KD Lab, an AI-based communications training solutions company, said on Sept. 10 it added a custom AI roleplay feature to its job communication coaching platform, Sokind.

The company said the custom AI roleplay supports users in practising conversations with an AI customer by directly setting customer characteristics and situations they will encounter in actual work.

Unlike existing corporate training in which members repeatedly learn the same scenario set by an administrator, the company said it expanded the scope of personalisation so frontline employees can create and practise situations they need. Users can set not only basic conditions such as a customer’s age, occupation and family composition, but also personality and consultation history, such as a "price-sensitive customer" or a "customer who rejected a proposal in the last consultation."

Sokind is supplied as a job training solution to various companies and institutions, including domestic life and non-life insurers, commercial banks, government offices and large retail conglomerates. The company said the newly launched custom AI roleplay feature is being applied first at 2 domestic life insurers and is being used in actual training.

KD Lab plans to expand the range of service applications not only in finance but also to various industries and job categories in which staff speak directly with customers, including telecommunications, retail and healthcare.

Soo-jung Bae (배수정), CEO of KD Lab, said, "Attention is focused on AI replacing people’s work, but there are still many areas where people themselves must do well, such as talking with customers." She added, "Sokind is not an AI that deals with customers in place of employees. It is an AI that helps employees practise in advance before meeting real customers."