Center of Excellence

Artificial
Intelligence
in Learning

Thought Paper
Accenture Capability Nework
 A DAY IN OUR LIVES…

Google Waymo

Banking and Insurance

Ecommerce:
Grid
Amazon

Home Security

Smart Parking
Unmanned
Netflix Siri
Delivery

Google Alexa
Now
Unmanned
Copyright © 2018 Healthcare: Watson
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
Accenture All rights reserved.
Service 2
Cortana Dominoes
 A DAY IN OUR LIVES…WITH AI

Self Driving Cars:

Google Waymo

Predictive Banking and Insurance

Ecommerce: Smart Grid
Amazon

Home Automation
and Security

Robotic / Smart
Parking
Netflix Siri Drone Delivery

Google Alexa
Now
Copyright © 2018 Predictive Service Robots
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 3
Accenture All rights reserved.
Cortana Dominoes Healthcare: Watson
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS A REALITY

You may not realize it,

but Artificial Intelligence
IS ALL AROUND US

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 4

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

Artificial Intelligence is the science of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or a

software thinking intelligently, in the similar manner the intelligent humans think.

ARTIFICIAL COGNITIVE SKILLS

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
INTELLIGENCE
Learning and
understanding

Applying reason and logic

Adapting to situations

Problem-solving

Artificial Intelligence is the capability of a Decision-making

machine to imitate intelligent human
COGNITION. Communication

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 5

AI MARKET GROWTH

The AI market has grown tremendously in last few years. Experts forecast that annual global
revenue from AI products and services will grow from $643.7 million in 2016 to $36.5 - $100
billion by 2025. Here’s a look into what lies ahead for AI:

62% 3 mn 85% $90 bn

By 2018, 62% fast By 2018, more than 3 By 2020, Gartner By 2025, the AI
growing companies million workers claims that 85% of all software market is
are expected to use globally will be customer interactions estimated to be
AI, while only 38% of supervised by a would be mechanized worth a whopping
the companies used “robo-boss.” minimizing the need $89.8 billion
machines in 2017. for customer service globally.
agents.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 6

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS A COLLECTION OF MULTIPLE TECHNOLOGIES

Natural
Language Virtual
Processing Agents

Deep Robotic
Learning Process
Automation

Machine Predictive
Learning Analysis

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 7

MACHINE LEARNING

Machine learning is the ability of computers or algorithms to interpret

ambiguous data, such as text, speech, visual, and digital inputs, and
analyze them for meaningful insights.

Machine learning can help in predicting and making

recommendations, detecting anomalies, performing classification,
ranking, and decision making.

Netflix is using machine learning for its video recommendation engine to personalize as much of Netflix as possible
and match consumers to their content.

It is estimated that the recommendation system has significantly increased customer retention and resulted in
savings of about $1 billion a year for the company.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 8

DEEP LEARNING

Deep Learning allows a machine to process large datasets and recognize

patterns for decision making using methods that are similar to human
brain’s neural networks.

Deep learning is used by organizations to analyze and predict online

behavior, organize information, predict outcomes, and boost the
accuracy of other AI technologies, such as image analysis, face
recognition, handwriting recognition, and speech recognition.

PayPal is currently using deep learning to combat fraud and manage risk. The company gathers huge quantities
of data about its customers, including financial data, network information, and machine information and then feeds
this data to deep learning algorithms to spot patterns, fix glitches, and detect frauds.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 9

VIRTUAL AGENTS

Virtual agents are conversational, computer-generated characters or

programs that replace the online customer service representation by
responding to customer queries and questions as well as updating basic
account information in the system.

It delivers voice and text information to the users via a web browser,
kiosk, or mobile interface for resolving their problems.

Amelia is a virtual agent avatar that redefines how enterprises operate by automating and enhancing a wide
range of business processes.

