Once the preserve of senior executives, corporate coaching is now a virtual, on-demand, opportunity available to all. But while, thanks to artificial intelligence, companies can offer thousands of employees this kind of job support, training experts see humans remaining an essential component of professional development.

So far, the use of AI for training has lagged behind its use in recruitment, says Alex Alonso, chief data and analytics officer at the US-based Society for Human Resource Management. “It’s an area that gets overlooked in the discussion around AI,” he says. “But the best applications live in the world of learning and development.”

Even for routine training, AI-based sessions can be more engaging than traditional formats, says Mike Mather, chief learning officer at business advisers KPMG. He sees many of the firm’s clients using AI tools to create podcasts or avatars for this kind of workplace learning.