Interview with Dr. Philipp Ramin: Knowledge in. Training out.

Dr. Ramin, many companies need to train their employees regularly but have little time to do so. What problem does SkillDuck solve for them?

Dr. Philipp V. Ramin: In many companies, the knowledge already exists — in documents, process descriptions or in the heads of experienced employees. The challenge is to turn it into suitable learning content quickly and clearly. That applies to classic topics such as compliance and data protection just as much as to new processes, systems and the use of AI. But creating and updating this kind of training takes a lot of time and resources.

That’s where SkillDuck comes in: our AI-powered course generator creates interactive e-learning from existing documents or a topic description. The AI helps with structure, wording and instructional design. Courses can be tailored to specific roles and easily updated when something changes. This makes knowledge available faster — even in mid-sized companies with limited resources. Instructional know-how from more than ten years of corporate learning is already built in; no special prior knowledge is required.

Let’s take a concrete example: a company introduces new software and wants to train its employees to use it. How does SkillDuck turn that into a finished course — and what does the company have to contribute?

The starting point might be a user manual, a presentation or a process description. Alternatively, the company describes the topic, learning objectives and target group. SkillDuck turns this into a structured learning unit with clear texts and interactive elements such as videos, quizzes or flashcards.

In the editor, the company reviews the course, adds subject-matter details and adapts it to its own requirements. The AI handles a large part of the creation; the specific knowledge and practical experience come from the company. The course can then be delivered directly or integrated into an existing learning management system. If needed, multilingual versions are available within minutes.

Do you need experience in creating training, or can HR managers and specialist departments get started right away?

SkillDuck is designed so that people without special e-learning or programming skills can work with it. Managers, HR professionals, trainers and specialist departments can turn their knowledge into digital learning content themselves — without necessarily needing an external agency or a specialized production team.

Employees who work with processes, products or systems every day, in particular, can create and maintain content themselves. The AI supports the instructional design, while the subject-matter expertise stays within the company. This makes it easier to integrate learning into everyday work.

“Managers, HR professionals, trainers and specialist departments can turn their knowledge into digital learning content themselves — without necessarily needing an external agency or a specialized production team.” — Dr. Philipp Ramin

AI can make mistakes. How can companies check that the content is factually correct and stay in control of the finished course?

Our experience from more than ten years of corporate learning has gone into the development and training of SkillDuck. In addition, an integrated “plausibility check” agent reviews generated content for plausibility and helps prevent possible hallucinations. Still, AI does not replace a subject-matter review by the company.

That’s why every course can be edited in the editor and compared with the original materials. Subject-matter experts can be involved in the approval process — especially for safety-related topics, compliance training and binding work instructions. Our goal is to make time-consuming course creation easier, not to replace human expertise. That leaves more time for quality, relevance and learning success.

Internal policies often contain confidential information. What happens to documents that are uploaded to create a course?

SkillDuck is developed in Germany and hosted in European data centers; processing is designed to meet GDPR requirements. To create a course, relevant information is extracted from the documents provided and prepared. The uploaded documents themselves, however, are not stored. Company knowledge is also not used to train a shared AI for other companies.

These aspects are particularly important, because process knowledge and internal policies are a competitive advantage. The use of SkillDuck by companies in critical infrastructure and in the banking sector shows that SkillDuck takes data protection and information security into account even in particularly sensitive areas.

How can training be tailored to different roles, levels of knowledge and languages?

With SkillDuck, companies can take target groups and learning objectives into account as early as course creation and then adapt content specifically — for example for new employees, experienced specialists or different occupational groups. Courses can be translated automatically into different languages, including quizzes and interactive elements. If the source course changes, the language versions can be updated automatically.

This is particularly helpful for companies with international locations, multilingual teams or different fields of activity. Content can be delivered consistently while being adapted to regional, linguistic and professional specifics — including multilingual product training for customers.

“Courses can be translated automatically into different languages, including quizzes and interactive elements. If the source course changes, the language versions can be updated automatically.” — Dr. Philipp Ramin

How do the finished courses reach employees? Does a company need its own learning platform for this?

No, a dedicated learning platform isn’t strictly necessary. Courses can be shared directly via a link. Companies with a learning management system (LMS) can export the content as a SCORM or xAPI package, among other formats, and integrate it into their existing learning environment. Depending on the system, learning activities and results can also be tracked there.

This way, companies can easily get started with their first training courses or integrate SkillDuck into their existing learning infrastructure without having to replace existing systems.

Regulations and internal processes change. How much effort does it take to keep existing courses up to date?

Existing courses can be adjusted in the editor and then redeployed. The language versions can also be synchronized when the source course changes. This means a completely new training course doesn’t have to be created for every change.

A clear internal process is also important: companies should define who reports changes, who handles the subject-matter approval and when employees need to retake an updated training course. Making things technically simpler creates a good foundation for this.

Which companies and training tasks is SkillDuck particularly worthwhile for?

SkillDuck is particularly suited to companies that regularly pass on knowledge and want to become faster and more flexible in doing so. Typical use cases include onboarding, software and product training, occupational safety, compliance, internal process training, knowledge transfer between departments or locations, and preserving knowledge when experienced employees leave. Fast-moving topics such as AI, which need frequent updates, are also relevant.

Companies with extensive documentation that has so far been laborious to turn into digital learning content benefit in particular, as do organizations with multilingual teams. Getting started doesn’t have to mean a large training program: a concrete use case, such as a recurring safety briefing or the introduction of a new system, quickly shows how much effort can be saved and how well SkillDuck fits into existing workflows.

If a company wants to try SkillDuck: what options are there?

The best way for companies to start is with a concrete training need — such as a presentation, process description or manual that is to become a digital learning offering. In a personal live demo, the benefits can be seen using this very use case. Afterwards, interested companies can test SkillDuck with their own content.

At www.skillduck.com, companies can request a demo or find out about trial access. This gives them a concrete impression and helps them make an informed decision about whether and where SkillDuck makes sense in their own company.

i40, SkillDuck and P29: passing on knowledge effectively

i40 – the future skills company supports companies with AI, digital transformation and learning. With the AI-powered course generator SkillDuck, interactive, multilingual e-learning can be created from existing documents or a topic description.

The strategic partnership with P29 Group combines this learning technology with expertise in data protection, information security and compliance. With P29 Campus, the group already offers a digital learning platform for training employees and raising their awareness. SkillDuck adds the ability to quickly turn a company’s own content into individual learning offerings.