Role of AI in Learning and Development

In this series of blogs, AI in HR, we already understood what is AI, what is HR and benefits of AI in recruitment (read the blog to know more).

In this blog, we will understand the role of AI in learning and development and also how can AI help L&D with examples.

Below is a pictorial representation of layers of AI.

L&D plays a major role in enhancing the skill of an employee or taking the current knowledge level to the next level. L&D is a branch of HR which is always involved in enhancing the skills of employees thereby helping the business to achieve new goals.

Let’s understand what AI can do today in the space of L&D?

1. Pattern recognition — Recommendation.
2. NLP — Sentiment Analysis.
3. Conversational response — Text to Speech and Speech to text

Pattern recognition: The ability of a program to process large amount of data and identify the pattern of the data and makes recommendations. This was not possible traditionally.

Example: Lot of guided workout/exercise related apps like cure.fit available in the market are AI enabled which can monitor the body movements through camera and can help us know whether we are following the steps correctly or not. Considering the learning pattern app suggests next set of workout training.

Google and YouTube are best examples for pattern recognition. We already know about Google’s suggestions when we search for a keyword. Same is the case with YouTube. At the end of every video, YouTube suggests next video which is related to the current video.

Example: If you watch a video on “how to install phpMyAdmin”, it will suggest watching video on “Installing XAMPP”. At the end of this video it will suggest to watch video on “issues faced in bringing up phpMyAdmin” and after this it will suggest watching video on “phpMyAdmin tutorial”. If you notice, YouTube is suggesting videos in sequence, which is a pattern which it has already identified and making recommendations.

Real-time assessment and recommending personalized learning: Traditionally every employee needed to learn the same course content. Now content can be personalized to suit what learner’s need, focus on weaker areas of the learner, recommend suitable content based on past learning history, predict needs based on their role and even auto-generate content using various content creation algorithms.

AI integrated learning tools/ apps also ask questions about what learner wants to learn and also identifies the gap. Based on the information generated a personalized learning path will be suggested. This makes the content very much personalized.

Example: PluralSight lets you select what you want to learn and asks you to measure your IQ in that area. Based on the result, whether you are a novice, proficient or expert, it discovers and provides tailored course content. This helps you to avoid learning what you know already and start from where you should learn. This results in saving on time, resources and shortens the learning process dramatically.

Organizations can implement AI in the space of L&D by processing already available huge amount of data collected from various sources with respect to employees to get the insights. These insights can help L&D department to create training programs which are adaptive, suitable and time saving.

Natural language process or NLP and Conversational response:

NLP is helping to enhancing employee experience in employee training. AI can help employees to improve their learning experience by providing real time feedback on certain area to improve.

Example: Using tools which convert speech to text and vice versa which are highly dependent on Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), can provide realtime feedback on the demo provided or presentation made on some topic. It can tell you what keywords are used, how many times fillers are used or what choice of words is used. We can also get the feedback on voice modulation, tone used and how can the session be made engaging or interactive.

Artificial Intelligence or AI in corporate learning has gone one step further where on the job training are being provided using VR (Virtual Reality). With VR, employee gets the realistic experience.

VR also provides realistic, instant and detailed information on improvement area with respect to soft skills. Such training help in identifying the gaps and improve the week area.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education: AI experts are exploring the options of involving AR (Augmented reality) in L&D space. AR has already been used in education. AI in education has transformed the teaching methods and made it easy for students to grasp the content very easily. Artificial Intelligence in Education has changed the methodology of teaching and made it easy for students to achieve more with less. Reading the entire text book and imagining what is happening has been replaced by AI powered educational videos.

Example: Many learning apps in the space of education provide personalized learning path. In case if the child does not understand some concept and trying to see the same clip again and again, the app would suggest another video which will provide more information in detail about the subject.

Limitations:

1. Many organizations may have all the data but may not be in structured format. In such scenario it is difficult to gather the data for analytics. It is an expensive affair as it requires its own infrastructure. Hence AI powered learning system is always not affordable.
2. In recommendation system, it is always not necessary that all the recommended training are relevant. If the Irrelevant or faulty data has been used for building AI powered learning system then the learning system may be biased.

Summary

1. AI Identifies the learning patterns or the history and suggests intelligent learning path with content.
2. Also helps to understand the gap between current knowledge level and the expected knowledge level with respect to a particular subject matter. There by AI helps in reducing the learning time dramatically by bringing the learner to the point where s/he should start and saves lot of time to invest in necessary area.
3. AI in L&D provides personalized learning experience. Also helps in assigning the personalized assignment.
4. AI can help in monitoring the progress or pattern or behavior of learners.
5. AI reduces the necessity of “classroom training” as it is not required for all to go though the same learning program.
6. Future of AI in learning and development will change the way the training used to happen traditionally. AI powered training help in the enhancing the knowledge of the employees which can be measured and the knowledge of the employees is coupled with the growth of the organization.

Food for thought: How can BOTS help in L&D?

In the next blog we will understand the role of AI in performance management.