Impact of Irrelevance on Learning and Progression of Development Squads
In today's fast-paced business environment, the role of Learning and Development (L&D) teams is evolving, with the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini taking centre stage. These AI tools are now capable of answering job-specific questions with more speed and clarity than most e-learning platforms, marking a significant shift in the learning landscape.
However, the success of L&D in this new era doesn't lie in competing with AI, but rather in staying relevant because of it. Employees are no longer interested in courses based on abstract competencies, mandatory compliance modules disconnected from job reality, leadership programs lacking practical tools, or soft skills modules with overly polished scenarios. To remain relevant, L&D programs should map the learning destination, connect the dots, and make the content useful at scale by designing programs alongside the people it will serve.
To make corporate learning valuable in this AI-augmented world, several strategies can be employed.
Personalization at Scale
One approach is to personalize learning experiences at scale. This can be achieved through adaptive learning paths, where AI is used to create personalized training tailored to each employee's role, performance gaps, and career goals. Additionally, AI-driven analytics can help predict emerging skills gaps by analysing internal data and external signals, such as market trends.
Learning in the Flow of Work
Another strategy is to integrate learning into productivity platforms, offering context-sensitive learning prompts. This reduces training time, prevents information overload, and increases retention by aligning learning with work activities. Continuous feedback and improvement can also be facilitated through AI, allowing employees to improve their skills and performance in real-time.
Strategic Alignment and Leadership
To ensure that AI-driven learning initiatives align with the organization's strategic objectives, it's crucial to align learning with business strategy. CEOs can also champion AI literacy, emphasizing its importance for innovation, operational efficiency, and market competitiveness.
Human-Centered Strategies with AI Amplification
Before integrating AI, it's essential to establish a human-centered learning strategy. This includes clear business alignment, effective change management, and human-centered design. AI should then be used to amplify this foundation rather than replace it.
Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning
To foster a culture of continuous learning, employees should be provided with easy access to AI tools and formal training. Encouraging participation in forums and communities focused on AI learning can also help foster a culture of continuous skill-building and innovation.
In conclusion, the rise of AI poses an existential challenge to traditional L&D. The bypass of L&D becomes the default when it is perceived as irrelevant, which can lead to executive leadership decisions to cut L&D budgets, restructure teams, or disband the function entirely. To cement our function's place as the go-to avenue for learning, adapting, and performing in an AI-augmented world, L&D teams must become useful again. This can be achieved by employing strategies such as personalization at scale, learning in the flow of work, strategic alignment and leadership, human-centered strategies with AI amplification, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
[1] David James, the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) at 360Learning, is a leading voice in this transformation. David James, who is also the host of The Learning & Development Podcast and previously worked as the Director of L&D for The Walt Disney Company, emphasizes the importance of staying relevant in an AI-augmented world.
[2] The World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025" states that 63% of employers identify skills gaps as the primary barrier to business transformation. With global L&D spend growing by an estimated 3.45% annually since 2022, it's clear that investing in relevant and valuable learning experiences is crucial for business success.
[3] To test for usefulness, ask employees if the training was helpful and what they can now do that they couldn't before. If learning is perceived as irrelevant, it can erode credibility, foster disengagement, and drive employees away.
[4] The opportunity lies in cementing our function's place as the go-to avenue for learning, adapting, and performing in an AI-augmented world. For example, when launching a sales enablement program, an L&D team might use GenAI to draft useful resources or objection-handling scripts, then work with top-performing reps to refine them.
[5] The rise of generative AI like ChatGPT and Gemini poses an existential challenge to traditional L&D. However, these tools offer contextualized problem-solving support in the moment, on the job, and with the user's challenge at the centre. To provide employees with content grounded in their reality, learning should be contextualized with the help of subject-matter experts (SMEs).
[6] The CEO of Shopify encouraged employees to use AI as a thought partner, shifting the learning paradigm. Reversing the drift toward irrelevance requires a reorientation of how we think about learning at work, with a focus on solving actual problems and getting closer to the work.
