AI revolutionizes executive training with virtual case studies

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a transformative tool in executive corporate training, particularly in refining the well-established business school case study method.
Abilitie, a corporate training company, has introduced a series of AI-powered “case studies” designed to teach crucial business skills through interactive scenarios.
The company’s innovative approach allows managers to practice handling complex workplace situations by conversing with AI-generated characters. One such character is Peter Choi, a virtual employee whose performance issues and conference requests present a challenging management scenario.
“We can throw knowledge at people,” Whitney Wirta told Bloomberg. Wirta is the director of enterprise learning at the Hanover Insurance Group, which utilizes Abilitie’s AI cases.
“But they really need a safe space to practice, take those at bats—to try something, get feedback and try it again.”
AI: The new frontier in interpersonal skills development
Abilitie’s CEO, Bjorn Billhardt, sees AI as a game-changer in business education.
“For 20 years, my bread and butter has been to put people in scenarios where they feel the pain of making difficult decisions and then see the consequences of their actions,” he said.
“And we’ve devised all sorts of innovative ideas to get around the fact that the computer is, in fact, not a human.”
After eight months and $2 million in development, Abilitie now offers 24 AI-driven case studies that cover topics from people management to financial decision-making.
Each case involves 20 to 30 minutes of interaction, during which participants navigate complex workplace scenarios with multiple layers of decision-making. The goal is to equip managers not just to make decisions but to communicate them effectively, as often the hardest part is “framing it right and communicating it,” Billhardt explained.
Real-time learning with AI interactions
Luke Owings, Abilitie’s VP of product, noted, “The machine does some amazing things. It is an earnest and tireless role-play provider. And it gives a learner an immediate understanding of what they did well.”
The technology’s ability to provide targeted feedback and highlight key learning moments has impressed users like Wirta. “The workflow was tight. They set the stage quite well for the program, giving you background about the person you’re dealing with and the outcome of the conversation you’d like to achieve.”
The Hanover Insurance Group has already implemented these AI cases in their training program for new managers, with 75 participants so far.
As more companies recognize the potential of AI in corporate training, the demand for such innovative solutions is expected to grow.
“We’ve found that people in the cohorts liked it so much that they shared it with their managers, and their managers have reached out to us about how they could use it for other members of their team more broadly,” Wirta said. “We’re looking into how we could expand it for next year.”
This AI-driven approach to executive education represents a significant shift in corporate training methodologies, offering a more engaging and personalized learning experience.