Augmented and virtual reality solutions firm Talespin LLC today announced the launch of what the company calls “virtual human” technology aimed at helping businesses train employees in interpersonal or soft skills such as communication, leadership and conflict resolution.

The software will use artificial intelligence to better mimic body language, attitude and reactions of actual human beings in a safe virtual environment. Thus employees can enter Talespin’s platform and experience a repeatable but tailored training session designed to help employees practice these skills.

“Improved workplace communication and empathy are the most critical factors we’ve identified as we help organizations think about the future of work,” said Kyle Jackson, co-founder and chief executive of Talespin. When using the platform, employees interact with a simulated “virtual human” in a virtual environment designed to look like a workplace.

The immersive nature of virtual reality is used to create the sense in the user of “being there” and the virtual human uses AI and natural language processing to mimic the mannerisms, behaviors and reactions of a normal human in a conversation — allowing the software to simulate everyday conversation, workplace conflicts and even stressful interpersonal situations.

The objective is to use these technologies to allow the virtual character to present a lifelike “dummy” for the employee to practice on with enough emotional realism that it can stand in for a human trainer. Talespin claims that this sort of platform will act as a stand-in for communications training that is commonly absent in other training systems or role play.

“We’ve developed our virtual human technology to help people better prepare for a rapidly changing workplace dynamic and evolving technology by improving their interpersonal skills,” Jackson said. “With this platform, we’re empowering people to become better managers, colleagues and communicators, and in turn, helping our customers unlock innovation and growth.”

To demonstrate the powerful nature of the platform, Talespin created “Barry.” This simulation puts the user in the role of a human resources manager who has been asked to fire a fellow employee by the name of Barry Thompson.

The idea of the scenario is to capture the stress and human emotion of being placed in the situation of needing to tell him he’s losing his job. The objective is also to present employees with the emotional weight so they can better understand pitfalls of communication such as showing bias or lying or callous emotional distance.

The AI software built into the platform provides real-time feedback so that a trainee can go through the simulated experience that feels real enough to come away with emotional muscle memory. The software also provides real-time guidance on how the employee could better empathize and communicate when firing someone.

Talespin’s virtual human platform supports a diverse range of characters and training options that can be easily integrated into any businesses training curriculum. It includes a gamified scoring system, dynamic feedback and data management options designed to allow enterprise customers to track and analyze employee engagement with the platform.

Photo: Talespin