Application of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in Soft Skills Training with Modeled Personality
Source abstract
Abstract
Across the world, people are exploring fields where AI (Artificial Intelligence) and VR (Virtual Reality) can be harnessed to unlock new possibilities and drive innovation. The aim of this article was to review the potential and assess the feasibility of using virtual reality technology in soft skills training (including people management, stress management, communication, conflict resolution, and sales). A project was developed featuring an application that utilizes virtual reality and artificial intelligence to facilitate communication with a virtual coach. The application operates on Meta Quest 3 virtual reality goggles (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA). Tests of the presented solution confirm market trends, highlighting the potential for achieving positive training outcomes through immersive technologies. The conclusions outline opportunities for improvement and further development of such solutions. This study applied a quasi-experimental model with pretest, posttest, and four-week follow-up measurements. The effectiveness of VR training was evaluated using a knowledge test (0–100%), a self-assessment scale of soft skills (Likert 1–5), expert behavior observation (0–10 scale), and posttraining surveys. The VR group demonstrated significantly higher gains in knowledge, soft skills, and behavioral performance with knowledge retention reaching 89% after four weeks. These results confirm the effectiveness of immersive VR training and its alignment with current market trends in innovative professional development.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts · Technology and Human Factors in Education and Health · Engineering Education and Technology
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Marine Telecommunications, Gdynia Maritime University, 81-225 Gdynia, Poland
Department of Business Informatics, University of Gdansk, 81-864 Sopot, Poland
Department of Power Electronics, Gdynia Maritime University, 81-225 Gdynia, Poland
E-learning.pl, Konsorcjum Doradczo-Szkoleniowe S.A., 02-235 Warsaw, Poland
References (68)
Show source-provided references
1. Costa, M.F.B., and Cipolla, C.M. (2025). Critical Soft Skills for Sustainability in Higher Education: A Multi-Phase Qualitative Study. Sustainability, 17.10.3390/su17020377 ↗
2. Bedoya-Guerrero, A., Basantes-Andrade, A., Rosales, F.O., Naranjo-Toro, M., and León-Carlosama, R. (2024). Soft Skills and Employability of Online Graduate Students. Educ. Sci., 14.10.3390/educsci14080864 ↗
3. Schislyaeva, E.R., and Saychenko, O.A. (2022). Labor Market Soft Skills in the Context of Digitalization of the Economy. Soc. Sci., 11.10.3390/socsci11030091 ↗
4. (2025, May 06). Technavio Research. Soft Skills Training Market Size 2025–2029, Technavio Report. Available online: https://www.technavio.com/report/soft-skills-training-market-industry-analysis.
5. World Economic Forum (2025, January 12). Future of Jobs Report 2023. Available online: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf.
6. Data Bridge Market Research Private Ltd. (2025, May 06). Global Soft Skills Training Market—Industry Trends and Forecast to 2031. Available online: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-soft-skills-training-market.
7. Faulkener Scott (2025, January 11). Financial Talent Trends: What Skills Are in Demand in 2024. Available online: https://www.faulknerscott.com/news-archive/financial-talent-trends-what-skills-are-in-demand-in-2024.
8. Pearson (2025, May 06). Technology Skills Report. Available online: https://info.credly.com/hubfs/WFS%20Project%20folders/Skills%20Transformation%20Reports%20Campaign%20(STR)/Tech%20Roles/2024%20Technology%20Skills%20Report.pdf.
9. Jiménez-Picón, N., Romero-Martín, M., Ponce-Blandón, J.A., Ramirez-Baena, L., Palomo-Lara, J.C., and Gómez-Salgado, J. (2021). The Relationship between Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence as a Protective Factor for Healthcare Professionals: Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18.10.3390/ijerph18105491 ↗
10. Training in Communication Skills for Self-Efficacy of Health Professionals: A Systematic Review10.1186/s12960-021-00574-3 ↗
11. Effects of Occupational Stress Management Intervention Programs: A Meta-Analysis10.1037/1076-8998.13.1.69 ↗
12. (2025, January 11). Skills You Need. Rapport: Interpersonal Skills. Available online: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/rapport.html.
13. Code Response Training: Improving Interprofessional Communication10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11155 ↗
14. (2025, January 11). e-learning.pl. Available online: https://www.e-learning.pl.
15. Deloitte (2025, January 11). Digital Customer Service Excellence. Available online: https://retailnet.pl/2022/06/02/raport-deloitte-personalizacja-napedza-satysfakcje-klienta/.
16. Briedis, H., Kronschnabl, A., Rodriguez, A., and Ungerman, K. (2020). Adapting to the Next Normal in Retail: The Customer Experience Imperative, McKinsey & Company.
17. Accenture (2025, January 02). A New Blueprint for Continuous, Meaningful, Successful Change. Available online: https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-2/Accenture-Change-Reinvented-Report.pdf.
18. Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education10.1016/j.iheduc.2004.02.001 ↗
19. Bonk, C.J., and Graham, C.R. (2006). Blended learning systems: Definition, current trends, and future directions. Handbook of Blended Learning, Pfeiffer.
20. Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, Prentice Hall.
