What Research Says About AI Avatars in Learning

Should AI avatars replace human presenters?

In part two of this research series on The Visual Lounge, host Matt Pierce is joined again by TechSmith Senior Market Researcher Stephanie Warnoff to discuss the latest findings from TechSmith's research on AI avatars in instructional video.

Building on episode 275 about AI voices, this conversation explores how different on-screen presenter styles affect viewer perception and information retention.

The study compares multiple formats, including human presenters, AI avatars, and alternative visual approaches. You’ll learn about common misconceptions teams have about avatars, why viewer reactions often differ from stated preferences, and where avatars may help or hurt depending on context.

Learning points from the episode include:

1. 00:00 – 01:40 Intro
2. 01:40 – 03:45 What surprised Stephanie most in her findings on AI avatars
3. 03:45 – 05:20 The five video snippets used during the study
4. 05:20 – 08:27 How are perspectives around AI changing?
5. 08:27 – 11:25 When to use avatars, and when not to use avatars
6. 11:25 – 13:35 The impact of avatars on learning
7. 13:35 – 15:17 Stephanie’s advice on implementing AI avatars into work
8. 15:17 – 17:03 Stephanie's tips to people who are reluctant to use AI avatars
9. 17:03 – 18:29 Questions that Stephanie would like to answer in future research
10. 18:29 – 19:42 Matt's take on the research
11. 19:42 – 21:14 Stephanie's advice for people interested and how to get involved with TechSmith research
12. 21:14 – 21:59 Stephanie's final take
13. 21:59 Outro

Important links and mentions:

1. Connect with Stephanie: research@techsmith.com
2. Learn more about the study in this blog post: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/ai-voices-avatars-in-training-videos/
3. Check out part one of this research series, episode 275, on AI voices: https://the-visual-lounge.captivate.fm/episode/275-ai-voices-impact-on-learning/