If, like me, you’ve been wanting to keep up with what’s happening for Learning and Development now that a pretty good conversational AI tool (in the form of ChatGPT) is available, here’s my round up:
(Questions 1-5 I put into ChatGPT so you can see it’s output)
-
What is AI?
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, which refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. AI technology can be used to create intelligent machines that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, recognizing images, making decisions, and solving problems.
Examples of AI tools already out there include: OtterAI, for audio transcription, Hyperwrite AI for improving your writing, Descript, a video script editor, Smartcat for language translation, and Duolingo, the language teaching app
-
How is AI being used in L&D?
AI is being used in learning and development in a number of ways. Some examples include:
- Adaptive learning: AI-powered systems can adapt the learning experience to the individual student’s needs and preferences, providing personalized learning paths and feedback.
- Automatic content generation: AI can be used to generate learning materials, such as quizzes and summaries, to supplement traditional teaching methods.
- Intelligent tutoring systems: AI can be used to create virtual tutors that can interact with students, provide feedback, and adjust the curriculum based on the student’s progress.
- Automated assessment: AI can be used to grade written work, such as essays and coding projects, and to provide feedback to students in real-time.
- Intelligent agent: AI-powered agents can provide support and assistance to both teachers and students, such as answering questions, providing resources, and scheduling appointments.
- Predictive modeling: AI-powered systems can predict student performance and identify at-risk students, allowing educators to intervene early and provide support where it’s needed most.
- Gamification: AI can be used to create engaging and interactive learning experiences through game-based learning, simulations, and virtual reality.
-
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses a variant of the GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) language model to generate human-like text based on a given prompt.
-
How could ChatGPT be used in L&D?
One potential way that ChatGPT could be used to transform learning and development in companies is by providing personalized and on-demand learning resources to employees. For example, an employee could ask ChatGPT for information about a specific topic or for suggestions on professional development resources, and ChatGPT could provide relevant information and links to relevant articles, videos, or other learning materials.
Another potential use of ChatGPT in learning and development is as a virtual tutor or mentor. An employee could ask ChatGPTquestions about a particular topic or for guidance on how to solve a problem, and ChatGPT could provide explanations and suggestions based on its knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
It’s important to note that ChatGPT is simply a tool, and its effectiveness in learning and development will depend on how it is used and integrated into a company’s existing training and development programs.
-
How could ChatGPTbe used in the workplace generally?
ChatGPT, as a large language model, can be used in the workplace in a variety of ways, some examples include:
- Automating customer service: ChatGPT can be used to create chatbots that can interact with customers and answer their questions, reducing the workload on human customer service representatives.
- Content creation: ChatGPT can be used to generate written content, such as emails, reports, and articles, which can save time and improve efficiency.
- Data analysis: ChatGPT can be used to extract insights from large amounts of text data, such as customer reviews, social media posts, and survey responses, which can be used to inform business decisions.
- Personalized communication: ChatGPT can be used to generate personalized emails and messages, which can improve customer engagement and retention.
- Language Translation: ChatGPT can be used to translate documents, emails, and other forms of communication, which can facilitate communication with people who speak different languages.
- Meeting summaries: ChatGPT can be used to summarize meeting notes, which can help to keep teams organized and informed.
- Predictive analysis: ChatGPT can be used to predict future trends, identify potential risks and opportunities, and help with decision-making.
- Virtual assistants: ChatGPT can be used to create virtual assistants, which can help with scheduling, email management, and other tasks, thus freeing up time for employees to focus on more important tasks.
How are other people using ChatGPT?
