Herby — Canton Zurich's Five-School Pilot of a Photo-Based AI Homework Feedback App

Between late 2023 and spring 2024 the Economy and Innovation Office of Canton Zurich ran what was reported as the first trial of its kind in Switzerland: five schools tested Herby, an app from the Swiss start-up Pelican GmbH. Pupils photograph completed homework with a phone or tablet; the app flags wrong answers, gives solution-path hints on a second photo and full solutions on a third, and passes results to the teacher, who adds personal feedback.
The five-month trial was part of a wider canton-led study of how public bodies could use and regulate new technology. The canton's office described teacher and pupil feedback as 'very positive', and a participating teacher said children used the app independently and that it freed time to plan around individual needs.
Evidence is thin: the number of pupils, the names of the schools and any measured learning or workload outcomes were not published, and vendor-side statements (scale targets, schoolbook-publisher talks) are promotional. Concerns about third-party processing of pupils' sensitive data remain, and the sandbox guidance itself calls for clear guidelines. A 2025 cantonal parliamentary postulate asks the government to report on how vetted AI applications could be made available to all Zurich schools. The case is useful as a low-evidence, regulator-led pilot design rather than proof of impact.

Read the full analysis: https://www.iamexpat.ch/education/education-news/canton-zurich-uses-ai-check-homework-part-landmark-trial