TED Talk: How AI Speech Coaching Improves Public Speaking

What if you could banish your fear of public speaking and improve your skills at the same time? How can AI speech coaching help? What’s the future of AI in communication?

We’re excited to share the first-ever TEDx Talk written by AI. Yoodli co-founder Varun Puri delivered the speech on March 23, 2023, at the Hafen Theatre at Tuacahn as part of TEDxStGeorge. Not only was the presentation written by AI, Varun prepared his delivery exclusively using the Yoodli AI speech coach.

Believe it or not, Varun used to be terrified of public speaking. Being able to practice his speaking in a private, judgment-free environment (with AI) has been transformative for him. Yoodli gave him suggestions on how to be more concise, rephrased sections of his speech, and even provided analytics on his filler words, pacing, eye contact, and much more.

Watch Varun’s inspiring TEDx Talk in full.

Below, we’ll share the highlights of Varun’s talk. He discusses how you, too, can use generative AI-powered speech coaching to write and deliver compelling talks. He also shares Yoodli’s exciting vision for the future of AI in communication.

Public Speaking the Old Way

You might not think about it, but you’re public speaking all the time—presenting reports at work, answering questions in an interview, making a toast at dinner, or introducing yourself to new people. But, it’s likely that you’re among the two-thirds of the population who are afraid of public speaking. Even if you try to avoid it, you’re called upon to speak in public settings time and time again.

You know how it is—the night before a speech, a presentation, or an interview. Your heart pounds. You pace back and forth as you try to memorize what you plan to say. Feeling awkward, you talk to a mirror or a webcam. Maybe you muster up the courage to ask a friend for feedback.

Feedback is indeed the breakfast of champions. But, it can be hard to put yourself out there to be judged. That’s all part of the fear of public speaking! What if you could get feedback that doesn’t carry the weight of uncomfortable judgment?

Public Speaking the New Way

Advances in a new form of artificial intelligence called generative AI are making this a reality today. Computers are generate human-like content in response to specific questions. You might have heard of some of these platforms, such as DALL-E and ChatGPT. These systems can instantly generate images, poems, songs, videos—anything we can think of—from scratch.

So, what does generative AI have to do with public speaking? Corporate executives work with professional speech coaches to sound more polished. With generative AI, we can bring that kind of speech coaching to everyone. You can get coaching and feedback for your communication in interviews, meetings, and even Zoom calls.

Let’s say you’re preparing for a presentation. AI speech coaching gives you feedback on your word choices and delivery. For example, you used too many filler words, there were segments where you spoke way too fast, and you maintained good eye contact throughout.

The Future of AI Speech Coaching

This is all possible today. People all over the world are already using AI speech coaching. But, things start to get really exciting when we dream about the future.

Imagine if your AI speech coach not only wrote your script but also created an avatar of you delivering your presentation. Then, you’d have a clear vision to strive for. You could see yourself giving a polished and passionate speech. Then, imagine yourself giving your presentation. Your AI speech coach nudges you to remind you to smile more and stop fidgeting.

Yoodli Today & Tomorrow

Generative AI can help us all become better communicators. It’s why we’re building Yoodli. It’s a private realtime and judgment-free AI-powered speech coach that can help you land your dream job because you’ve learned how to present yourself with conviction and poise. It can partner with you to get the promotion you deserve because you communicate with clarity and deliver your presentations with the gusto they want to see.

Most importantly, Yoodli AI speech coaching can help you speak from your heart with more confidence, thoughtfulness, and self-awareness. That’s the magic of generative AI and public speaking.