Dad-of-four Moti Malka returned from his IDF service after the October 7 attacks, saw his kids glued to their on-screen games, and decided they could put that time to better use.
This was the episode that proved the inspiration for Yuvi Lab, an AI-powered platform that lets children build their own apps, games and digital projects and teaches them about the technology of the future.
It’s an active rather than passive way of spending time, says Malka, turning kids into creators rather than consumers.
They can type in a whole range of commands – build me a whack-a-mole game, or a flag quiz, or a weather station, or a learning clock or typing race, for example.
Yuvi then converts those plain-language requests into hundreds of lines of computer code, which appear on the screen, and brings their project to life in a matter of seconds.
The child can then tweak the result, try again, share what they’ve built, and adapt what others have done. There are also animation projects (live aquarium, fireworks show, falling snow); stories (choose a character, location and type of adventure); music (drum machine, virtual piano) and more.
They can ask AI to create a recipe book with their favourite dishes, a travel blog with their stories, and photos, or an invitation to their birthday party. It will take them on a journey through the human body, ancient Egypt or on a deep dive into the world’s oceans.
“Children aren’t just playing; they’re building, experimenting, and thinking creatively,” said Malka. “We wanted to create a new way of learning, what we call Vibe Coding, that speaks the language of today’s generation.”
Vibe Coding allows the user to describe what they want to create in natural language. An AI assistant then generates the working code to turn it into reality. It’s coding without the coding. Malka, who lives in Netanya, central Israel, and works in Cloud and AI Innovation, built Yuvi with a colleague, and with his ten-year-old son.
It launched in March and has already attracted more than 2,000 active users, he says, who have collectively created more than 6,000 projects.
Malka’s hoping teachers will incorporate it into their lessons, and that municipalities in Israel will use it in after-school programmes – not as a substitute but as what he calls a “co-pilot”. He says they discuss with teachers how they can teach critical thinking using AI.
“We know AI isn’t 100 per cent accurate because of the sources of information, which is usually public information,” he said.
“So it’s important that teachers teach children to cross-check and ask questions, so that we don’t take an answer for granted and instead keep thinking ahead.”
Yuvi operates in a safe environment, protecting children from the inappropriate or harmful material they could otherwise encounter on regular AI. Content is rigorously filtered and regulated under Microsoft’s strict ethical AI protocol.
Malka says it’s important that every child should be able to understand and shape the technologies, such as AI, that will define their future.
“When I returned home (after IDF service), I saw my children glued to screens, playing for hours,” Malka said. “Even positive platforms can become overwhelming. I wanted to create something that would channel that time into creativity and learning.
“The platform was born out of a desire to turn screen time into meaningful development. In an AI-driven world, children need real skills. They should know how to use these tools creatively, safely, and confidently. Our vision is to help children become not just users of AI, but creators – giving them the tools to think long-term, solve problems, and innovate.”
Yuvi adapts to each child’s level, language, and learning style, and remembers their preferences and interests over time. It’s available in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic. Users start with free credits, then they can either subscribe to a monthly plan or pay as they play.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.