Among the first thoughts that probably come to mind are: “It must be expensive”, “It´s out of reach”… let me tell you that artificial intelligence is already being applied in Mexico at different companies and at costs that can even be covered by microenterprises.
Usually, when we hear the term “artificial intelligence,” we imagine thinking machines that are capable of “acting” in a way that is quite similar human behavior. In its essence, this interpretation is right. Technically, artificial intelligence consists of getting a software program or a computer to replicate the capabilities of human beings, primarily their analytical capabilities.
An analytical capability is put to use, for example, when someone has a number of objects within sight and can discern or identify which of them is a pencil, pen, eraser, etc. Artificial intelligence replicates the process in which the person observes and determines what each thing is in different scenarios and for different aims. Recently, one that has resonated the most is related to talent development, specifically for developing soft skills.
Artificial intelligence for soft skills development?
These are probably among the first thoughts that come to mind: “It must be expensive.” “It’s out of reach for companies.” “That won’t happen any time soon.” “That doesn’t apply to us.” First of all, let me tell you that artificial intelligence is already being applied at different companies and at costs that can even be covered by microenterprises. But let’s talk about something that’s really important… How can artificial intelligence help me foster soft skills development among the company’s employees?
Face, voice, text, and feeling of the text
With these four factors, it’s possible to analyze and evaluate people’s abilities, including communication, negotiation, effective presentations, emotional intelligence, stress management, customer service, and active listening, among others. With this capacity for analysis, it’s possible to redirect the functionalities of an artificial intelligence based tool so that people may practice and perfect the skills that you want to promote.
Let’s consider the example of sales presentations.
Its mechanics are simple: you record and enable a model video on a platform so that training participants will know what to say and how to say it. This is in addition to showing them what words to use in their speech and which ones to avoid. After watching the model video, participants record themselves practicing on their device from wherever they are, and the tool provides immediate and automatic feedback on their face, voice, text, and the feeling of the text. This means that the tool will generate a script of what each participant has said, what emotions they projected during the speech, which key words they used and which ones they didn’t, and how quickly they spoke. And, something very important, they can watch themselves to perceive how their clients will see them when they make their sales presentation.
What’s interesting about the tool is that participants can practice as many times as they need to until they reach a version of their speech that they feel satisfied with. Once they’ve reached this point, they can save it on the tool so that, as needed, an expert instructor from the company can also provide feedback.
Had you evaluated this technology to train your employees before? Based on current circumstances, now is the right time to start exploring it. Let us know how it goes!
About the author:
Luis Arteaga is the operations director at Mi Cursor. In his 15+ years of experience, he has taken part in the successful design, development, and implementation of over 100 eLearning training projects.
