Cornerstone Introduces AI-Powered Virtual Companions

Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., has introduced Immerse Companion, a generative AI-powered solution designed to enhance personalized learning, coaching, and expert-led skill-building in real-time. Unveiled at UNLEASH World 2024, Immerse Companion utilizes virtual human companions to engage employees in interactive, realistic role-play scenarios, helping them practice essential skills safely. With 24/7 availability and multi-modal access via the Cornerstone Immerse platform, VR headsets, and web streaming, this innovative solution enables scalable, personalized talent development. Built on AI avatar technology from Talespin, Immerse Companion empowers individuals to improve through emotionally realistic simulations, driving workforce agility and skill proficiency.

PARIS—Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in workforce agility solutions, today at UNLEASH World announced Immerse Companion, its new generative artificial intelligence (AI) solution that delivers real-time experiences with virtual human companions. Powered by Cornerstone’s proprietary companion generative AI technology, Immerse Companion enables employees to engage in learning role-play, coaching and mentoring sessions, and expert-led skill building in real-time and on-demand.

Whether your employees are practicing conversations like high-stakes negotiations or getting personalized career guidance, Immerse Companion transforms talent development into an engaging, practical experience — helping teams build confidence, develop skills faster, and gain proficiency in real-world scenarios.

Key features of Immerse Companion include:

• Personalized at scale, on-demand: tailored, one-on-one interactions with generative AI-powered virtual coaches, mentors and subject matter experts 24/7, which allows for real-time experiences that adapt to individual needs, ensuring every individual receives a personalized and impactful training experience. The solution’s virtual companions provide immediate, actionable insights and guidance whenever needed.

• Real-world practice in a safe environment: individuals can engage in emotionally realistic role-play for critical workplace scenarios, empowering them to practice skills in a safe place and learn from failure without the fear of real-world consequences.

• Powered by Cornerstone Companion: Cornerstone’s Companion generative AI technology leverages its trusted data to deliver individual support across the workforce lifecycle, including 40+ terabytes of labor market data that is updated daily, 30 million learning hours per month, and 140 million users across more than 7,000 customers.

• Multiple modalities: accessible anytime across multiple modalities; anywhere via the Cornerstone Immerse platform, on VR headsets and web-based streaming.

Immerse Companion was created leveraging AI avatar technology developed by Talespin, a leading immersive learning company whose capabilities and domain experts were acquired by Cornerstone in 2024. First announced in 2019, Talespin’s AI avatar technology gained popularity for employee soft skills development and is deployed by enterprises across industries.

“Historically 1:1 personalized training has been difficult to scale, but with Immerse Companion, that changes,” said Himanshu Palsule, CEO of Cornerstone. “This innovation isn’t just about democratizing information, mentorship and practice — it’s a major indication of the next age of the human experience where our recent research shows that demand and mastery of human skills is even more essential in the age of AI. Immerse Companion offers an unmatched level of interaction through virtual human companions, reflecting the core technologies that are shaping our Galaxy vision, where the human experience remains central to everything we do.”

“One of the best ways to learn is through experience,” said Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company. “Exciting new platforms like Immerse Companion let employees learn, practice, and get expert feedback from AI, just like a real expert coach. This is where corporate training is going.”

Cornerstone Immerse Companion is coming out of closed beta, and as of UNLEASH will be selectively widening availability. If interested, be sure to reach out to your account representative and stop by Cornerstone at UNLEASH World 2024 at stand B138 to learn more about Cornerstone Immerse Companion or sign up for the beta waitlist, check out: https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/platform/immersive-ai-learning-companion

About Cornerstone

Cornerstone powers the potential of organizations and their people to thrive in a changing world. Cornerstone Galaxy, the complete AI-powered workforce agility platform, meets organizations where they are. With Galaxy, organizations can identify skills gaps and development opportunities, retain and engage top talent, and provide multimodal learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of the modern workforce. More than 7,000 organizations and 140 million users in 186 countries use Cornerstone Galaxy to build high-performing, future-ready organizations and people today.