The integration of Artificial Intelligence into education is transforming how young learners engage with abstract and complex concepts, particularly through interactive and embodied technologies like social robots. This pilot study investigates the impact of the Slovenian-speaking social robot AlphaMini—supported by ChatGPT and trained on book-based educational content—on student engagement in an elementary school learning environment.

The study was conducted with a children at a Slovenian elementary school and employed a mixed-methods approach, including children observations, short reflective interviews, and teacher feedback. The research focused on behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of engagement, comparing responses between pupils with and without prior experience interacting with social robots.

Results showed that AlphaMini significantly enhanced emotional and behavioral engagement, encouraging curiosity, enthusiasm, and active participation in classroom activities. Cognitive engagement was moderately improved, especially among children already familiar with generative AI tools at home or through previous exposure. Teachers observed increased attentiveness, improved peer collaboration, and reduced anxiety during learning tasks. Informal feedback revealed that pupils viewed the robot as a friendly and motivating classroom assistant.

Educators emphasized AlphaMini’s potential for inclusive education and supporting children with learning difficulties, citing its emotionally supportive and non-threatening presence. These findings suggest that social robots like AlphaMini can effectively foster motivation and engagement in early education, particularly in emotionally sensitive or inclusive learning settings. This study contributes to the growing field of AI in education by highlighting the potential of localized, socially expressive AI tools to support active, joyful, and inclusive learning experiences for young children.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence, Social Robot, chatGPT, Student Motivation, Education.