VR, AR and AI can expand training opportunities, but physical practice remains essential when workers must handle equipment, coordinate with teams and perform correctly in high-risk situations.

Over the last quarter century, computer-based and online learning have become basic components of many emergency and disaster response training programs. But in recent years, more advanced forms of technology such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), serious games and now artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly being explored as immersive tools to integrate into training as well. When applied with care and rigor, these technologies can helpfully supplement learning. But decades of workplace safety research suggest that live, in-person training remains critical for many reasons. Understanding these reasons will help organizations strike a balance between delegating the right amount of training to VR/AR or AI as appropriate and, for other forms of training that will be discussed here, sticking to the tried and true method of hands-on approaches.

The first reason that VR/AR and AI cannot yet replace in-person training is the gap between knowledge acquired and correct, real-time application of said knowledge. For instance, a 2017 study found that health care workers who had received prior PPE training nevertheless made mistakes when physically handling the PPE. Twenty-seven percent of them made mistakes while donning the PPE, and 100% made mistakes while doffing.

Trainees can understand safety, emergency and disaster response procedures perfectly well on paper and yet still make mistakes when performing the actions physically. Research shows the more active, engaging and interactive a training program is, the more effective it is for bridging this gap between knowledge acquired and its application for reducing the likelihood of mistakes, accidents, injuries and illnesses.

The most engaging training methods are hands-on training, behavioral modeling, physically staged simulations and opportunities for feedback and questions. Less engaging and therefore less effective training methods are generally passive: lectures, videos and reading materials, with a lack of opportunities for feedback and questions. In a 2020 systematic review, in-person PPE training that included behavioral modeling, feedback and opportunities for asking questions reduced the likelihood of mistakes more than training done through paper-based training materials and videos alone.

This article originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.

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