#digital humans

[emerald-dragonflame]

I had a vision

[laboratoryrats]

Excellent tutorial to drawing cubby body types

“Some chubby guide for y’all!”

Source: paggiart on twitter

[jovuuu]

In light of recent events 😭😭

Crying laughing because of this:

[gawki]

Royal Pigeon

[jcmarchi]

How Digital Humans Enhance Employee Training Through Unique, Life-Like Conversations

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/how-digital-humans-enhance-employee-training-through-unique-life-like-conversations/

How Digital Humans Enhance Employee Training Through Unique, Life-Like Conversations

Employee training is essential to acclimating to a role and absorbing company culture; likewise, it allows people to learn new skills and grow professionally. Nevertheless, the thrill of working for a new company or getting promoted to a new position gets extinguished the second that the “employee training” email pops up in one’s inbox.

Despite companies in the US spending over $100 billion on traditional learning solutions in 2022, the webinars, pre-recorded videos and courses of today are so dull and unengaging that employees hardly retain any of the material. Businesses must set aside these uninspired training methods and lean into next-generation intelligent interface technology to deliver engaging, interactive and memorable learning experiences cost-effectively and at scale.

The Shortcomings of Traditional Employee Training Methods

There are several problems with traditional training methods, which result in costly consequences. The way employees interact with learning material is not conducive to information retention. There are few, if any, opportunities for people to apply the learning material they just consumed.

This phenomenon that describes the loss of information is the forgetting curve, which highlights the need for training methods that promote memorization through application. Once learning ends, employees lose 70% of that information within 24 hours, and 90% is gone within a week. Ultimately, companies end up spending more money and time retraining their teams.

Insufficient training can negatively affect employee retention, with a survey from ClearCompany revealing that 94% of employees would stay longer in their roles if their companies invested in staff development. The problem is that organizations do invest in staff development (to the tune of $100 billion). However, the methods are so ineffective that, to the employee, it feels like there was no effort on the part of their employer.

Employees are also not confident in their abilities. Research from Gartner found that 70% of employees say they haven’t mastered the skills to do their jobs, which could explain why retention is so low.

Next-gen Intelligent Interfaces powered by Digital Humans: How Do They Fit in Training Environments?

Digital humans are real-time intelligent interfaces built to guide, educate, and speak to people in real-time. Custom-trained digital humans present a scalable way for employees to practice and refine their skills through roleplay scenarios. Specifically, digital humans use natural and responsive dialog to create human-like conversations that simulate what teams will encounter in the real world.

For example, digital humans allow sales to practice their pitches across skill sets, such as objection handling, product knowledge and upselling. In a healthcare setting, digital humans replicate natural and realistic conversations to help nurses rehearse the patient-in-take process, i.e., asking for symptoms, medical history, family medical history, etc.

Unlike traditional chatbots, digital humans do not recite a pre-written script but listen and dynamically respond in real-time to the employee based on the flow of the conversation. As a best practice, conversation guardrails should always be incorporated so that the interaction remains safe and on-brand. With these in place, and thanks to generative artificial intelligence (AI), digital humans have a near-infinite variety of conversational outputs, ensuring employees are ready to interact with real-world customers.

The Benefits of Digital Human-led Training

Through digital humans, businesses can ensure employees are free to make mistakes and hone their skills within a controlled environment where there is no risk of losing revenue or offending a real customer. This ability to practice in realistic scenarios and learn from mistakes without the stress and anxiety of practicing on real customers is perfect for onboarding recruits and helping them build their confidence.

In other words, employees can fine-tune skills in realistic conditions without wearing “in-training” on their nametag. Moreover, digital humans enable people to retain more information than traditional methods since there are ample opportunities to apply newly learned information during simulated interactions with digital humans.

Digital humans, while capable of simulating a variety of interactions, support consistency across employee training. In the movies, the mavericks close the most deals, but in reality, consistency and structure lead to the best results.

Organizations can utilize digital humans for learning and development to make their sales cycles and practices more structured, producing more qualified, reliable and knowledgeable workers in the process. Digital humans also create more empathic employees, which is especially helpful in healthcare settings.

