Enhancing Extended Reality Training With Interactive AI-Powered Virtual Instructors

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of interactive, AI-powered virtual instructors in an extended reality (XR) training environment for electrical technicians. A user study was conducted in a 3D reconstruction of an electrical substation, where participants completed a four-step technical training procedure using voice and gesture interactions with the AI instructor. The study examines the instructor’s ability to guide users through a complex, multi-stage workflow and assesses performance outcomes, cognitive load, user experience, and overall training effectiveness. The results demonstrate that AI-guided XR instruction can enhance user engagement and knowledge acquisition while maintaining a relatively low cognitive load in high-risk technical training scenarios. These findings highlight the potential of interactive AI instructors to improve the design of future XR training systems across industrial domains.