What Research Says About AI Avatars in Learning
Wed Feb 04 2026
Should AI avatars replace human presenters?
In part two of this research series on The Visual Lounge, host Matt Pierce is joined again by TechSmith Senior Market Researcher Stephanie Warnoff to discuss the latest findings from TechSmith's research on AI avatars in instructional video.
Building on episode 275 about AI voices, this conversation explores how different on-screen presenter styles affect viewer perception and information retention.
The study compares multiple formats, including human presenters, AI avatars, and alternative visual approaches. You’ll learn about common misconceptions teams have about avatars, why viewer reactions often differ from stated preferences, and where avatars may help or hurt depending on context.
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 – 01:40 Intro01:40 – 03:45 What surprised Stephanie most in her findings on AI avatars03:45 – 05:20 The five video snippets used during the study05:20 – 08:27 How are perspectives around AI changing?08:27 – 11:25 When to use avatars, and when not to use avatars11:25 – 13:35 The impact of avatars on learning13:35 – 15:17 Stephanie’s advice on implementing AI avatars into work15:17 – 17:03 Stephanie's tips to people who are reluctant to use AI avatars17:03 – 18:29 Questions that Stephanie would like to answer in future research18:29 – 19:42 Matt's take on the research19:42 – 21:14 Stephanie's advice for people interested and how to get involved with TechSmith research21:14 – 21:59 Stephanie's final take21:59 Outro
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Stephanie: research@techsmith.comLearn more about the study in this blog post: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/ai-voices-avatars-in-training-videos/Check out part one of this research series, episode 275, on AI voices: https://the-visual-lounge.captivate.fm/episode/275-ai-voices-impact-on-learning/
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Should AI avatars replace human presenters? In part two of this research series on The Visual Lounge, host Matt Pierce is joined again by TechSmith Senior Market Researcher Stephanie Warnoff to discuss the latest findings from TechSmith's research on AI avatars in instructional video. Building on episode 275 about AI voices, this conversation explores how different on-screen presenter styles affect viewer perception and information retention. The study compares multiple formats, including human presenters, AI avatars, and alternative visual approaches. You’ll learn about common misconceptions teams have about avatars, why viewer reactions often differ from stated preferences, and where avatars may help or hurt depending on context. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:40 Intro01:40 – 03:45 What surprised Stephanie most in her findings on AI avatars03:45 – 05:20 The five video snippets used during the study05:20 – 08:27 How are perspectives around AI changing?08:27 – 11:25 When to use avatars, and when not to use avatars11:25 – 13:35 The impact of avatars on learning13:35 – 15:17 Stephanie’s advice on implementing AI avatars into work15:17 – 17:03 Stephanie's tips to people who are reluctant to use AI avatars17:03 – 18:29 Questions that Stephanie would like to answer in future research18:29 – 19:42 Matt's take on the research19:42 – 21:14 Stephanie's advice for people interested and how to get involved with TechSmith research21:14 – 21:59 Stephanie's final take21:59 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Stephanie: research@techsmith.comLearn more about the study in this blog post: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/ai-voices-avatars-in-training-videos/Check out part one of this research series, episode 275, on AI voices: https://the-visual-lounge.captivate.fm/episode/275-ai-voices-impact-on-learning/