Amelia interfaces with consumers in astoundingly human terms, parsing questions, analyzing intent, and even
sensing emotions to resolve issues more efficiently and effectively than customer service representatives.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 10

ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) uses software to automate

manual, time-consuming, or routine processes, which can help in
reducing costs, reducing errors, improving efficiency, and
increasing employee and customer satisfaction.
Once instructed and configured, Robotic Process Automation tools
can process transactions, manipulate data, and communicate with
external systems in an autonomous way.

Blue Prism is an enterprise RPA software to help organizations eliminate low-return, high-risk, manual data
entry and processing work. Blue Prism helps organizations in deploying software robots to:
• Build an agile digital workforce
• Increase productivity with less resources
• Improve cost savings and accuracy
• Provide superior customer experience

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 11

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

Natural Language Processing is a method of interacting with

intelligent systems, using a natural language such as English, to
enable them to perform tasks as per instructions.
This technology analyses text to interpret sentence structures, their
meaning and intention, using statistical methods and machine
learning.

Siri is a voice-activated intelligent personal assistant developed by Apple that uses natural language processing
to answer questions and perform actions.

It is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making phone calls, sending messages, setting alarms and
reminders, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing
weather, traffic, and other real-time information.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 12

PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS

Predictive analytics is the science of getting computers to predict

and provide recommendations based on previous trends without
being explicitly programmed.
It uses various statistical modelling and machine learning techniques
to analyze historical data and predict future outcomes.

Amazon uses browsing and purchasing history of customers to make recommendations of products that they
may be interested in buying in future. Predictive Analytics helps amazon to:
• Know what the customers are most likely to buy in advance
• Determine the highest price a customer will pay for the products
• Target recommendations and promotions
• Improve supply chain management

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 13

AI USE CASES BY INDUSTRY (1/2)
Law
A law firm international city
lawyers BLP uses AI to
capture the details of a
property from a Land
Registry title deed. Major
firms employ e-discovery
systems to sift through
documents, e-mails and
records to identify material
that could be relevant to a
litigation.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
Marketing and Advertising
An advertising giant M&C Saatchi
collaborated with Clear Channel
and Posterscope to develop an
intelligent poster campaign. The
poster uses a body-tracking
technology to analyze the people
standing in its vicinity and
assesses up to 12 people at a
time. It uses a combination of
pictures from the “gene pool” to
create and access ads that are
likely to be successful.
Finance
Banks are combining AI
technology with traditional
processes to cut costs and
increase service efficiency.
AI technologies currently
utilized in financial services
include data mining, NLP,
Machine Learning, and text
analytics. The intelligent
engine Wallet AI helps
customers make informed
financial decisions.
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AI USE CASES BY INDUSTRY (2/2)
Retail
The IBM Watson AI provides data
analysis and visualization solution
for analyzing unstructured data
and providing customer insights
to retail organizations. Also, an AI
platform known as inSTREAM can
decipher patterns in unstructured
data, which can be applied to
customers’ emails for better
understanding of their sentiments
and improve customer service.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
Healthcare
AI is being extensively used in
patient care and diagnostic
systems. For example, IBM
Watson Oncology specializes in
developing patient-centric
treatment plans. In Boston
Children’s Hospital, clinicians
feed genomic data into IBM
Watson to develop a cognitive
system for interpreting a child’s
genome sequencing data.
Education
The AI-powered “Cognitive Tutor”
in the education industry can
monitor and track learner’s
progress and detect the extent of
the learner’s understanding on
the content. Another example is
Cram101, which is an innovative
learning solution that converts
textbook content into interactive
content with chapter summaries,
practice tests, and flashcards.
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HOW WILL AI BE PLACED IN LEARNING?

As organizations are now transitioning from traditional learning to new age digital learning solutions, it is critical for
the L&D function to adopt AI in developing learning strategies.

