CodeSignal Launches AI-Powered Soft Skills Training Platform

CodeSignal wants you to practice soft skills with its AI-powered guide | TechCrunch

Both startups and big tech companies have aggressively used AI to help developers write code or learn programming better. People have used chatbots to prepare for different scenarios in life, like interviews. Tech assessment platform CodeSignal, which introduced a learning platform for technical subjects with AI assistants last year, launched soft skill courses on its platform today to practice different professional skills and work-life scenarios. The company thinks that historically, only the top brass of different organizations could afford to hire an expensive executive coach to skill up in areas of leadership and communication. Using different AI models, Codesignal has created a practice and learning stack to make the skills and knowledge of a coach available to the masses. Tigran Solyan, CEO of CodeSignal said that companies hire non-technical people in large numbers. So, it saw an opportunity to train those folks in different areas of their professional life. "With the advancement of generative AI, we saw the opportunity to unlock a whole new world of soft skills, including leadership training, sales training, and learning negotiation tactics. We believe that hands-on training is the best way to learn a skill, and that is why after introducing technical training, we are looking at this new area," Tigran Solyan, CEO of CodeSignal, told TechCrunch over a call. CodeSignal has launched more than 100 courses on its platform, with topics covering areas like effectively running one-on-one meetings, strategic leadership assessment, behavioral profile assessment, sales skills assessment, and improving public speaking. Users can select any of these courses or ask the AI assistant to find them and start practicing different scenarios based on the description. You can use voice to talk to the AI character in the simulation. The company has developed its own voice stack for this instead of using an off-the-shelf solution like ElevenLabs' conversational agent platform as it thought developing the solution in-house will save costs long-term. Once your conversation is over, the AI assistant guides you gives you tips about your chat, and helps you with areas of improvement. Each time you ask for the help of the assistant to give you feedback, you lose an energy bar from an energy meter. Free users -- which represent 90% of the chunk -- get only a limited energy bar per day. Users can unlock unlimited chat with the AI assistant by paying a fee of $24.99. When people complete practices and courses successfully, they progress in different levels of competency in that skill that is marked by developing, intermediate, advanced, and expert markers. CodeSignal also has enterprise plans where it designs courses specific to a company using its knowledge base and cultural values. Solyan said that in customized courses, companies can also opt for the AI character to have different personalities to help professionals practice different real-life situations. However, there is a question of baking in cultural sensitivity based on location and company culture. If that's not baked into the courses, they could create an unpleasant experience for employees. Sumit Singla, an India-based HR consultant, said that AI might suggest being assertive in some cases, but in certain locations, that could be frowned upon. "AI might encourage "radical candor" in feedback, but in cultures where indirect communication is preferred, this could backfire. The tool may misinterpret humor, sarcasm, or culturally specific expressions, leading to awkward or incorrect responses in training," Singla said. He believes that AI could be useful to practice some skills in a low-pressure environment. However, there is a chance that the tool might not have emotional intelligence or contextual awareness in some cases. "In training, one of the things we do is called 'reading the room.' AI won't be able to adjust to different personality types, work environments, or leadership styles. Soft skills development is highly personalized, and AI may not always give context-aware feedback," Singla noted. Solyan said that when the company works with different clients, it tries to bake in a lot of the cultural and personality context in the experiences, but he admitted that it is an iterative process. He said that CodeSignal also builds cultural templates when it starts to work in different locations and regions. CodeSignal primarily engages with users on its website, and the company plans to launch iOS and Android apps later this year to expand its reach. The startup, backed by Menlo Ventures and Index Ventures, is not the only one using AI for learning soft skills. Microsoft LinkedIn has also experimented with using AI-powered tools for courses in this segment.

Forget expensive leadership training -- CodeSignal's AI tool brings coaching to everyone

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More CodeSignal, known for its technical skills assessment platform, is making a significant pivot into leadership and communication training with a new AI-powered conversation simulation tool. The move represents a strategic expansion beyond the company's core technical assessment business, which has attracted clients like Netflix, Capital One, Meta, and Dropbox. The San Francisco-based company's new offering uses voice-enabled AI to simulate workplace scenarios, allowing users to practice difficult conversations like delivering feedback or resolving conflicts. The system provides real-time coaching through an AI mentor named Cosmo. "Leadership training often costs $20,000 to $40,000 per person for a one-month program," said Tigran Sloyan, CEO of CodeSignal, in an exclusive interview with VentureBeat. "For a 10-person executive team, you're looking at a multi-million dollar price tag, which means it's never been accessible to anyone below the executive level." The platform's rapid growth suggests strong market demand for accessible skills development tools. CodeSignal's learning platform has attracted one million users in less than a year since launch, with user base and usage doubling every two months, according to Sloyan. The technology leverages recent advances in generative AI and voice models to create realistic conversational partners. Early feedback suggests the AI-powered approach may have advantages over traditional role-playing with human actors. How AI simulation outperforms human role-playing for leadership training "The feedback has been higher on average than with human role-playing," Sloyan said. "When you're doing real actors, usually it's a workshop with other people watching. The fact that you have no judgment with AI and can practice as many times as needed takes the pressure off." The company is targeting the underserved middle management segment, where traditional leadership development programs have been cost-prohibitive. The solution is priced at $25 monthly for individuals and $39 per user monthly for enterprise licenses. Beta customers have deployed the platform for management training, sales training, and interviewer preparation. "We don't want sales people practicing on actual customers," Sloyan explained. "Now they can practice customer scenarios with AI first." Market expansion and mobile learning: What's next for CodeSignal The expansion comes as businesses increasingly focus on developing leadership capabilities across organizational levels. CodeSignal appears well-positioned to capitalize on this trend, with plans to launch a mobile version later this year to enable on-the-go learning. "Skills are changing faster than ever, driven by transformative technologies like AI," said Sloyan. "This idea of lifelong, constant learning is more important than it has ever been before." The move into leadership development could help CodeSignal capture a larger share of corporate training budgets while diversifying beyond technical assessments. The company faces competition from established leadership development firms and new AI-powered learning platforms, but its combination of technical expertise and AI capabilities may provide competitive advantages in the rapidly evolving market for workplace skills development.