In addition to improving overall training effectiveness, employees will enjoy engaging with digital humans. When compared to traditional, text-based learning, digital human learning scored much higher in every category, including effectiveness score, near-total recollection of information and user recommendation.

What Capabilities Make an Ideal Digital Human Solution?

Not all digital human solutions are created equal, and businesses must evaluate the capabilities of each before making a decision. As such, there are several notable characteristics typical of leading solutions that companies must prioritize in their search.

For example, a best-in-class digital human solution should easily incorporate company-specific guidelines, product information, brand language, playbooks, protocols, etc. Not only does this ability allow the digital human to stay focused and not go off-topic, but it also ensures that the learning experiences come from real problems and interactions connected to the company’s products and services. Leading digital human solutions will also use large language models, retrieval-augmented generation and intelligent AI orchestrators to make sure the training conversation is consistent, private and free from AI hallucinations.

Everyone learns in different ways and at varying paces, meaning that while training should cover consistent material, it shouldn’t be the same cookie-cutter experience for every employee. Thankfully, leading digital human solutions can personalize learning experiences for employees, with some providing individualized and non-judgmental feedback such as how the person sounded, if they allowed the customer to speak enough or if they said anything incorrect, further enhancing knowledge retention.

In addition to being accessible in real-time 24 hours a day and from web-enabled devices, advanced digital human solutions are available in many languages and dialects, making them perfect for global enterprises.

The Necessity of Upskilling and Retention in the Age of AI

Anxiety around new technologies is real. Employees expect their employers to prepare them accordingly for the AI revolution. Likewise, with the ability to work from anywhere, people are free to leave a job if it isn’t providing adequate training, underscoring the need for robust retention programs. To that end, it is paramount that organizations leverage digital humans, the modern interface,  and empower their workforce through tailored and highly interactive training experiences.

[raggedytiger]

this is so bad but i permanently cropped the file so brutally that i can no longer edit it. whoops! also panels 4-7 were fully coloured but it looks better without for some reason. pomni (penny?) is such an ugly crier. i love my horrible failgirl accountant

[miwkchii]

Gravity falls fixation goes crazy

More billford (teehee) and trying to figure out a 'human' bill design

[kimludcom]

🚀AI Robots, Digital Humans, Earth 2.0! NVIDIA's INSANE Future Revealed b...

[pancaclass]

I had to do it

[nataliedecorsair]

How to hang out with your bird gf? Here's some mostly useful guide. Also, don't forget about the frog 🐸 Some of the previous comics are here and here ----- Separate post about Hedwig/Yadwiga is here.

Post about Vaughn, Yadwiga and their AU is here

Find even more comics about them on my Tumblr by the Pticenoga hashtag

[marikekw]

hey *drops my mane 6 generic human designs*

[karakt]

Dreemurr family

[laboratoryrats]

“small thread on drawing plus sized characters!”

Source: Ullaiin on Twitter

[phantom-shell]

VAMPWORLD FINN!! The baby they left in the tank grew up :)

Next part

[nesscuro]

[is boy] [is man]

[jcmarchi]

Navigating the Ethics of Digital Humans

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/navigating-the-ethics-of-digital-humans/

Navigating the Ethics of Digital Humans

With the emergence of any new technology, ethical challenges arise. The rise of digital humans is no exception.  

Gartner predicts that by 2035, the digital human economy will become a $125-billion market that will continue to grow further. When deployed at such scale, the digital human economy is here to dramatically change how businesses (and our society) operate. 

As these AI-driven avatars integrate into every corner of our lives—from customer service and healthcare to education and entertainment—the ethical stakes are higher than ever. For instance, in customer service, digital humans can handle inquiries with a level of empathy previously seen only in human interactions, dramatically enhancing user engagement and satisfaction. Banks use them in their ATMs to guide users through transactions and provide real-time answers to questions. In healthcare, they assist in patient management and therapy, providing consistent, 24/7 support and reducing the strain on human workers. Educational platforms use them to create personalized learning environments, while the entertainment industry deploys them to offer new forms of interactive storytelling.  

It is therefore crucial to address the ethical considerations inherent in their development and deployment. Digital humans offer tremendous potential to improve human experiences, but this potential must be balanced with a commitment to ethical principles that prioritize transparency, privacy, respect, inclusivity, and collaboration. 