AI can provide insights based on the data it gathers

and analyzes, which will enable organizations to
develop a better understanding of learner
behaviors and predict their needs to recommend
content.
It can also automate various processes, and
provide algorithm-driven design and
development.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 16

AI CAN PROVIDE THREE LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE TO LEARNING SYSTEMS

AI assists humans to perform some of their tasks faster and without errors.
Assisted Intelligence aids in improving existing manual tasks, requires constant
human intervention, and works well with defined inputs and outputs.
Assisted
Intelligence
Example: Automated grading for almost all types of assessments, automated
learning content authoring, LMS uploading, and publishing of courses reduce the
time and effort required.

AI enhances human intelligence rather than simulating independent intelligence.

Augmented Intelligence can help employees to perform their tasks faster and better
by enabling them to access knowledge resources and collaborate with fellow
Augmented workers, experts and databases using AI techniques such as Machine Learning,
Intelligence Natural Language Processing, Image Recognition etc.

Example: Machine-assisted solutions – eg. voice-driven and image-recognition-

based performance support tools for servicemen in their field tasks.

AI is developed for the future generation.

Autonomous Autonomous Intelligence establishes machines that perform in place of humans.
Intelligence
Example: This field is still being researched upon and applications of Autonomous AI
in learning is a future view.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 17
ENTERPRISE VALUE CREATION LEVERS OF AI

Intelligent Enhanced Enhanced Intelligent Enhanced

Automation Judgement Interaction Products Trust

Use of AI to Use of AI to Leveraging AI to Use of AI to Use of AI to drive

combine cognitive support human bring together develop new and compliance,
capabilities such intelligence by people, devices, innovative transparency, and
as learn, reason, analyzing, and services. It products and trust within and
solve problems, evaluating, and provides a services that can outside an
and make recommending personalized user sense, organization. It
decisions with options for experience by comprehend, act, ensures that
automation consideration and analyzing their and learn based employees,
technologies for informed decision needs and on situations to customers, and
streamlining making. assisting them by accelerate growth other stakeholders
complex and/or providing real- of an organization. believe in the
routine processes time information benefits of the AI
and deriving or performing implementation.
solutions. tasks.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 18

ENTERPRISE VALUE CREATION LEVERS IN LEARNING

AI can enhance the effectiveness of Corporate Training Programs through:

Auto- Intelli-Device Learner Profile

authoring Mentoring Modelling

Curriculum Gamification
Calibration

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 19

INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION – AUTO-AUTHORING

AI technologies can enable machines to apply cognitive skills, such as learning, reasoning, and
decision-making for automating content design and development. Algorithm-driven design and
analysis engines will help in gathering, analyzing, building, and reviewing content faster, thereby
reducing the cost of development by 80-90%.

Auto-authoring

How does it happen? What does the future look like?

AI machines can curate and create variations of training content and In the future, AI is most likely to generate content from a set of rules
test questions to cater to specific learning needs of different roles and present it in a logical form. It can develop a draft storyboard from
using learning materials repository. Another application of AI in a set of compliance regulations, which can be reviewed and revised as
learning is the automatic translation of content in other languages. appropriate by an Instructional Designer.

Example: IBM’s Watson Content Analytics can gather and analyze
unstructured content in documents, emails, databases, websites, and
other enterprise sources to derive unique relationships. Another
example is the Wordsmith’s platform that uses AI to convert data into
logical coherent text using a template and a structured data set.
With the advancement in AI capabilities, it may be possible to provide
content suggestions, fill in content gaps, suggest objectives, create
concept maps, and also create content on its own.
Organizations will benefit from AI as the content creation will be less
expensive, less time consuming, and more accurate.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 20

ENHANCED JUDGEMENT – CURRICULUM CALIBRATION

E-learning giants and corporate content experts need solutions that can address the
current and future learning requirements of their participants. AI technologies can be used
to analyze and correlate large volumes of data, such as user preferences and usage
patterns, and draw inferences for developing a comprehensive and effective curriculum.

Curriculum
Calibration

How does it happen? What does the future look like?

