Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) are technologies that have been around for some time, but their rate of development and adoption has accelerated across industries in recent years, particularly in manufacturing. These technologies offer promising solutions to improve training programs, enhancing both delivery and outcomes. This is especially true in the manufacturing sector, which stands to benefit greatly from their integration.
Often referred to as the gamification of training and education, leveraging VR, AR, and AI has become an accepted standard among industry leaders in fields like automotive, aviation, defense, offshore operations, and healthcare. These technologies have become key tools for organizations seeking to enhance training programs and operational efficiency.
The gamification concept involves using immersive video game-style design to deliver educational content, making learning more engaging and effective. This approach has gained momentum in the post-pandemic era, where virtual solutions have become the norm, allowing companies to bridge the gaps between remote workers and create immersive training experiences.
Manufactured efficiency
As the barriers to adopting virtual and augmented realities continue to decrease—and the capabilities offered by artificial intelligence continue to increase—more operations are integrating these technologies, amplifying their benefits. Automotive manufacturers, aviation leaders, and other industries have been using VR, AR, and AI for design, prototyping, lean manufacturing, and factory setup. These technologies are also valuable in training workers in a digital environment.
For example, digital twins—a technology that virtually replicates physical assets—are used by manufacturers to simulate components, products, systems, or processes, optimizing productivity and efficiency. These digital replicas gather vast amounts of data through sensors to streamline operations and facilitate safer, faster procedures. While this is a simplified explanation, it highlights the incredible potential of these technologies, especially in an era where a skills gap in manufacturing requires immediate attention.
The manufacturing sector is facing a shortage of workers with the necessary manual, operational, and technical skills. According to the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, the global labor market is short 10 million manufacturing jobs, with a disconnect between available positions and the talent pool. This labor gap drives up unemployment rates and negatively impacts the economy in both developed and developing nations. Fortunately, VR, AR, and AI technologies have the potential to help bridge this skills gap, providing solutions to upskill workers and address the industry’s immediate needs.
Unlocking the possibilities with technology
In a world where most people are attached to their screens, virtual and augmented realities powered by AI are emerging as powerful tools for training and engagement. These digital training environments simulate real-life scenarios, providing workers with an immersive experience to interact with various components of a digital interface. This allows trainees to gain skills, experience, and confidence, all while enabling educators to measure performance and enhance outcomes.
Virtual reality creates an immersive environment through hardware such as headsets, which separate users from the physical world, while hand trackers allow for physical interaction within the virtual realm. On the other hand, AR overlays digital information onto the real world via mobile devices or smart glasses. Companies like Apple have used AR to transform how users interact with their devices for work, education, and beyond. As Apple’s website states, “It’s the perfect way to visualize things that would be impossible or impractical to see otherwise.” This enhanced interaction creates a more dynamic and engaging learning experience.
AI enhances these immersive experiences by adding human-like qualities to avatars and non-player characters (NPCs), enabling real-time problem-solving and decision-making. For manufacturing training, the creation of accurate virtual environments is crucial—particularly for mission-critical tasks with high risks. Chris Cambouris, IT specialist, early adopter, and CEO of Titan Tek Biz, offers immense insights into the value these technologies can afford.
“I believe that VR, AR, and AI have a significant role to play in manufacturing training, especially as industries look for more innovative and effective methods to improve their workforce. At Titan Tek Biz, we’re seeing how AI-driven platforms and AR/VR can simulate real-world scenarios, making it easier for trainees to learn complex tasks in a risk-free, controlled environment. This technology can bridge the knowledge gap faster and help manufacturing firms improve precision in training,” he explains.
Optimizing outcomes and value-added innovation
The integration of VR, AR, and AI in manufacturing training offers numerous advantages, including real-time data collection, scenario development, and workflow optimization. These technologies allow for flexible training scenarios, enabling simulations that can adapt to changing priorities. The ability to create realistic environments ensures that training is both effective and relevant, especially when applied to mission-critical tasks.
These immersive training environments improve retention, recall, and safety outcomes, while also reducing onboarding time. However, when misused, issues such as cyber sickness, eye strain, and headaches can arise. Despite these challenges, VR, AR, and AI-driven training programs also enhance soft skills such as leadership, communication, and collaboration—critical components of company culture and performance. Furthermore, these technologies facilitate compliance training through data analytics, which can help organizations make informed decisions based on real-time feedback.
There are also significant cost savings associated with these technologies. Although the initial investment may be high, the return on investment grows over time. Digital training programs can be reused, saving time and reducing the need for costly facilitator-led sessions. Employees can also train at their own pace, minimizing downtime and improving overall productivity.
Cambouris underscores the advantages of VR and AR, saying, “Immersive training environments in VR or AR allow employees to experience real-time problem-solving without the risks or costs associated with real-life training setups. These technologies enable hands-on learning, which has proven to be more effective than traditional methods. AI, on the other hand, can provide personalized training programs that adapt to an employee’s learning curve. At Titan Tek Biz, we’ve seen how AI-enhanced tools can speed up the learning process by providing real-time feedback and adjusting to a user’s performance levels.”
Managing expectations
While VR, AR, and AI offer great potential, there are barriers to adoption. These include skepticism, learning curves, technical issues, health concerns, and challenges related to privacy and data management. However, these obstacles are not insurmountable, and the value these technologies add to training is becoming increasingly recognized. As Cambouris notes, “These technologies create new opportunities for employers to optimize training environments, ultimately making them more cost-effective and efficient.”
As the manufacturing sector struggles to fill millions of available jobs, the integration of VR, AR, and AI in training programs can help bridge the skills gap, improve employee performance, and boost profitability. These technologies are rapidly becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry, offering transformative potential for companies to stay competitive and innovative in the evolving workforce landscape.
