Learning programme | Are 'virtual coaching assistants' the future of L&D?

Matt Buskell, Assistant Vice President EMEA at eLearning company Skillsoft, believes the arrival of new hybrid AI chatbots are set to transform learning and development, delivering personalised just-in-time educational experiences that boost employee engagement and performance. Here, he explains to HR Grapevine their benefit... 

Many of us are familiar with using voice-activated digital assistants like Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google Assist to accomplish quick tasks, schedule appointments or respond to messages. Many of these first-generation products, however, still lack the ability to go beyond single-threaded conversations or answer everyday questions like ‘where is the nearest petrol station’ or ‘what will be the weather like today’.

From our magazine

Is your L&D programme inclusive of disabled employees?

Today’s enterprises are already utilising text-based chatbots for a variety of tasks, like answering customer service questions or streamlining the online shopping process. Meanwhile, chatbots offering self-help guidance, counselling or motivational prompts, available via familiar platforms like Facebook Messenger, are now delivering life-like live interactions and self-service customised experiences for users.

But as AI technology advances, within the next few years we’ll see the emergence of advanced hybrid AI voice assistant/chat bots that will transform L&D in the workplace. Responsive, agile and adaptive, these ‘smart’ bots will put users in charge of creating the learning experiences they want, make it easier to navigate resources to find specific learning input, and provide on-demand learning support.