For an organization with a large number of employees, modifying and
updating the curriculum on a regular basis to match their learner’s
needs is a tedious and time consuming process. It requires a lot of
data to be captured and analyzed and is often lesser prioritized as a
result. AI teaching software can identify areas where participants are
deficient and thereby recommend such areas for curriculum
calibration.
Example: xAPI makes training activity data of learner actions from
desktop browser and mobile space readily accessible.
With the use of right AI algorithms, machines will likely be able to
analyze emails and voice calls to derive insights such as required
competencies or performance gaps in a target audience. This will
become a crucial input for curriculum designing.
Expert systems will be able to examine training activity data, identify
weak spots in a course or curriculum, suggest improvements, as well
as make automatic adjustments to ensure effectiveness of a training
program.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 21

ENHANCED INTERACTION – INTELLI-DEVICE MENTORING

AI has made accessibility and scalability a reality in global classrooms. The human-
machine interface of AI has the potential to change the way we access, learn, create, and
retain information. AI introduces a two-way relationship between the learning system and
the participants by implementing intelligent methods for analyzing and assessing
knowledge and abilities as well as conducting surveys and interviews.
Intelli-Device
Mentoring

How does it happen? What does the future look like?

AI is also used as conversational agents or chatbots to engage
participants in discussions amongst themselves or with the instructors
and supervisors, which promotes healthy collaboration.
AI can also provide just-in-time support to trainers while delivering
content.
Example: Third Space Learning app uses analyzed audio and written
data to identify qualities of a good teacher. The app can provide real-
time instructions if the tutor deviates from the topic or speaks too fast.
AI is likely to assist tutors in class-room and virtual trainings by
answering questions that require high-order thinking and creativity as
well as hold a conservation. AI will soon help in presenting content,
monitoring responses to evaluation questions, and determining the
best path to follow toward the mastery of a subject.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 22

INTELLIGENT PRODUCTS – GAMIFICATION

Game-based motivation, including competitions, performance rewards, and recognition

increases productivity for 90% of workers. Research proves that learner retention can be
up to 9% more using game mechanics. Gamification is the use of game mechanics to
simplify and improve learning, develop skills, edify behaviors, or to increase people
engagement in an organization. Most businesses have begun identifying opportunities to
leverage gamification as an intelligent product for accelerating the growth of the
Gamification
organization.

How does it happen? What does the future look like?

AI plays a crucial role in designing strategic games for learning The Gamification 2020 report by Gartner predicts that gamification
content as it enables higher retention and recall. Some innovative combined with other emerging trends and technologies will have a
ways of using AI in gamification design are power balancing, significant impact on Innovation, design of employee performance,
difficulty level adjustments, and tailored feedback mechanisms. globalization of advanced education, gamification of personal
Example: Google’s artificial intelligence unit, DeepMind, developed development, and emergence of customer engagement platforms.
a software program called AlphaGo to take on a human challenger
in Go chess game. This program uses a Monte Carlo tree search,
which involves sampling the most promising moves and running
through different scenarios.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 23

ENHANCED TRUST – LEARNER PROFILE MODELLING

It is predicted that in the next 5-7 years, the training systems will use AI to analyze the
learner’s strengths and weaknesses, their understanding of the subject, and adapt
themselves by devising individualized learning profiles based on their progress.

Learner Profile
Modelling

How does it happen? What does the future look like?

