing such helpful information! I wish you and your team continued success in your upcoming projects!

Thank you, Vietnam Women's Newspaper! I am very happy to share my dream of applying the knowledge I have learned to develop a fund to support female students in the future, providing more practical assistance to female students in mountainous areas.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/phat-develop-chatbot-support-female-students-in-highland-regions-20250509105709211.htm