At FuturU, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to make our learning experiences more engaging, relevant, and accessible. We’re not just providing free access to health and social care learning – we want our courses to stand out and make a real difference. In today’s digital world, there’s no shortage of tools to help us do that, from cutting-edge software to proven learning theories. But more recently, a new player has entered the mix: artificial intelligence (AI).
AI’s influence is everywhere, from images and videos to blog posts (not this one!) and social media content. It’s exciting, a little daunting, and definitely here to stay. For our Content Development team, AI is an opportunity we’re embracing with open arms. We’re weaving it into our daily work, using it to design better experiences and reach more learners.
In this article, Dale Carkeek, Learning Experience Design Lead at FuturU, shares how we’re using AI in both the quality and creative sides of our work, the challenges we’re mindful of, and our plans for the future. If you haven’t explored the world of AI yet, Dale hopes you’ll see why we’re so excited about its potential and how it’s helping us create better learning for everyone.
Striking a balance
Our team’s job is to turn complex health and social care topics into impactful, accessible learning. In our sector, there’s so much knowledge for professionals to learn, and the demand never stops. But creating just one high-quality course isn’t simple – it takes a careful blend of creativity and analytical thinking to bring our team of subject matter experts’ knowledge to life.
From crafting engaging visuals and relatable case studies to ensuring everything is evidence-based and accurate, every course demands both artistry and precision. AI can help speed up some processes, letting us deliver content more efficiently. But in healthcare learning, there’s always a balance to maintain. The information we share can directly affect someone’s care, safety, or wellbeing, so we can’t cut corners.
AI is already reshaping industries, but in healthcare learning, accuracy and compassion are non-negotiable. We know our courses must be engaging and memorable, but also rooted in evidence and best practice. That’s why we see AI as a support tool – never a replacement for the real-world knowledge and insights of our team, nor the human touch.
Putting balance into practice
Our team has been experimenting with the use of various AI tools for a few years now, and we’re already seeing real benefits from integrating AI into our workflows. For example, we use generative AI to help create images, summarise SME knowledge into digestible chapters, and even build genuine scenarios and case studies that bring learning to life through 3D visual representation.
For our Menopause Awareness course, we relied on real women’s lived experiences and stories, but we used AI to create avatars and lip sync videos to bring those authentic voices to life in our eLearning content. This kept the content rooted in real experiences, while using AI to make it visually engaging and accessible for learners.
For visual content, creative studio AI tools allow us to generate short videos from images; breathing life into static content and making complex ideas more accessible. Move AI has helped us to capture animation sequences quickly and with a high degree of accuracy, bringing real-world care scenarios to life in our eLearning content.
When it comes to audio, we’ve been experimenting with AI voice generation tools to generate realistic spoken audio for scenario-driven sequences. This helps us to tap into more of a learner’s senses, creating consistently realistic scenarios that enhance the learning process.
We’re also exploring AI-driven translation tools to ensure our content is more accessible and inclusive. By making it easier to provide high-quality translations, we can reach even more learners and ensure everyone has the opportunity to upskill.
Making a real difference with AI
In sensitive areas like managing death in a health and social care setting, it’s clear that AI has its limits. While AI can help define key terms or highlight cultural and religious considerations, it can’t replace the human experience needed to build emotional resilience or offer self-care guidance for grief. And it can never be trusted to provide legal or procedural advice on sensitive issues.
That’s why we’re clear-eyed about the role of AI in our work. It’s a valuable partner, but it can’t replace the insights and compassion of real people who understand the care sector and the learners we support.
We use AI to handle routine, time-consuming tasks such as checking learning outcomes, generating visuals, and shaping authentic case studies; so our team can focus on what matters most: creating safe, evidence-based, and human-centred learning experiences.
Looking ahead: AI and our exciting future
We’re proud of how we’re using AI to enhance, not replace, the human connection that’s at the heart of everything we do in health and social care learning. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the technology itself – it’s about the individuals it helps us reach.
It’s been exciting to see how these tools can support our mission so far, and we’re even more excited about what’s to come. We know that AI is evolving quickly, and we’re determined to keep pace. By staying curious, learning how to use these tools responsibly, and combining them with the compassion and expertise of our team, we’ll continue to be at the cutting edge of creating impactful learning experiences.
At FuturU, we’re committed to using AI as a tool for good: to help us build courses that are not only innovative, but also accurate, inclusive, and ultimately life-changing for the people who need them most.
