CGS Transforms Workplace Training with Cicero, a New AI-Driven, Customizable Roleplay Platform

With extended reality and AI, Cicero enables hyper-realistic roleplay scenarios at scale

/EIN News/ -- NEW YORK, March 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGS Immersive™, the leader in enterprise learning that is modernizing training and development with AI and XR technologies, today introduced Cicero™, a hyper realistic roleplay application for upskilling workforces. Using AI-powered interactions, Cicero facilitates immersive roleplay using lifelike personas and real-time feedback in scenarios so realistic, it helps trainees to master the unexpected things that happen in real-life interactions with customers and other business contacts.

The need for innovative learning and development programs has never been more urgent as technology is disrupting the regular course of business and workplace interactions. In fact, the gap in employee soft skills costs the U.S. economy $160B annually¹. Cicero helps employees develop skills and enhances job performance by unlocking the power of roleplay, practice, personalized guidance, and feedback.

"The increasing demand for immersive training solutions highlights the importance of platforms that blend AI and extended reality (XR) to address critical workforce skill gaps. Roleplay solutions that can enhance human skills are fundamental, making them essential for workforce transformation and future-readiness," said Gina Smith, Ph.D., Research Director, IDC.

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, is among the first to deploy Cicero to upskill its teams in sales enablement and surgical education. “The Cicero application is a significant leap forward in surgical training technology,” said Colleen Tully, Senior Program Manager, Learning Technology Innovation at Medtronic. “Cicero’s XR-enabled roleplays will revolutionize our sales enablement, surgical education and other medical training. We're excited about Cicero helping us improve healthcare delivery."

“CGS companies help clients thrive in dynamic, competitive environments by ensuring excellence in the execution of their business fundamentals,” said Phil Friedman, President & CEO, Computer Generated Solutions, Inc. “Our latest innovation, Cicero reflects our long-held commitment to developing technologies that solve the most urgent opportunities, like upskilling employees for the future of work.”

Cicero empowers leaders to prepare their teams for any challenge — whether it's boosting sales, improving customer satisfaction, or navigating complex scenarios. In minutes, team leaders and L&D professionals can easily create tailored roleplay simulations that mimic real life business situations. This can span helping sales reps tasked with selling pharmaceuticals to skeptical physicians to training flight attendants in maintaining calm and etiquette with unruly passengers.

Cicero offers unscripted, fully customizable scenarios to upskill employees using hyper-realistic XR-powered workplace settings that can be used across any number of industries. Custom simulations can be created in minutes by setting the scene, using existing in-house materials, and selecting personas modeled on the five common personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Other key benefits include:

• Rehearse complex tasks: reduce risks in a controlled environment;
• Practice safely: gain real-time feedback and develop important skills without the pressure of a high stakes setting;
• Always-on AI coach: deliver personalized guidance 24/7 to help employees upskill faster;
• Ensure continuous improvement: track individual and team progress, harnessing data driven insights that empower the identification of improvement areas;
• Multilingual, scalable, and cost-effective: Cicero is designed to grow with organizations, even at global scale and across different languages and cultures; and
• Accurate and accountable: Cicero facilitates accountability through contextual learning and reconciliation records.
  

"Traditional workplace training is often generic, costly, and lacking in the real-world context employees need to succeed," said Doug Stephen, President, Enterprise Learning Division, CGS. “With Cicero’s hyper-realistic scenarios, businesses can immerse their teams in dynamic, unscripted roleplay simulations for a limitless number of real-world circumstances. The engagement and feedback created with Cicero drives measurable performance improvements and ROI. What normally took teams weeks to develop can now be produced in minutes."

About CGS Immersive
CGS Immersive^®, Inc., a CGS company, is an innovation lab and training transformation engine dedicated to pioneering leading-edge Extended Reality (XR) training solutions for businesses worldwide. With a focus on leveraging AI and XR technologies, CGS Immersive is modernizing training programs and delivering immersive experiences tailored to meet the evolving needs of organizations across diverse industries. Contact us for more information, and follow CGS Immersive and Cicero on LinkedIn.

About CGS
For more than 40 years, CGS has enabled global enterprises, regional companies, and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services. CGS is wholly focused on creating comprehensive solutions that meet clients’ complex, multi-dimensional needs, and support clients’ most fundamental business activities. Headquartered in New York City, CGS has offices across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.cgsinc.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

¹ Source: World Economic Forum

Media Contact
                    Alan Marcus
                    amarcus@cgsinc.com