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How AI training can elevate human skill and performance


Fabian Gaessler
Henning Piezunka
  • English
  • Arabic

July 04, 2023

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances at breakneck speed, there is a growing concern about the possibility of it replacing humans in almost every task. However, recent research sheds light on AI’s capacity to train and augment human performance, specifically in complex strategic interactions.

To understand how AI can train employees and improve performance, it is worth looking to the past. In our latest study we explored how AI transformed the domain of chess. Chess computers have been at the frontier of AI and exemplify two fundamental aspects: complexity and the capability to mimic human thought processes. Our study revealed that chess computers served as artificial training partners and led to a significant improvement in player performance.

To examine how AI helps people improve, we leveraged the staggered diffusion of chess computers in Western Europe and the former Soviet Union. Chess computers became widely available for players in Western countries from 1977 onwards. In contrast, for geopolitical reasons, chess computers remained practically unavailable for players in the Soviet Union until the late 1980s.

AI has the ability to democratise access to training and enable individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop their skills and excel in their respective fields

We analysed the performance of more than 20,000 chess players across half a million tournament games. Our analysis illustrated that having access to chess computers accelerated learning and gave players a competitive advantage. Chess computers helped players improve by serving as a substitute for scarce human training partners.

We found that disadvantaged players with inferior skills benefitted more from chess computers. The extent to which people benefited varied due to two key factors. First, the AI system had to surpass the player's skill level to provide effective training. Otherwise, the player would be able to anticipate the AI's moves, limiting the training value. A useful analogy is how non-native speakers benefit more from a spelling and grammar checker than native speakers.

Second, the difference in benefits can be attributed to the lack of access to human training partners. In such cases, the chess computer served as an essential substitute. This underscores the potential of AI as a substitute for human training partners, particularly in situations where resources and opportunities are scarce.

AI has the ability to democratise access to training and enable individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop their skills and excel in their respective fields. For instance, in industries with a high volume of customer complaints, training customer service representatives to handle various scenarios can be a challenging task, especially when training needs to be conducted at scale. Traditional methods like role-playing exercises can be expensive, time-consuming and difficult to replicate realistically. By generating simulated complaint scenarios, AI systems could help with individualised training en masse.

During conversations with a leading facilities management company in France, an executive emphasised the financial challenges associated with training a significant number of employees to handle customer interactions. By leveraging AI-powered training platforms, such companies can provide consistent and scalable training experiences to their employees, enabling them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. This not only reduces the financial burden but also ensures that a larger workforce can benefit from extensive training.

However, AI is not a perfect substitute for human training partners. Our research findings highlighted that players who trained with chess computers were less proficient at recognising and capitalising on human errors, as AI does not exhibit the same vulnerabilities or make the same types of mistakes as human opponents.

This is particularly important when it comes to learning strategic interactions such as negotiation or competition. Chess, with its interactive nature, large number of scenarios and the difficulty of credit assignment, is often considered a prime illustration of strategic interaction.

Much like playing chess with another human, engaging in live negotiations, competitive games or role-playing exercises with human counterparts allows individuals to develop their ability to recognise and exploit human blunders, adapt to changing circumstances and effectively respond to interpersonal dynamics.

Our findings suggest that a balanced approach to training is recommended. Combining AI-powered training with opportunities for real-world practice and interactions with human partners can provide a more comprehensive learning experience.

While AI-powered training platforms provide accessible and scalable learning opportunities, relying solely on AI for training has its limitations. To excel in strategic interactions, it is crucial to harness the strengths of both AI and human intelligence. Even though the complete replacement of humans by AI is not imminent, we may soon be seeing humans armed with AI outperforming those without AI.

Fabian Gaessler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Business at Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Henning Piezunka is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise Insead

A version of this article first appeared in Insead Knowledge

THE BIG THREE

NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m

ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m

RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m

Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

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INFO

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Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)

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How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES

September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand

October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Updated: July 04, 2023, 7:00 AM`