Case #1
Using Artificial Intelligence in Employee Training Programs
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1. Reference information
20th Century Fox Studios. (2004). I, Robot. Human emotions scene. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siHfHUm3HGE
Area9. (2022, May 17). Personalized adaptive learning in four dimensions. Area9 Lyceum. Retrieved from https://area9lyceum.com/
Barnard, D. (2019, August 16). Examples of how AI is Transforming Learning and Development. VirtualSpeech. Retrieved from https://virtualspeech.com/blog/ai-ml-learning-development
Gautam, A. (2021, May 12). How artificial intelligence can transform employee training in 2020 and beyond. eLearning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/how-artificial-intelligence-transforms-employee-training
Glass, G. (2022, September 1). Improving the employee lifecycle with AI-enabled learning technologies. Training Industry. Retrieved from https://trainingindustry.com/articles/learning-technologies/improving-the-employee-lifecycle-with-ai-enabled-learning-technologies/
Howspace. (2020). Howspace - Unleash the Power of Social Learning. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD7QkCV0UTw
Jesneck, J. (2022, July 25). What you need to know about AI-powered educational platforms. Spiceworks. Retrieved from https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/artificial-intelligence/guest-article/what-you-need-to-know-about-ai-powered-educational-platforms/
Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udhSv1aihdM
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence Definition & Meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artificial%20intelligence
National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office (NAIIO). (2021). The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative (NAII). AI.gov. Retrieved from https://www.ai.gov/#:~:text=The%20National%20AI%20Initiative%20Act,economic%20prosperity%20and%20national%20security
Niemi, H. (2021). Ai in learning. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 15, 183449092110381. https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909211038105
Schwartz, M., & Gallo, S. (Hosts). (2022, June 13). The Business of Learning, Special Episode: Deliver Future-forward Training With AI [Audio podcast episode]. In Podbean. Training Industry, Inc. and CYPHER LEARNING. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/bringing-gamma-back
Sharma, A. (2020, December 29). 6 ways that AI is transforming employee training. Medium. Retrieved from https://becominghuman.ai/6-ways-that-ai-is-transforming-employee-training-30182fec8b45
Storrar, T. (2022, September 1). What are the infrastructure requirements for Artificial Intelligence? All Content RSS. Retrieved from https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/opinions/what-are-the-infrastructure-requirements-for-artificial-intelligence/
Zhidkov, R. (2021, September 9). 7 Ways Ai is Transforming Learning and Development. ITChronicles. Retrieved from https://itchronicles.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-in-training-learning-and-development/
2. A brief description of the case
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, artificial intelligence (AI) is ”the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior.” The human emotions scene in the 2004 film I, Robot I, Robot - Human emotions scene exemplifies this definition: a human’s need to understand a machine and the machine’s requirement to understand/imitate a human. Whether using a navigation tool, responding to a ChatBot on a department store application, using facial recognition to unlock a mobile phone (or even a car), etc., AI is everywhere and expanding into most personal and professional spaces.
The United States government recently passed the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act (NAIIA) of 2020 into law in 2021, with the mission “...to ensure continued U.S. leadership in AI research and development, lead the world in the development and use of trustworthy AI in the public and private sectors, and prepare the present and future U.S. workforce for the integration of AI systems across all sectors of the economy and society.” One way to prepare the present and future workforce is to use AI in employee training programs. The public and private sector can use AI to not only determine the training needs of the workforce but also use AI to develop and deliver employee training programs.
3. The purpose of the innovation
AI is a multifaceted technology that has many uses, as indicated by the few examples above. This case focuses in particular on how organizations/employers can use AI in employee training programs.
4. The technology and resources involved
The technology and resources needed to use AI in employee training programs will depend greatly on the employer/organization itself. The key for any employer/organization is to use AI to enhance employee learning and development and like any technology, not see it as the end-all-be-all for employee training. Things like the size and the budget of the company/corporation will determine if an employer can develop its own AI tools/applications or will have to outsource. Regardless of the type of AI used in employee training programs, employers will need to be flexible and adapt to changes in technology/AI while staying on budget.
