Interview with Nikolas Kairinos, CEO And Founder at Soffos: The World’s First AI-Powered KnowledgeBot

Soffos is a hyper-personalized, AI-powered workplace training solution. Our sophisticated KnowledgeBot delivers seamless professional development to workforces, and streamlines companies’ learning and development initiatives.

Unlike a traditional chatbot, Soffos is an intelligent avatar that enables workers to strike up a conversation as they would with a peer or mentor, and enjoy the benefits of flexible learning that is tailored to their individual needs.
 
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
The vision for Soffos was born out of frustration with the current state of play in the education sector, ranging all the way from early years tuition through to adult learning. The way we share knowledge must reflect the needs of the modern world, and yet the sector has so far struggled to keep pace.

Today, it would be no exaggeration to say that new information is generated every second. This makes it near impossible to introduce the latest knowledge available into pre-planned lessons. More than that, it has become increasingly accessible thanks to the power of digital connectivity. This is both a blessing and a curse: while there is truth to the old adage that knowledge is power, an over-abundance of information can make it difficult to distinguish what knowledge is truly valuable.

Compound that with the passive absorption of information, and the result is an ineffective system of education. Indeed, today’s learners are rarely encouraged to actively engage with the materials being taught to them, with learning too heavily reliant on a lecture-based style of tuition.

Soffos was created to change this. Our platform employs the ‘Socratic Method’ of conversational learning, which fosters critical thinking by encouraging students to ask questions and drive their own development. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), Soffos creates a personalized learning plan for each user, unlike the generic curricula and lesson plans that students are generally used to. Not only that, but our sophisticated technology encourages people to engage fully with the information presented to them, by delivering it in a format that reflects their unique learning style – whether they are visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic learners.

Soffos also offers highly tailored support, which is often not possible in an oversaturated learning environment, such as a packed lecture hall or large classroom. If a learner is struggling with a particular concept, Soffos can identify gaps in understanding, and thereafter focus more attention on this topic. Alternatively, it can re-route and present the information in a more easily digestible format.

Our EdTech platform originated from our vision to revolutionize the education industry, and I have no doubt that it will lead the charge where it comes to delivering hyper-personalized and effective learning.
 

How has the company evolved during the pandemic?

 
Like any business, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a number of challenges for us – many of which were quickly overcome once the initial shock of national lockdowns and restrictions passed. If anything, the pandemic has made us realize how necessary a solution like ours is in a world of remote working. In the coming months and years, we are likely to see much of the workforce continue to work from home – whether in a part-time or full-time capacity. So, we need to leverage technologies that can help us deliver the training and support that professionals need.

Over the course of the pandemic, we have doubled-down on our mission to plug the training gap exposed by the crisis. We are preparing to roll out the beta version of our solution, and in time hope to see Soffos being used to make the remote working experience a global success story.
 

What can we hope to see from Soffos.ai in the future?

 
In the near future, I envision Soffos being used by workforces worldwide to drive valuable staff training and more generally help organizations keep up-to-date with the constant steam of information that they are expected to stay on top of. From regulations to changing market trends, Soffos will empower businesses and employees alike to stay ahead of the curve.

In 2021, we will also be focussing on an emerging concept that is gaining popularity among educational technologists: namely, the ability to quantify intellectual capital. Through the power of bid data and sophisticated algorithms, our new initiative – Wisdom Quotient™️ (WQ™️) – will enable organizations to measure their intellectual capital in a similar way to how an individual’s IQ is calculated. It will paint a picture of the amount of knowledge held within an organization, and how it is utilized, which will, in turn, determine the strength of a company’s WQ, and pinpoint where there is room for improvement.

More generally, Soffos will be used to galvanize the workforce. In a world where the jobs market is changing, Soffos is here to deliver training to employees, help them develop the skills they need in an increasingly digital workplace, and support them as they work to realize their career aspirations.