Monday, September 8, 2025
“I realized that there are four benefits to utilizing an AI coaching platform for public speaking practice…: No pressure… On-demand access… Low-cost… More practice.”
– Nancy Duarte, presentation expert, in Can AI help with public speaking? A review of AI platforms
This article describes three top-tier AI tools that STEM speakers (engineers, scientists, tech experts—you name it) can use in their speaking.
These tools make STEM speakers’ efforts much easier.
You will love them for polishing both what you say and how you say it.
Here are the AI tools for STEM speakers:
Yoodli – Your AI Speech Drill Sergeant
Record your presentation (video or audio), and Yoodli evaluates delivery speed, filler words (“um”, “like”), clarity, word choice, eye contact, and even body language—if it’s a video-based presentation.
You also get a transcript, a confidence score, and tailored suggestions. It’s like your mirror telling you to fix that nervous tic before it becomes the unfunny focus of your TED-worthy talk.
What sets Yoodli apart from just “record and watch yourself” is its AI coaching layer:
Real-time prompts: If you’re practicing live, it flashes gentle nudges (e.g., “Slow down” or “Cut filler words”).
Post-session analytics: Visual dashboards with pacing graphs, frequency counts of filler words, and clarity metrics.
Tailored suggestions: Instead of just pointing out flaws, it offers specific fixes (“Pause after each equation,” “Try replacing ‘basically’ with a stronger verb”).
Confidence score: A holistic rating that combines tone, energy, and delivery smoothness—like a quick performance snapshot.
STEM professionals often struggle with making technical details sound engaging. Yoodli helps by:
Showing when you speed up while explaining complex formulas (a common habit).
Identifying when slides cause you to turn away from the camera, hurting eye contact.
Nudging you to replace passive, academic phrasing with stronger, active language.
Training consistency: Practicing a pitch five times with Yoodli means measurable progress, not just “I think I did better.”
Engineers prepping pitches, scientists rehearsing TED-like summaries, or even you running a workshop for other engineers, will benefit from using Yoodli
It’s not replacing your Toastmasters swagger—just giving you that playful but insightful push to polish your delivery.
So, Yoodli is a top-tier tool for STEM speakers
Another tool STEM speakers should explore is Orai.
Orai – Pocket Coach You Can Take Anywhere
Orai is a mobile-based AI coach that listens to your speech and provides instant feedback on filler words, pace, clarity, vocal energy, and conciseness.
Think tongue-twisters, elevator-pitch drills, and “umm-overload” practice routines all wrapped into your morning commute.
Orai makes training fun. Instead of dry drills, Orai gamifies your improvement:
Tongue-twisters to boost articulation.
Elevator-pitch challenges to refine short, high-impact messages.
“Umm-overload” routines that make filler words painfully obvious—so you break the habit.
Scoring and badges to keep motivation high (because engineers and scientists love measurable progress!).
Why STEM Speakers Love Orai:
Bite-sized lessons: You can practice while commuting, waiting for coffee, or before walking into a big meeting. It’s improvement by stealth.
Progress tracking: Clear dashboards let you see how much your clarity, confidence, and pacing improve over time—metrics you can even brag about in performance reviews.
Accessibility: Especially helpful for non-native English speakers who need to explain technical topics. It builds fluency and confidence without the scheduling or cost of live coaching.
On-demand rehearsal: Before diving into a technical presentation (“quantum entanglement in 10 slides”), you can rehearse anywhere, anytime—and smooth out the jargon so your audience actually stays awake.
When you want to tighten your delivery—smooth out those tech-heavy sentences so your audience doesn’t doze—and rehearse anywhere, anytime (e.g. before launching into a deep dive on quantum entanglement).
So, Yoodli and Orai are top-tier AI tools for STEM speakers.
The last top-tier AI tool is Gamma.
Gamma – AI Slidesmith That Tells a Story
You give Gamma an outline, prompt, or raw text. It auto-generates fully formatted, visually appealing presentations—and not just slides, but scrollable, story-driven decks.
Tweak them lightly, then export to Google Slides, PPT, PDF, web link, or even a website. (Gamma Review)
Why STEM Professionals Love Gamma:
Speed: You can turn dense technical ideas into a sharp, engaging deck in minutes, freeing more time for content mastery.
Design without drama: Automatically generates layouts that are clean, logical, and modern—so your graphs and models don’t get buried under ugly formatting. (Gamma Review)
Collaboration: Colleagues can edit and refine in real time—ideal for distributed engineering or research teams.
AI visuals: Need a concept diagram or illustration? Gamma suggests AI-generated images directly inside the tool.
Cross-device ready: Decks adjust to laptops, tablets, and phones—helpful when your audience is half remote.
Things to Consider:
Complex STEM charts: Gamma struggles with highly technical visualizations (like MATLAB plots, multi-variable graphs, or detailed CAD renderings). You may still need PowerPoint/Keynote for fine-tuned data visuals.
Export quirks: Some formatting doesn’t carry over perfectly into offline PPT/PDF exports. Always test before a big stage event. (Plus AI)
In short, Gamma handles the “look and flow” so you can focus on the science and storytelling. Think of it as your slide design autopilot—leaving you free to explain why your algorithm matters instead of wrestling with PowerPoint boxes.
When you’ve got a dense STEM topic and need a slick, story-first deck (e.g., “My algorithm in 10 slides, max!”). Gamma handles the layout while you focus on clarity and accuracy.
So, the three top-tier tools for STEM speakers are (1) Yoodli – your AI speech drill sergeant, (2) Orai – your pocket coach you can take anywhere, and (3) Gamma – your AI slidesmith that tells a story.
In this rapidly evolving world, the use of AI tools is becoming increasingly necessary.
Try these tools and simplify your life!
Call to Action
Use Yoodli to evaluate the video of your presentation for filler words (“um”, “like”), clarity, word choice, eye contact, and even body language.
Use Orai as a mobile-based AI coach that listens to your speech and provides instant feedback on filler words, pace, clarity, vocal energy, and conciseness.
Use Gamma to create an outline, prompt, raw text, and auto-generated, fully formatted, visually appealing presentations.
“AI can assist in structuring a presentation, but it won’t automatically make it good. Many researchers are disappointed by generic or unclear output … You are responsible for guiding AI, refining its suggestions, and ensuring your message is clear and impactful.”
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References
Yoodli: Generative AI coach, feedback on delivery, video analysis, accessible to anyone, not a replacement for human coaching, Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth, in Transform Public Speaking with Yoodli: Your AI Coach
Orai: Machine-learning speech coach app, feedback on filler words/pace/energy, gamified lessons, mobile practice anytime
Gamma: AI deck creator, quick design from outlines, scrolling story-style decks, export options, free + Pro pricing, collaboration, slight export limitations, Allyson Lewis in Gamma AI Presentations: The Ultimate Guide to Creating Stunning Slide Decks in Minutes
_____________________________ Being a confident, engaging, and effective STEM speaker is a vital personal and professional asset. With more than 40 years of engineering experience and more than 30 years of award-winning public speaking experience, I can help you reduce your presentation preparatory time by 50%, overcome your fear of public speaking and be completely at ease, deliver your presentations effectively, develop your personal presence with your audience; and apply an innovative way to handle audience questions deftly.
Working closely with you, I provide a customized protocol employing the critical skills and tools you need to create, practice, and deliver excellent STEM speeches and presentations. Let’s connect and explore how I can help you become the exceptional speaker you were meant to be. Please reach out to me at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com or 703-509-4424 for a complimentary consultation. Schedule a meeting with me at calendly.com/frankdibartolomeospeaks
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