The key infrastructure considerations for incorporating AI in any training program are
Having a computing capacity that can handle the AI technology,
Having storage capacity that can store the large amount of data needed to manage the AI technology/applications being used,
Having a network infrastructure that can manage the AI,
Providing security to protect the personal, health, financial, corporate, etc. data used by the AI technology, and
Develop and implement cost effective solutions to be able to adapt to changes in AI technology
One example of an AI platform an employer/organization can purchase for learning and collaboration is Howspace. Howspace claims its AI capabilities allow learners/employees to change their learning paradigm from performance-based to continuous and collaborative learning, Howspace - Unleash the Power of Social Learning.
5. What prior skills and knowledge are required of students?
Although the use of AI came into being in the 1950’s, little information is available that defines the skills and knowledge students need to understand and use AI. In 2020, Duri Long delivered a remote presentation for the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems based on her and Brian Magerko’s research. They developed five buckets based on common themes of the general knowledge students need to know:
What is AI?
What can AI do?
How does AI work?
What should AI do?
How do people perceive AI?
They then categorized the 17 specific competencies associated with these general knowledge areas. This screenshot from the presentation (Figure 1) provides an overview of the general and specific competencies students need:
Figure 1
AI Literacy Conceptual Framework
Note. Screenshot depicting AI Literacy Competencies and Design Considerations (Long & Magerko, 2020).
The complete video about Long and Magerko’s research is available on YouTube at What is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations. Although this research focused on K-12 students, these competencies are also applicable to adult learners/employees as well as the instructors/trainers/educators who incorporate AI in their training programs.
6. What are students asked to accomplish exactly?
There is not one set thing an employee needs to accomplish when AI is incorporated in employee training programs. The outcome of any training event in the workplace is determined by what employers/organizations require from their employees. When it comes to learning and development, an employer can use AI from the recruitment to the departure of an employee. When recruiting prospective candidates, AI can screen applications to determine those who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities the organization needs. Once hired, AI can be used to deliver the training all employees require then can be used for skill-specific development throughout an employee’s career in addition to professional development opportunities beyond an employee’s skill set. And finally, AI can be used for departing employees to share their knowledge so it is not lost by the employer and its other employees.
The interesting thing about using AI in workforce learning and development is that it is not always employee-focused. For example, the AI platform Area9 can be used by a trainer/educator to create course content as well as analyze course and learner performance while offering an employee personalized training and providing an employer to assess employee competencies (Figure 2).
Figure 2
Area9 Platform
Note. Screenshot of Area9 Platform Capabilities (Area9, 2022).
7. What are the procedures of the project?
Just as with Question 6, there is not one specific procedure to follow when using AI in employee training programs. For one, the procedures will greatly depend on the AI tool, application, or platform being used and the intent of its use. Secondly, it will depend on the user’s role, that is as the trainee/employee, trainer/educator, or employer/organization.
8. What are the advantages of the project?
The use of AI in employee training programs can afford the following advantages:
A personalized training program that adapts to the learning style and needs of the individual employee
Accelerated learning where feedback and assessment are provided in near real-time, allowing the the employee to learn more effectively
Simulation and modeling of real-world situations/issues
Accessibility of learning to anyone, anywhere
9. What are the disadvantages of the project?
The disadvantages or challenges of using AI in employee training programs are:
An unwillingness of some employees to adopt the use of AI in teaching and learning
Possibility of automation making learning too easy for those employees who are not self directed
Privacy and proprietary concerns due to the large amounts of data required for machine learning
10. What types of effective instructional strategies are included?
In addition to applying the 15 design considerations when incorporating AI in training programs (Figure 1), AI allows for experiential, independent, and interactive learning strategies. These strategies place the responsibility of learning on the employee, allowing the employee to be directly involved in her/his learning while applying her/his experiences to real-world problems AI can create.
11. What are the possibilities that innovation can be transferred to other teachers, subject content, and different school settings?
As cliche as it may seem, the use of AI has no bounds. We should be able to agree that technology to include AI will continue to advance and expand, such as a day when the trainer itself is an artificial life form. We do not know what AI will be or look like, and all we can do is ensure employee training programs incorporate computational and critical thinking skills and digital and AI literacy so that the workforce of today (the Millenials and Gen Z-ers) are able to adapt and train the workforce of tomorrow.
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