ECHOMIND – learning through simulation
ECHOMIND is an AI avatar-based investigative interview training platform which removes the limitations of traditional interview training.
Augmented and virtual reality simulations are already employed to upskill law enforcement officers for specific situations or physical environments, and now ECHOMIND will employ AI to provide training for the soft skills of effective interviewing.
Effective interviewing is at the heart of any investigation; it is essential to achieving justice in society. But it is a skill that must be learned and, to be done well, it must be practiced.
Most police forces lack the resources to provide ongoing, quality learning environments for investigative interviewing, but that is about to change.
ECHOMIND (global patent pending) is an AI avatar-based investigative interview training platform which removes the limitations of traditional interview training. It offers an accessible, scalable and cost-effective training environment in which interviewers of any level can engage with realistic avatars which are trained to respond in the same way as a human interviewee.
Example of OSACO’s ECHOMIND avatars
Given that the purpose of an interview may be to obtain information, the effectiveness of the interviewer may greatly influence the quality, and success, of the interview interaction.
By learning, practicing and enhancing effective interviewing skills, interviewers can better build rapport and trust. The result? They will gain better quality information from the interview subject.
Backed by research, built on experience
Underpinned by research from New York University (NYU), ECHOMIND was developed by OSACO Group Ltd, which provides workplace investigation and training services across the globe.
Jaydene and Sean Buckley, the founders of OSACO, have drawn on their 30+ years of real-world policing, investigation and training expertise to lead the development of ECHOMIND.“We understand the demanding conditions investigative interviewers work under” says OSACO Group Global Director of Operations, Sean Buckley. “They need to elicit accurate information through a robust and ethical process, whilst simultaneously navigating cultural sensitivities, language barriers, and the emotional or psychological state of interviewees. Effective interviewing is absolutely key, and this platform can help the interviewer become better at what they do.”
And it works. The research from NYU proved that using avatars with feedback systems to practice interviewing produced a 75-80% improvement in effective use of open-ended questions, compared to traditional training methods.
“When we found out about that, we knew that this was a game changer” says Jaydene.
Practice, learn, improve
Offering repeatable and diverse simulations, ECHOMIND draws on the latest AI technology using Large Language Model avatars to create an immersive and responsive online training environment within which interviewers can practice interviewing techniques.
A better-quality interaction…increases the chance of obtaining comprehensive and quality information.
This includes a focus on the use of open-ended questions and techniques to build rapport and trust, as currently used in the PEACE model. While acknowledged as essential for successful interviewing, these are not natural skillsets for everybody; they must be learned, and continually practiced. ECHOMIND enables this practice within a safe (hosted on OSACO secure servers) environment, offering 24-hour access, simply by logging in via laptop.
As long as an interviewer has internet access, they can now continually practice and improve their effectiveness. They receive real-time feedback, including visual cues from the emotional reactions of the avatars; instant transcription of both sides of the interview; and an end-of-session report, which facilitators can review to provide further feedback. And then, they can practice again – now with more understanding.
These multiple feedback layers enable interviewers to understand the effectiveness of their approach and make real-time adjustments to develop better rapport with their interviewee. By developing a confident and effective interviewer, we create a better-quality interaction, which increases the chance of obtaining comprehensive and quality information.
Traditional training limits no longer apply
Traditional methods of investigative interview training typically use role play and acted scenarios, and are inherently limited, primarily by cost, numbers of trainees and time.
“We have personal experience of being trained in traditional training methods” says Jaydene Buckley, OSACO’s Managing Director.
“You’re in a class of people with probably one or two instructors, and each person is trying to go through a scenario, but you’re not going to get the full attention of the trainers. Role play is also very unrealistic and uncomfortable. As much as peers and colleagues are supportive, you are not being your true self in that environment.”
This style of training has not evolved in decades and only produces about a 30% improvement rate. It does not allow for ongoing practice, provide detailed feedback for each participant or advance learning in a guided way.
Example of OSACO’s ECHOMIND avatars
ECHOMIND changes all that because “it allows people to be more natural. Instead of classroom roleplays, ECHOMIND enables interview trainees to interact directly with an avatar who is trained to respond as the interviewee. And they receive consistent, objective feedback.
“A tool like ECHOMIND is a no-brainer from a police college perspective, because a trainer simply cannot give attention to 25 people at the same time. Newly trained officers are sent out on the job, having only limited practice of interviewing, and are expected to utilise interview skills straight away. That can lead to mistakes.” Those mistakes may result in miscarriages of justice, victim traumatisation and low case clearance rates.
Technology that is proven to deliver
ECHOMIND …helps you become a better interviewer and the research supports that. That’s how we know it’s a good tool.
“ECHOMIND will be the most efficient and effective tool for investigative interview training available” says Jaydene. “It helps you become a better interviewer, and the research supports that. That’s how we know it’s a good tool.”
That research, initiated by Prof Pekka Santtila and his colleagues at NYU, focussed initially on forensic interviewing of child sexual abuse (CSA) victims, a very specific skill.
Suggestive or closed-ended questions, which make accurate recall difficult for CSA victims, are still regularly employed by interviewers. However, Prof Santtila’s research demonstrated that avatar-based training programmes, and especially those which incorporated feedback, significantly enhanced interview quality related to both question type and appropriateness and the quality of information received.
Compared to traditional training approaches, AI simulations including feedback demonstrated robust improvements in questioning skills. The avatar-based simulations created a safe, structured environment in which interviewers could learn, practice and refine appropriate and effective interview techniques. They could then transfer those skills to real-world situations.
Given its effectiveness in upskilling interviewers in the most sensitive and complex of interview situations, OSACO understood the potential benefits for all investigative interview situations.
“Our team are all investigators or have a legal background, so we know what it’s like to need to extract personal information from vulnerable victims. We’re really passionate about getting it right and want to share that with others” Jaydene says. “ECHOMIND trains whoever is sitting there to help someone trust you to hear their story. We’re trying to determine the facts as the interviewee sees them, and by building rapport, we can get the best result.
Unlike AI-based support systems like chatbots, which are information gatherers and disbursers, ECHOMIND avatars are capable of understanding cues in the way questions are asked, not just their content. If a question is sensitive, or inappropriate, the avatar will respond in an emotionally appropriate way, as a person would. Their emotional expressions thus help interviewers learn to respond to non-verbal cues appropriately.
Scalable, accessible and adaptable
It is also scalable in a cost-efficient way. The technology supports future development of multiple scenarios, and witness, victim and suspect avatars, and as an interviewer increases their capabilities, the avatars and scenarios can advance in complexity.
Example of OSACO’s ECHOMIND avatars
“Usually, the more seasoned interviewer you are, the fewer opportunities you have to practice,” says Sean, “but with this platform you can come back to test your techniques, building effective ones and discarding rather than embedding negative methods. You are able to practice more complex scenarios, or more difficult interviewees. Imagine being able to practice prior to a difficult investigative interview?”
None of this is possible with traditional training methods.
“Cost, distance, access, portability, complexity – none of those barriers apply with ECHOMIND. The training expertise is in-built, and the learning environment is accessible anywhere, empowering the preparedness of investigative interviewers globally to deliver quality interactions that result in quality investigations.”
Enquiries about ECHOMIND can be directed to OSACO Group Global Director of Operations Sean Buckley, or visit OSACO Group’s website or direct link: https://www.osacogroup.com/echomind-ai-interview-training/
