Baku, October 20, AZERTAC

In today's world, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies are rapidly changing approaches to communication and learning, especially in the corporate world. These innovations open up new opportunities to improve work efficiency, enhance employee skills, and reduce costs. As digital transformation expands across more industries, the importance of properly implementing new technologies is becoming a key success factor for companies and educational institutions.

Developing management and communication skills, which remain indispensable even in the era of automation and AI, is particularly important. Amid global change, countries like Azerbaijan are seeking effective methods for integrating digital innovations to enhance business competitiveness and the quality of education. AZERTAC presents an exclusive interview with AI and VR expert, World Economic Forum member, and former Meta employee Cortney Harding.

-How are artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies changing the way we communicate and learn in the corporate environment? Which of these changes could be most relevant for business and education in Azerbaijan?

-These technologies allow for training at scale with incredible results. One project I recently worked on resulted in a 92% improvement in communication skills and satisfaction among managers at a Fortune 100 company. VR technology allows users to be more focused and AI allows for infinite creation and customization; basically, people can create their own personal training programs using prompts and 360 cameras, which are inexpensive and widely available. They will need some instruction on shooting 360 content, but once they know the basics, they can create at scale.

I am often asked about specific markets and counties, and always say the same thing – there are certainly valuable sector specific training modules to be created (oil rig safety, for instance) but every single organization on the face of the planet needs managers that can communicate well with their teams, and team members that can communicate with one another. This will only become more critical as AI takes over more rote work.

-Given your experience working with Fortune 100 companies, what do you consider the key factors for successfully implementing AI and VR technologies in traditional industries? What advice would you give to Azerbaijani companies considering making this move?

- Make sure you have resources and buy-in, and a plan. Too often companies rush into creating applications using new technologies without thinking about why they are creating these. Figure out what problem you are trying to solve and work from there; don’t start with the technology. Make a long term plan so you’re not just rolling out pilots, and have clear performance indicators to measure against. And make sure your team is empowered to create content.

-In one of your projects, you helped large corporations reduce costs by 75% and improve employee retention by 33%. What practices and technologies are behind this? How can they be adapted for Azerbaijani businesses, especially in the context of digital transformation?

- VR and AI get these great results because people feel like they are truly living in the training, as opposed to just watching it. It is very hard to multitask and get distracted in a headset, as opposed to watching training on a flat screen or sitting in a room while a trainer talks at you.

We design our programs to be emotionally engaging and use game mechanics to keep people interested and have them compete with themselves (or others, if that’s of interest to the client). And the customization that AI provides means these programs can be customized by the user to help build specific skills.

-You have taught at leading universities such as CalTech and NYU. What academic experience is most important for developing the innovative potential of young people in Azerbaijan?

- On my panel, we talked about the skills of the future – creativity, problem solving, and being self-motivated. These skill sets will be critical as AI takes on more rote tasks in the future. Honestly, humans need to ask themselves “how can I do a better job than an AI in my work?” and then focus on what sets them apart.

-Which new teaching methods using AI and VR do you consider the most promising for implementation in Azerbaijani educational programs?

- So many! Digital twins of classrooms and labs are a great use case – now every student can have access to best in class facilities and work with other students around the world. They can also build resilience by failing fast at virtually no cost.

Think about a medical school where students practice on cadavers. If they make mistakes on the cadaver, it’s a big deal, as they are in short supply in many parts of the world. But if they practice in VR, they just restart the simulation and then they can go again. This also applies to practicing management conversations – if they put their foot in their mouth, they can just reset and try again, rather than having to deal with an employee getting angry or quitting.

-As a female leader in tech, what can you say about the importance of increasing women's participation in IT and innovation? What steps should Azerbaijani companies and the government take to support women in these fields?

- Pay them. All the mentoring programs and women in tech panels in the world don’t move the needle as much as training women, hiring them, and paying them a competitive salary.

-You are a member of the World Economic Forum. What global trends in AI and digital communications do you consider key for countries seeking to accelerate digital transformation, including Azerbaijan?

-Investment in creating and adopting these technologies can absolutely be supported by government and industry. Creating a national plan and investing to make sure it happens will be critical. Encouraging industry to look ahead and take smart risks is important, as is creating a permission structure to use these technologies. Sometimes companies say they are embracing AI and then when an employee uses ChatGPT to write their updates, they get angry. People need to feel safe using these technologies, where appropriate, and be encouraged to do so.