AI helps in implementing adaptive learning by analyzing the abilities,
interests, and requirements of different learner groups and assigning
them appropriate learning materials automatically.
Use of AI in adaptive learning will help in catering the learning
materials to the unique needs of the participants by emphasizing on
certain topics, repeating other topics not yet mastered, and teaching
students at a comfortable pace.
Adaptive online learning, as seen in examples such as Khan
Academy, could see a bigger role, as computers will be able to tailor
instruction and assessments based on student performance.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
AI will help organizations by preparing a comprehensive learner profile
of the employees using their job performance data. AI can be
integrated with the organization’s ERP system and Learning and
Talent Development Platform to track employees’ daily performance
and customize their learning plans accordingly.
Based on an individual's learning style and constraints, such as
internet connectivity and shift timings, AI will help organizations to map
learning materials to individual learners. It will automatically sync
learning content to individual’s calendar and send communication.
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AI USE CASES IN LEARNING (1/2)
Mika is an AI-based
tutoring tool for providing
one-to-one attention to
students. The app is
modelled to suit a
student’s unique learning
process, track their daily
progress, and adapt
lessons to overcome their
weak areas.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
Netex Learning allows CTI is an AI company that
teachers to design uses deep learning to
curriculum and customize create customized
student materials across textbooks. The teachers
various digital platforms import syllabi into a CTI
and devices in a learning engine, which learns the
cloud platform. They can content and uses
provide tools for video algorithms to create
conferences, digital personalized textbooks
discussions, personalized and courses based on the
assignments, and learning core concepts.
analytics to show each
student’s growth visually.
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AI USE CASES IN LEARNING (2/2)
BiLAT is a game-based
learning environment to
practice skills in
conducting meetings and
negotiations in a specific
cultural context. It enables
learning via interaction
with AI-driven simulated
characters, who respond
to learner’s actions and
provide unsolicited hints
about the appropriate
action.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved.
The ARGUNAUT project Thinkster Math is a
combines AI analysis mathematics tutoring app
module with the online with a personalized
realtime monitoring teaching style. The app
module and helps presents each student
students to stay on topic, with problems appropriate
elicit contributions from to their skill set and then
all members of the groups, analyzes how they’ve
and generally guide the derived an answer. It
students toward fruitful improves each students’
discussion and logic process by providing
collaboration. video assistance as well as
immediate and
personalized feedback.
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WHAT AI OFFERS TO LEARNING?

AI offers the possibility of learning that is more personalized, flexible, inclusive, and engaging.

Inclusive Flexibility
It can provide trainers and AI has the potential to make learning
learners the tools that allow accessible to more people. In places,
where trainers are unavailable, a
them to respond not only to
robust AI system can be used to
what is being learnt, but teach learners with minimal or no
also to how it is being engagement from a human trainer.
learnt, and how the learners
feel.

Engaging
Personalization AI driven game-based training can
make learning more fun and
It can help learners develop the
interactive. It can also help
knowledge and skills that
increase retention of content and
employers are seeking, and it
improve performance of the
can help trainers create more
learners.
sophisticated learning
environments.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 27
FUTURE OF AI IN LEARNING

2018 2021 2035

By 2018, 20% of all According to Research AI’s economic output in
business content will be and Markets, the use of AI 16 industries will be $14
authored by machines in the education sector will trillion and corporate
according to Gartner grow to 47.5% through profitability will increase
Incorporation. 2021. by an average of 38%.
Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 28
SUMMING UP, THE FUTURE HAS ALREADY ARRIVED!

With the fast pace advancements that we’ve already witnessed, AI in the future is expected to:

Provide personalized tutorial to the learners based on their

existing knowledge, experience, strengths, and weaknesses.

Create new forms of intelligent e-learning platform

allowing students to explore, collaborate, and as test
their knowledge in multiple scenarios

Free trainers from monotonous and time consuming tasks,

thereby helping them to empathetically attend to the
learners by.

Copyright © 2018 Accenture All rights reserved. 29

THANK YOU!

This Thought Paper was created in the Think Tank Center of Excellence operating in Talent
Development and Learning Practice of Accenture Capability Network. If you would like to
discuss about Artificial Intelligence in Learning, feel free to reach out to us.

Developers:
Shweta Panwar shweta.panwar@accenture.com
Debamitra Dasgupta debamitra.dasgupta@accenture.com

Sponsors:
Devanshi Sahay devanshi.sahay@accenture.com
Marek Hyla marek.hyla@accenture.com
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