The ethical principles of digital humans 

1. Set transparency boundaries

Expanding on the principle of transparency in digital humans, it is important to recognize that this goes beyond just disclosure that one is interacting with an AI. The integration of digital humans into business and social contexts requires a clear distinction between human and AI interactions to maintain trust. This approach not only helps in creating a seamless user experience but also reinforces the ethical boundary by ensuring users are never misled about the nature of their interaction—whether they are dealing with a human or an AI. 

Moreover, the development and deployment of digital humans must adhere to principles that prevent misuse, such as using these entities to spread misinformation or engage in deceitful practices. By embedding ethical considerations into the core design and operational processes, businesses can leverage digital humans to enhance customer confidence and engagement. The need for transparency is also crucial in building long-term trust, a factor that cannot be overstated nowadays where skepticism towards digital interactions is often high due to past breaches and misuses of technology.  

2. Respect user privacy

To maintain user privacy, several measures are essential. Firstly, ensuring that digital humans do not capture or store personal data without explicit permission is fundamental. Additionally, they must only utilize the amount of personal data necessary for their function, maintaining a strict adherence to the principle of data minimization.  

Creators of Digital Humans must emphasize the importance of clear and transparent data use policies. Their privacy policies detail the types of data collected and the purpose behind their collection, ensuring users are fully informed. Furthermore, robust technical and organizational security measures are implemented to safeguard personal data against unauthorized access, destruction, or alteration. 

This approach not only aligns with global data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, but also builds a foundation of trust by respecting user privacy and emphasizing transparency in every interaction with digital humans. Such practices are not merely about adhering to legal requirements but are integral to creating a trustworthy digital environment where users feel safe and valued. 

3. Design to enhance lives

The ethical use of AI in creating digital humans plays a pivotal role in advancing societal benefits and enhancing individual lives across various domains such as healthcare, workplace interactions, and personal communications. This ethical framework focuses on promoting beneficial practices while actively avoiding negative actions, such as the dissemination of misinformation or engaging in unlawful activities. It is imperative that digital humans foster interactions that are not only positive but also embody respect, privacy, and inclusivity. This holistic strategy ensures responsible usage of these technologies, emphasizing their potential to improve human experiences significantly. By adhering to these principles, digital human design aligns with broader industry standards on AI ethics, underscoring the commitment to developing AI interactions that are supportive, reliable, and trustworthy, thus enhancing the quality of human life. 

4. Promote respectful interaction

Promoting respectful interaction in the design of digital humans is crucial for achieving inclusivity and ethical engagement. It involves creating AI that can understand and adapt to diverse cultural and individual needs, which ensures that all interactions are respectful and considerate of users’ backgrounds and abilities. Digital humans should also be designed to detect and manage disrespectful or harmful behavior effectively. This could involve programming them to disengage or redirect conversations when abusive language is detected, thereby establishing a standard for respectful interaction in digital spaces. Furthermore, it’s essential that these digital avatars are designed to be accessible to people with various disabilities, promoting equitable technology access. By ensuring that digital humans are versatile and respectful, designers can create more inclusive digital environments that reflect and enhance societal values. 

5. Embrace diversity and collaboration

Embracing diversity and collaboration in the creation of digital humans significantly enhances their relevance and effectiveness across varied user demographics. By integrating diverse perspectives throughout the development process, designers can address a wide spectrum of needs, thereby mitigating biases and preventing exclusion. A co-design approach is pivotal, as it ensures that digital humans are not only reflective of diverse communities but also embody respect and inclusivity. This methodological inclusiveness is vital for the success and acceptance of digital humans, allowing them to resonate deeply with users from different backgrounds and effectively serve their intended roles. This approach helps ensure that digital humans can function effectively and empathetically in a variety of social, cultural, and professional contexts. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, as digital humans continue to revolutionize industries and redefine human-AI interactions, prioritizing ethical considerations is essential. Transparency, data privacy, positive impact, respect, inclusivity, and collaborative design are foundational principles that guide the responsible development and deployment of digital humans. By adhering to these principles, we can ensure that digital humans enrich human experiences while upholding ethical standards and respecting individuals’ rights and dignity.