AI is revolutionising how we learn. From branching scenarios to digital avatars and virtual coaches, Marlon Fuentes explores how personalisation, interactivity and neuroscience are combining to create more effective training. The future of learning isn’t just digital, it’s intelligent, immersive and evolving as fast as the workplace. Are you ready?
The future of work is being reshaped by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, necessitating continuous learning and adaptation. By 2030, while automation is projected to displace 92 million jobs, it will also create 170 million new roles, resulting in a net increase of 78 million jobs globally. Growth is expected in sectors such as technology, green energy, and human-centric fields like caregiving and healthcare.
Static documents can be transformed into interactive videos, significantly improving learner engagement and retention
As the pace of change accelerates, approximately 44% of workers will need reskilling or upskilling within the next five years to remain competitive. In this evolving workforce landscape, skills such as AI literacy, data analytics, cybersecurity and creative problem-solving are becoming increasingly valuable. Adaptability will be a defining trait for success in navigating these changes effectively.
Similarly transformative is workplace learning itself – driven by AI to create personalised training at scale that meets changing workforce demands. While intrinsic learner motivation and real-world application remain essential, producing educational content is no longer a costly endeavour. By leveraging AI-powered training techniques, businesses and educators can create dynamic, immersive and interactive learning experiences that enhance engagement and retention.
The power of AI in learning
Traditional training methods often struggle with engagement, cultural relevance and adaptability. AI addresses these challenges by enabling:
Interactive learning through AI
Interactivity is revolutionising training and education by significantly enhancing engagement and creating a more enjoyable learning experience. Interactive learning can take various forms, such as clickable hotspots, checkpoint quizzes or branched scenarios. By incorporating branching techniques, training programmes can be customised to align with each learner’s specific goals and preferences. This gamification of training is particularly effective when supported by AI.
AI facilitates the easy creation of branching scenarios where learners make decisions and explore different outcomes in a risk-free environment. Personalisation plays a crucial role here; based on individual choices, the training can adapt to reinforce content and concepts as needed.
This approach enhances several key areas:
- Critical thinking: Encourages learners to analyse situations and make informed decisions.
- Autonomy: Allows learners to navigate personalised learning paths.
- Engagement: Increases retention rates through immersive storytelling techniques.
By employing personalised branching strategies, organisations can deliver training that not only imparts knowledge but also motivates participants to achieve their learning goals – providing a more effective and meaningful educational experience.
Personalised learning through AI
Human brains are wired to recognise and respond to faces. The fusiform face area (FFA), discovered at MIT by Nancy Kanwisher and colleagues in 1997, is a part of the brain specifically dedicated to face recognition. This neurological mechanism explains why human-like visuals can enhance emotional connection and memory retention. By leveraging this science-based approach, AI-generated avatars and digital presenters help create learning experiences that feel personal, engaging and intuitive at scale.
AI enables organisations to deliver training that capitalises on this innate human ability, making content more engaging and memorable by presenting information through recognisable, relatable faces. This approach fosters a deeper connection between learners and the material, improving knowledge retention.
Additionally, AI translation technology allows for instant localisation of training materials. With the ability to translate content immediately into multiple languages, organisations can deliver learning experiences that cater to a global workforce. This removes accessibility barriers, ensuring that training materials resonate with diverse learners regardless of their native language.
Enhanced learning through AI
AI empowers organisations to repurpose and enhance existing training materials effectively. Through AI-powered content upcycling, static documents can be transformed into interactive videos, significantly improving learner engagement and retention. Additionally, AI streamlines integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS) by supporting formats like SCORM and MP4, making it easier to scale content across various platforms efficiently.
The future: AI-powered virtual coaches
Beyond AI avatars and interactive videos, the future of personalised learning lies in conversational AI coaches or agents. These virtual mentors provide real-time feedback, answer learner queries, and personalise guidance based on individual progress. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect more intuitive, adaptive and human-like learning companions.
The integration of AI in workplace learning is fundamentally changing how training is delivered and consumed. By embracing AI-driven training and interactive learning experiences, organisations can unlock the full potential of modern education. With the rapid transformation of the job market, reskilling and upskilling will be key to staying competitive both as an individual and as a company.
Marlon Fuentes is AI Evangelist at Colossyan
