Global Voices: AI Persona Lab is an educational innovation that redefines the way theory-heavy modules are taught by transforming passive knowledge consumption into interactive, experiential learning through AI-powered global simulations. Originally designed for the MKT40504 Consumer Behaviour module at Taylor’s College, it combines the capabilities of GPT-4o (OpenAI), Voiceflow, ElevenLabs, and other AI tools to power a web-based chatbot interface where students interact in real time with meticulously engineered, hyper-realistic AI personas representing diverse generations, cultures, and consumer archetypes who “talk” like real people, “think” like consumers, and “respond” with emotional and cultural nuance. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the pedagogy is scaffolded into a six-step transformative journey: Step 1, Persona Interview, replaces scripted roleplay with unscripted voice/text conversation for authentic inquiry; Step 2, Persona Mapping, translates responses into visual maps plotting traits, values, motivations, and lifestyles using theory-based templates; Step 3, Product Design Challenge, synthesises insights into tailored products or campaigns with theoretical justification; Step 4, ShopQuest Mall Simulation, gamifies learning as students explore a virtual mall, select products, and receive AI-generated feedback; Step 5, Personify Yourself, has students create and analyse their own consumer persona for self-reflection; Step 6, ExpanSEA Challenge, tasks students to act as consultants for a Malaysian brand expanding into ASEAN, re-interviewing a persona to localise strategy. The plug-and-play solution requires no coding, hardware, or installations, accessible via web/mobile for educators and learners. Impact is evident through a 4.9/5.0 score on the Taylor’s Teaching Engagement Scale, ~10% growth in average grades, and reports of heightened engagement, stronger theory application, and greater cross-cultural sensitivity. As a multi-award-winning innovation, with the Gold Award at the Taylor’s EMAS GenAI Special Edition Award 2025, and Gold Award & Most Creative Project Award at IIDEL UniCeL 2025, the Lab is highly scalable and adaptable, with expansion plans across disciplines like pharmacy, tourism, law, architecture, and design. In a world demanding empathy, adaptability, and applied thinking, it is not just an innovation in teaching but a reimagining of human learning in the digital age.

Invention Technical Description

Global Voices: AI Persona Lab is a modular, web-based simulation system integrating AI conversation engines, voice synthesis, and interactive environments to create authentic, theory-applied learning experiences. The platform combines GPT-4o (OpenAI) for generative, context-aware dialogue, Voiceflow for chatbot scripting and persona branching, ElevenLabs for realistic multilingual voice generation, Deepgram for voice chat capabilities, Wordpress for hosting the landing page and embedding the chatbot, and Genially for delivering interactive simulations. Persona creation follows a structured workflow: each persona is defined as a unique consumer segment with a complete backstory (family, profession, lifestyle), cultural and behavioural traits, targeted shopping patterns, and product attitudes. Dialogue is scripted to reflect regional accents, tone, and vocabulary, ensuring authenticity and emotional resonance. The technical build employs a “persona prompt architecture” comprising a fixed core prompt (personality, cultural profile, values), dynamic context layers (interview stage, prior responses), and tone control parameters. The Lab interface, hosted on a Wordpress site, features clickable persona portraits, integrated chat windows, transcript pop-ups, and embedded simulation modules. Students access the Lab directly via desktop or mobile browsers, select their assigned persona, and initiate live conversations using text and/or voice. Voiceflow manages session logic, passing conversational context to GPT-4o for personalised responses, while ElevenLabs generates natural-sounding audio in the persona’s accent. For the ShopQuest Mall module, Genially embeds a virtual shopping environment where students explore stores, click on products, and trigger AI persona reactions aligned to cultural values and preferences. A backend conversation flowchart in Voiceflow maps triggers, branching logic, and emotional tone maintenance, allowing educators to update scenarios or add new personas without coding. The system’s architecture is intentionally modular and API-agnostic, enabling easy expansion with new tools, persona packs, or discipline-specific simulations, and ensuring compatibility across devices without requiring installation or specialised hardware.

Demostration/ Presentation Video

Poster/ Broucher/ Invention Photo