Dentsu Group is piloting an AI-powered learning platform that enables students to collaborate with multiple artificial intelligence models through personalized AI avatar agents, marking a new step in the company's efforts to explore human-centric AI in education. The initiative will debut at the Yoichi Ochiai Summer School 2026 in Japan, where elementary and junior high school students will participate in an experimental learning environment designed to keep human creativity at the center of AI-assisted learning.
The project is being led by Dentsu Innovation Initiative (DII), the group's research and development organization, in collaboration with Japanese media artist and researcher Yoichi Ochiai. Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for human thinking, the platform is intended to support students in asking questions, developing ideas and expressing creativity while interacting with multiple AI systems through a single AI avatar.
According to Dentsu, each student will be assigned a personalized AI avatar agent that gradually develops an understanding of the student's interests, learning style and conversations over time. Instead of requiring students to choose among different AI tools, the avatar acts as an intelligent intermediary, connecting them with the most appropriate AI model based on the context of their learning and creative activities.
The company said the initiative is built on its Self-Sovereign Information Environment (SSIE), a decentralized framework designed to give individuals greater control over their personal data and digital identity. Under the model, students can engage in detailed conversations with their AI avatars while limiting the amount of personally identifiable information shared with external AI services. Dentsu said the approach is intended to balance personalized AI experiences with stronger privacy protections.
A key objective of the project is to ensure AI supports rather than directs the creative process. Students will collaborate with AI to produce artwork and other creative outputs, while remaining responsible for interpreting ideas, assigning meaning and making creative decisions. Dentsu said the project is inspired by Yoichi Ochiai's concept of "Digital Fermentation," which encourages people to work alongside AI through experimentation and reflection instead of relying on AI-generated answers.
The pilot will also test several Web3-based technologies designed to preserve students' learning journeys. These include Friendship NFTs and Graduation Certificate NFTs that record relationships and achievements formed during the programme. Students will additionally receive QR code-enabled business cards connected to Web3 personal pages and hardware wallets, allowing them to continue learning and collaboration after the summer school concludes.
Dentsu has collaborated with the Yoichi Ochiai Summer School since 2018, introducing students to emerging digital technologies through hands-on experiences. In 2025, the programme tested AI avatars focused on self-understanding. This year's initiative expands that concept by allowing AI avatars to function as agents capable of coordinating interactions across multiple AI systems while maintaining privacy safeguards.
The company said the project reflects its broader vision of creating learning environments where technology augments, rather than replaces, human creativity. Dentsu expects AI avatars to evolve into long-term digital companions that support learning, reflection and collaboration while respecting user autonomy and data ownership.
As AI adoption accelerates across education, enterprises and creative industries, organizations are increasingly exploring ways to deploy the technology responsibly. Dentsu's latest initiative highlights a growing focus on AI systems that prioritize human agency, privacy and creative thinking while integrating emerging technologies such as decentralized identity and Web3 into future learning experiences.