OK – for this answer I’ve been scouring LinkedIn. I’ve spotted a couple of useful people to follow that have been ‘sense-making’ on the opportunities that tools like Chat GPT can help us with and sharing examples of how we can practically use ChatGPT. Here’s a summary:
From Shlomo Glenchin – When you need to ‘market’ a course/concept/organisational change programme with his example: How to brainstorm headlines with ChatGPT
On twitter, some great tips from @thatroblennon. I love the first one: ‘Ask ChatGPT to play the part of a customer, co-host, or talented expert. Have a conversation with it, or ask it to generate content as if it were that specific persona’ This could take role-playing in the training environment to a new level…
Dr Phillipa Hardman is worth following on LinkedIn – In her Learning Futures Digest she covers topics like: ‘How I reduced the time it takes to give feedback by 80% using ChatGPT’ and ‘Four ways you can experiment with ChatGPT feedback today’.
What else is there to know about AI in Learning & Development?
Dr Phillipa Hardman has put together an overview of AI tools for learning designers: The generative AI landscape for learners after reviewing 200 different tools. So you can see there’s actually already a lot out there!
Also this week I came across a BETA test of an e-learning authorware tool called nolej that is AI generated, eg you upload your content (video, slides, pdf’s) and it will turn it into e-learning for you. That’s a game-changer in my opinion for anyone that is spending hours creating bespoke content in an authoring tool.
What have I learnt trying out ChatGPT
I’ve been having some fun putting ChatGPT through its paces! I put in a few of my next blog/article headings to see what it could do. I got a well-written article (see here for what it came up with), complete with references. A bit obvious and boring though. Not unlike many blogs that I read on company websites that are clearly there to generate traffic and have been written by a staff-writer aiming for clickbait and keywords, re-hashing well known theories and points rather than a knowledge expert that has something insightful and unique to say.
I got a bit more adventurous (thinking about my son’s homework challenge) and asked it to write lyrics for a rap for a teenage song about school, featuring this nice stanza in verse 2:
‘I hustle between classes, Trying to make it on time. I dodge the crowds and the chaos, And try to stay in line.’
I then asked it to write a rap in the style of a Shakespearean sonnet, which it did in a nano-second, including this tight verse:
‘I’m the king of the mic, the bard of the beat , Spitting fire like a dragon, never missing a beat’
Love the alliteration on ‘bard of the beat’. Well done ChatGPT!
And yes, it wrote the Shakespearean rhyming couplet in iambic pentameter. Full marks.
So if you need a bit of handy rhyming, it can turn out a poem in a flash. Did my son use the lyrics it generated for his song challenge – no, the ones he came up with were way better, because they reflected him and the message/energy he wanted to portray.
What does this tell me? This tells me that ChatGPT is very good at ‘form’ eg it understands different forms and styles of writing, so from that it can be very useful to compile lists, summaries, learning objectives, maybe even case studies.
Using ChatGPT as a starting point, not a replacement would be a good approach.
I know as a writer that humans need ‘story’. I have written a couple of blogs, and then asked ChatGPT for the same title, and got something that on first glance looks great – neatly structured, detailed etc. But in the end I’ve gone back to my content. Trying to mix styles (ChatGPT content) and mine didn’t work so well (even when I asked ChatGPT to merge mine and their content).
So, my writing skills are not about to be replaced. My eye for detail and appropriateness and fine-tuning are still very much required. But most importantly, I think if those of us in Learning & Development want a strategic seat at the table, we need to think ‘broader’ in terms of the business impact, rather than just focusing on our profession and whether tools like ChatGPT can help us write training objectives quicker.
And a final quote to close with from @svpino on LinkedIn:
‘AI will not replace you. A person using AI will!’
And if you haven’t tried out ChatGPT yet? What are you waiting for!: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
If you’ve been playing with ChaptGPT, or any other language processing model, let us know in the Learning & Development Hub how you’ve been getting on!
And for a conversation with a real human on your Learning & Development strategy and solutions, and how our Modern Learner Programme can help your employees embrace the digital shifts that keep coming, email me at rachel@talentstorm.co.uk.
Join our online community in our FREE Facebook group The Learning & Development Hub.
Sign up for our People Development blog, to get our blogs delivered straight into your inbox.