We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lewis Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lewis below.

Lewis, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

We started our company, Alelo, nearly twenty years ago with an idea that was both timely and way ahead of its time. The idea was to learn foreign languages and cultures by practicing with computer-generated avatars that speak and understand human language. I got funding from DARPA in the early 2000s to develop the first prototype, an immersive game for learning Arabic, in which you had to speak Arabic with the game characters in Arabic to play the game. This addressed an immediate need, because military personnel were being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan with very little language training. And it proved to be hugely successful, both in speed of training and effectiveness. 500,000 military trainees eventually learned foreign languages and cultures using Alelo products.

Our idea then was to apply our approach to occupations in the civilian sector, that do not involve using a foreign language. We recognized that workers in a variety of occupations needed to improve their communication skills. We tried applying our avatar-based training approach, and ran into roadblocks. The AI technologies that were available at the time were not up to the challenge. The speech recognizers tended make mistakes, and AI models at that time were costly to develop. Moreover, many users at the time were suspicious and skeptical of AI.

Then in late 2022 generative AI arrived, and everything changed for us. We were suddenly able to create avatars that can engage in very realistic conversations, much more quickly and at lower cost. It is now possible for us to create realistic avatars that simulate patients, customers, and customer service and sales agents. We create realistic avatar-based training simulations that rapidly train people for a wide range of occupations. Customers are much more receptive to our AI-powered solutions.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got my undergraduate degree in Linguistics at Princeton, and my Ph.D. at Yale specializing in artificial intelligence. I was a research faculty member at USC for a number of years; then I founded Alelo so that our technology could expand far beyond the students of one university.

Alelo combines the latest avatar-based AI technology with research in human learning to help organizations transform their training using AI. Our understanding of learning science helps us to design training that is as rapid and effective as possible. Learning research tells us, for example, that learning gains depend upon the number of practice opportunities, but learners are reluctant to practice if they are afraid of making mistakes. So, our avatar-based learning products encourage people to practice as much as they want on their computer or phone, in a safe environment where there is no risk of embarrassment if you make a mistake.

During the COVID pandemic we entered the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling Competition, which sought solutions that could that could quickly retrain people for new occupations and place them in well-paying jobs. Over 100 teams entered the competition, and we were one of the four winning teams. We showed that our AI-powered learning tools can train people at least twice as fast as conventional training programs, and our trainees were able to apply their skills immediately on the job.

In addition to studying artificial intelligence, I studied vocal music at Yale and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. I recently appeared a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute in the role of Sarastro, and directed the music program at St. Augustine By-the-Sea Church in Santa Monica.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Thought leadership has played an important role in building our reputation. I have a long track record in applying AI to training and education. Since the emergence of generative AI, when suddenly many companies have emerged that claim to be experts in AI. It can be hard to distinguish hype from reality in the AI field. We, on the other hand, have a reputation for having deep knowledge of the topic and delivering on our promises.

We have also won multiple awards over the years, most recently in the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling Competition. Those competitions provided independent validation that our AI-powered solutions are effective.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Our best source of new clients is our partners in the industry, who invite us to collaborate on projects for their clients. Referrals are also very important. Our best and longest standing customers have come to us through referrals. Right now we are focusing heavily on referrals to develop new business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alelo.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alelo.AI.Learning
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alelo
• Twitter: @aleloTLT
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aleloinc4570

Image Credits
Alelo Inc.