21. Heilig, M. (1962). Sensorama Simulator. (3,050,870), U.S. Patent.
22. Heilig, M. (1960). Stereoscopic-Television Apparatus for Individual Use. (2,955,156), U.S. Patent.
23. Sutherland, I.E. (1968, January 9–11). A Head-Mounted Three Dimensional Display. Proceedings of the Fall Joint Computer Conference, San Francisco, CA, USA.10.1145/1476589.1476686 ↗
24. Kalawsky, R.S. (1993). Virtual Reality: The Early Years. Virtual Reality, Springer.10.1007/978-3-642-88650-8_16 ↗
25. VIEWlab: A Virtual Interface Environment Workstation for Tele-presence and Surgical Simulation
26. Zimmerman, T.G., Lanier, J., Blanchard, C., Bryson, S., and Harvill, Y. (1987, January 5–9). A hand gesture interface device. Proceedings of the SIGCHI/GI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems and Graphics Interface (CHI ’87), Toronto, ON, Canada.10.1145/29933.275628 ↗
27. Rheingold, H. (1991). Virtual Reality, Summit Books.
28. Matsuhashi, A. (1990). Touch Sensor. (4,912,988), U.S. Patent.
29. Reconsidering research on learning from media10.3102/00346543053004445 ↗
30. Media will never influence learning10.1007/BF02299088 ↗
31. Duffy, T.M., and Jonassen, D.H. (1994). Media and method. Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction: A Conversation, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
32. Learning with media10.3102/00346543061002179 ↗
33. Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate10.1007/BF02299087 ↗
34. Driscoll, M. (2002). Blended Learning: Let’s Get Beyond the Hype. E-Learning, IBM Global Services.
35. Adding immersive virtual reality to a science lab simulation causes more presence but less learning10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.12.007 ↗
36. It Is Not How Much You Have but How You Use It: Toward a Rational Use of Simulation to Support Aviation Training10.1207/s15327108ijap0803_2 ↗
37. Slater, M., and Sanchez-Vives, M.V. (2016). Enhancing our lives with immersive virtual reality. Front. Robot. AI, 3.10.3389/frobt.2016.00074 ↗
38. Learning science in immersive virtual reality10.1037/edu0000241 ↗
39. Learning Online: A Review of Recent Literature in a Rapidly Expanding Field10.1080/03098770220149620 ↗
40. The potential of virtual reality in social skill training for people with autism spectrum disorders: A review
41. State of the Art of Virtual Reality Technology
42. Jerald, J. (2015). The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality, Morgan & Claypool.10.1145/2792790 ↗
43. Towards Foveated Rendering for Gaze-Tracked Virtual Reality10.1145/2980179.2980246 ↗
44. How immersive is enough? A meta-analysis of the effect of immersive technology on user presence10.1080/15213269.2015.1015740 ↗
45. Gherke, L., Koselevs, A., Klug, M., and Gramann, K. (2022). Neuroadaptive Haptics: Comparing Reinforcement Learning for Explicit Ratings and Neural Signals for Adaptive XR systems. arXiv.
46. The relative effectiveness of human tutoring, intelligent tutoring systems, and other tutoring systems10.1080/00461520.2011.611369 ↗
47. PALS Group Pedagogical agents as learning companions: The role of agent competency and type of interaction10.1007/s11423-006-8805-z ↗
48. AutoTutor and affective learning
49. Pereira, R., Mendes, C., Ribeiro, J., Ribeiro, R., Miragaia, R., Rodrigues, N., Costa, N., and Pereira, A. (2024). Systematic Review of Emotion Detection with Computer Vision and Deep Learning. Sensors, 24.10.3390/s24113484 ↗
50. Affect detection: An interdisciplinary review of models, methods, and their applications10.1109/T-AFFC.2010.1 ↗
51. Computer systems that recognize and respond to user emotion: Theoretical and practical implications10.1016/S0953-5438(01)00055-8 ↗
52. Evaluating virtual reality and augmented reality training for industrial maintenance and assembly tasks
53. Augmented and virtual reality for education and training in industry: A literature review
54. Emotional adaptation in VR based intercultural training using AI avatars
55. Development and assessment of an intelligent VR based training system
56. From concept to classroom: Implementing immersive AI driven VR training in engineering education
57. Android Central (2025, May 05). Meta Quest 3 SteamVR Hardware Survey—November 2023. Available online: https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/meta-quest-3-steam-vr-hardware-survey-november-2023.
58. The Wall Street Journal (2025, May 05). Companies Finally Find a Use for Virtual Reality at Work. Available online: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-finally-find-a-use-for-virtual-reality-at-work-9dddf8db.
59. Reuters (2025, May 05). VR and AR Headsets Demand Set to Surge on AI, Lower Costs, IDC Says. Available online: https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/vr-ar-headsets-demand-set-surge-ai-lower-costs-idc-says-2024-09-16/.
60. Virtual reality for the training of soft skills for professional education: Trends and opportunities10.1080/10494820.2025.2450634 ↗
61. (2025, January 11). Epic VR. Meta Quest 3s and Meta Quest 3—Comparison. Available online: https://epicvr.pl/pl/meta-quest-3s-vs-meta-quest-3-porownanie/.
62. Why and How to Use Virtual Reality to Study Human Social Interaction: The Challenges of Exploring a New Research Landscape10.1111/bjop.12290 ↗
63. Toward a Second-Person Neuroscience10.1017/S0140525X12000660 ↗
64. Survey of Hallucination in Natural Language Generation10.1145/3571730 ↗
65. Sheng, E., Chang, K.W., Natarajan, P., and Peng, N. (2021, January 1–6). Societal Biases in Language Generation: Progress and Challenges. Proceedings of the 59th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics and the 11th International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing (ACL), Online.10.18653/v1/2021.acl-long.330 ↗
66. (2023). Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (Standard No. FIPS PUB 197).
67. Immersive VR Simulated Learning Environment Versus Role-Play for Empathic Clinical Communication Training10.1002/jmrs.555 ↗
68. Development of Communication Skills Through Virtual Reality on Nursing School Students: Clinical Trial