In a country where digital transformation is no longer a choice but a necessity, the way we train and develop talent in the Philippines is finally catching up. One tool leading this shift is Gnowbe AI—an advanced, AI-powered platform that’s quietly changing how local organizations think about corporate learning.
Built specifically for training design, it doesn’t just apply generic AI capabilities. Instead, it’s grounded in over 30 years of microlearning and instructional design best practices, making it both accessible and practical for real-world business needs.
So-Young Kang, the platform’s founder and a transformation designer with experience at McKinsey & Company and Citigroup, explained that Gnowbe’s creation was inspired by a shared passion for learning and leadership with Anthony Pangilinan, a respected leadership coach and media personality who advocates for the platform in the Philippines.
“We have a shared love for learning and leadership,” So-Young said of Anthony. “That’s what brought us together. We thought that if we could create software that could take Anthony’s wisdom and experience and digitize it, then even a small village in the middle of Davao could still access these tools and have the same transformational experience. So Gnowbe was created to have that kind of transformational impact.”
“That’s the reason why we created a mobile-first experience, so that even those without wifi in the middle of villages can have this great opportunity. Learning should not be exclusive to those with money,” So-Young added.
One of the platform’s most notable features, Magic Creator, allows users to quickly transform materials like PowerPoints, PDFs, videos, and documents into interactive microlearning modules optimized for mobile use.
Anthony described the platform’s impact: “I’ve been using this, and it is so powerful. And it’s mobile-based, so when you’re learning, we’re creating a culture where mobile phone use during training is encouraged.”
Gnowbe AI leverages AI to assist in researching, structuring, and building content, significantly reducing manual work. It supports automatic translation into over 70 languages, including Tagalog, making it highly accessible to diverse teams in the Philippines and beyond.
So-Young said, “Gnowbe AI is trained in Tagalog and over 70 other languages.”
What sets Gnowbe apart, according to So-Young, is its foundation in microlearning combined with structural instructional design.
“Microlearning is about bite-sized content. We’ve been doing microlearning since the beginning. When I talk or when you talk, it’s 60 seconds or less. We have a conversation. We can’t learn from microlearning alone; we structure it — the art and science of how to teach,” So Young explained.
“So when you take microlearning and combine it with structural design, it becomes very powerful. Gnowbe invented this microlearning structural design. It teaches how to teach and uses microlearning, which is the way we all want to learn. It’s the natural way to learn.”
Importantly, Gnowbe AI aims to enhance human capability rather than replace it. “Many technologies are dehumanizing or replace humans. I’m not for that. The goal of our technology is to humanize the work. It is designed not to replace people like Anthony but to extend skills like his while still maintaining the same human touch,” So-Young said.
The platform serves two main groups: creators—including thought leaders, managers, and trainers—and learners who want to improve their skills and become the best version of themselves. This dual focus ensures that the technology remains relevant and impactful for all users.
For local companies, Anthony has been a strong advocate, emphasizing Gnowbe AI’s potential to revolutionize corporate training within the Filipino context. He points out that effective training is about engagement, behavior change, and culture-building, all areas where Gnowbe excels.
Getting started is simple. Organizations can sign up, upload their existing training materials, and have them transformed into interactive courses almost instantly. Managers can then track learner progress and adjust content—all within one platform.
For those who have long talked about innovation in the Philippines, Gnowbe AI offers a practical example: a smart, scalable solution built for how people truly learn and work today. For companies serious about upskilling their teams while easing the workload of HR, Gnowbe AI might be the solution we’ve been waiting for.
