Many AI-powered education tools today can generate answers in seconds, but do they help students think (Hint: no)? Futureduck, a rising EdTech startup from South Korea, believes AI should do more than just respond. Its latest product, Que:read, is a new kind of AI reading assistant built to spark curiosity and deepen student thinking through guided conversation, not shortcuts. Previously, the company had success with Quewrite a customized that teaches… writing.
In many classrooms, teachers want to help every student engage thoughtfully with reading materials, but time is often limited. Tracking individual comprehension can be difficult, especially as class sizes increase. Traditional reading instruction often focuses on checking off correct answers, leaving little room for reflection, discussion, or nuanced feedback.
The Solution: A Conversational AI That Asks, Not Answers
Futureduck CEO Joy Kibbeum Na
Que:read takes a different approach. Instead of giving students the answers, it asks them questions, and the right kind. As students read, the AI offers prompts before, during, and after reading to ensure understanding and encourage deeper engagement. These include questions about the meaning of key ideas, whether the student can explain or defend an opinion, or how they’d respond to opposing views.
The platform is powered by an AI system designed to spur benefits similar to one-on-one tutoring. It adjusts its questions to the student’s level and responses, helping build not only literacy but also reasoning and self-expression. And because it works through conversation, it encourages students to think out loud, rather than just selecting an option.
Importantly, Que:read doesn’t replace teachers. It assumes a real class environment and is designed to work alongside educators. Teachers have access to a dashboard that allows them to track each student’s learning journey — including which texts they’ve read, what questions they have struggled with, and how their thinking is progressing.
This is where the real value of AI lies: it can monitor all students simultaneously. A human teacher, no matter how experienced, can only check students’ work one at a time. Que:read’s AI analyses comprehension data in real-time, flagging areas where students may need help. This allows teachers to spend their limited time more effectively, focusing their attention where it matters most.
Que:read is currently being piloted in South Korea. It builds on the success of Futureduck’s earlier platform, Quewrite, which guides students through writing using similar AI-driven questioning. Both platforms share a single mission: to nurture independent, critical thinkers.
Priced at around $6 per student per month, Que:read is designed to be accessible to schools looking for high-impact, scalable tools. It’s already attracting interest from markets like North America, the UK, Singapore, and Vietnam — all regions where literacy and critical thinking are high educational priorities and where schools are already integrating digital tools into the classroom.
Futureduck isn’t just building software — it’s promoting a new way of thinking about AI in education. Where some tools aim to automate student work, Que:read wants to amplify it. By focusing on thoughtful questioning and real-time insight, the platform enables students to reflect more deeply and provides teachers with the support they need to guide that journey.
In an age of quick answers, Que:read stands out by slowing things down — and helping students think things through. Futureduck will be at CES 2026 to present its new product and demonstrate how it can enhance education.
Filed in . Read more about AI (Artificial Intelligence), CES, CES 2016, Education and Korea.
