Using AI play for early growth

The Star

2 days ago

Game changer uses technology to tackle development issues in children
PETALING JAYA: As a child, Tokyo-born Shun Matsuzaka had boundless love for learning, but that passion rarely reflected in his grades, as he struggled to achieve good results.
It wasn't until he was 19, during his foundation year at a university in the United Kingdom, that he was diagnosed with dyslexia.
This changed not just his life but also shaped his ambition to help other children going through what he had to go through.
Having moved to Malaysia in 2017, Matsuzaka, along with his partner Masaki Ishibashi, founded TOY8 in 2018, a social impact venture designed to unlock every child's potential through play and data.
Together, they planned to establish an AI-powered playground in 2020 in a 45,000sq ft (4,180sq m) space at a mall in Kuala Lumpur.
Filled with motion sensors and cameras, the playground would allow them to observe children's play and extract insights into their cognitive and motor strengths, which would then be explained to the parents if any issues were found.
Sadly, the plan was derailed even before it could take off following the Covid-19 pandemic.
TOY8 co-founder Matsuzaka.
Defeated but not beaten, Matsuzaka was then inspired by a letter he received from the Tokyo city office – an invitation for his daughter to attend a mandatory three-year-old developmental screening.
'It was then I realised that while this was standard practice in Japan, Malaysia had no equivalent system for those aged between three and six – a gap in the most crucial window of brain development.
'Most parents had no structured way to know whether their child's development was on track or not and this gap, between the need for early detection and the absence of reliable access, became our new focus,' he said.
Matsuzaka and his team then developed the first AI-powered, gamified screening and intervention system in Malaysia in 2022 in collaboration with Sunway University, Universiti Malaya, the Health Ministry Clinical Research Centre and a former Nintendo game director.
The system utilised smartphone-based games to screen five core domains of development – language, cognition, fine and gross motor skills and social-emotional abilities.
'These games are intentionally designed to be exciting, intuitive and culturally relevant, enabling teachers in preschools and kindergartens to conduct reliable developmental checks during classroom time without requiring clinical expertise.
'If a child is flagged for mild or moderate developmental support needs, they can be supported through the TOY8 intervention programme, which offers over 3,000 plus fun game activities personalised to the child's profile.
'These interventions can then be delivered at school or home with the guidance of trained educators or caregivers,' Matsuzaka said.
Matsuzaka also said TOY8's system empowers teachers with technology, not only to screen and support children but also to actively participate in the reduction of developmental inequality.
'Instead of relying solely on overburdened specialists, we shifted part of the responsibility to well-equipped preschool classrooms, ensuring that more children are identified early and supported effectively during the brain's most critical years of development.'
Since its inception, TOY8 has screened over 15,000 children across Malaysia and other Asean countries with Sarawak becoming one of the first Malaysian states to adopt the model at scale in 2023.
By integrating digital screening into its public preschools, the state now stands as a beacon of inclusive early education, not just in Malaysia but for the entire Asean region.
'By the end of the year, our programme in Sarawak will expand to screen 600 children, supported by a growing network of trained educators and interventionists.
'We are now hoping to present the Sarawak model as a regional policy proposal at the 2025 Asean Business Summit under the Inclusive Education 2.0 framework, as well as expand our reach to other Asean countries,' he added.
Meanwhile, the Star Golden Hearts Award (SGHA) returns for the 11th edition to honour everyday Malaysians whose compassion and selflessness have made a lasting impact on others.
With McDonald's Malaysia as the new strategic partner, SGHA is poised to broaden its reach and deepen its impact nationwide.
This year also marks the debut of the McDonald's Caring Hearts Award – a special recognition honouring individuals or grassroots groups whose heartfelt acts of kindness have uplifted lives in profound and lasting ways.
Since its inception in 2015, SGHA has honoured over 100 individuals and organisations whose efforts have inspired action, transformed lives and strengthened communities nationwide.