Learning Will Become Sentient
It shouldn't come as a surprise that whenever new technology is introduced people tend to focus on the most pessimistic outcomes possible rather than how it may be beneficial to their efforts. When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), those in Learning and Development (L&D) are no different. But rather than seeing AI in corporate Learning and Development as doom and gloom for learning, why not consider what it can or will do to enhance your potential learning efforts? Better yet, consider the business value it will bring to learning overall. Suffice to say, discovering how to incorporate AI should make the world your oyster.
Business today is synonymous with change. Actually, if you ask your operational leaders, they would say it's synonymous with disruption...which is just dramatic or unexpected change. Decisions your operational stakeholders must make have to be quick, dynamic, and relevant, agile, and adaptable to the fast-paced evolving business environment. Simply put, apart from a company simply surviving and remaining relevant, every organization is constantly seeking ways to gain some type of edge or, in leader-speak, get a sustainable competitive edge.
One of the most important ways to achieve this advantage is through effective corporate Learning and Development efforts. But the conventional approaches to employee upskilling and training are frequently costly, time-consuming, and impersonal. This is where Artificial Intelligence enters the picture. It offers several financial, competitive, and business benefits, transforming corporate Learning and Development.
How AI Can Transform Corporate Learning And Development
Enhanced Learning Personalization
Offering highly customized learning opportunities is one of the biggest business and operational benefits of integrating AI into L&D. Essentially, making your learning efforts more personalized also makes it more targeted. In business speak, it is about fixing the specific issue fast. AI systems can help you do this well. AI can assess each employee's distinct strengths and shortcomings and suggest customized learning paths. This tailoring and the resulting customized experience ensures that employees receive training and development materials that are most relevant to their roles and career aspirations, leading to increased engagement and more effective learning.
Cost Efficiency
AI can drastically lower the cost of training compared to more conventional methods. By leveraging AI capabilities and automating some of the more fundamental course elements and developmental and delivery tasks, organizations can discover resource savings on their training materials, physical facilities, and displacement and travel costs. Additionally, using AI-driven learning technologies and platforms facilitates tracking of employee progress and engagement, allowing learning practitioners and departments to optimize existing training resources, leading to more cost-effective programs.
Continuous Learning
The abilities and skills required remain competitive in business are constantly changing. AI is the one technology that, as it continues to evolve, could contribute to fostering a culture of continuous learning by giving employees timely access to on-demand and relevant training content. Possessing this type of agility and adaptability ensures that employees remain current with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices, which in turn leads to increased competitiveness in the market.
Data-Driven Decision Making
AI can provide crucial insights on the effectiveness of your Learning and Development efforts upon operational activities. Organizations can use the intelligence gained from the data analytics gathered by the AI to assess the effectiveness of their training programs and suggest areas for improvement and, possibly, further learning needs. This AI-focused, data-driven, strategy allows organizations and their learning departments to appropriately reallocate existing and scarce resources to learning efforts and initiatives that yield the best results, eventually enhancing the return stakeholders expect L&D to contribute operational growth.
Gamification And Engagement
While often overused or inappropriately defined, layering AI within learning gamification will allow learning practitioners to wield exceptional insight and power when proposing any effort. Incorporating AI within specific gamification elements of corporate training can easily enhance the learning process and make it more engaging and enjoyable for employees. Allowing AI to become a form of predictive intelligence within gamification techniques (such as rewards, leaderboards, and challenges) could help to better motivate and direct employees to more relevant and targeted learning interventions. Naturally, the goal is to deliver increased engagement that translates into improved knowledge retention and skill development.
Predictive Analysis And Skills Gap Identification
AI can easily assist organizations in identifying and filling skills gaps. Increasingly, AI is being applied to forecast future skills requirements by studying employee performance data and industry trends. This proactive strategy enables firms to better train their personnel for new challenges and opportunities, allowing them to remain competitive in a quickly changing business market.
Global Accessibility
Many organizations operate within various countries and those smaller companies are also expected to compete globally. This is where power of AI and a learning strategy can empower a global workforce or appropriately upskill a domestic one for unique engagements. AI-powered Learning and Development platforms can provide learning resources and materials in numerous languages and adapt to varied cultural contexts. This global accessibility offers consistent training experiences across various areas and ensures that the organization's L&D programs are available to employees worldwide or for global interactions.
Scalability
AI can easily scale training programs to meet the needs of expanding workforces or evolving learning requirements. Using AI within learning allows organizations to rapidly create and deploy new courses or update current ones, making it easier to address changing business demands without substantial time and resource expenditures.
To Sum Up: AI In Corporate Learning And Development
Whether you accept it or not, Artificial Intelligence will be a game-changer for many facets in business. But rather than turning a blind eye hoping you're not impacted, it's probably better for you to accept it and embrace how it can contribute and enhance your learning efforts. There is no doubt that as AI evolves further, you will witness its ability to enhance learning personalization, reduce costs, promote continuous learning, and provide targeted data-driven insights delivering real value for your stakeholders. Incorporating AI as a learning partner will ensure employees are well-equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today's turbulent and dynamic marketplace. Those who embrace AI in corporate L&D are not only investing in their workforce's future but also securing a stronger position in their industry's present and future landscape.
Want To Develop This Mindset?
As you can appreciate, one article will point you in the right direction, but it only scratches the surface of the positive impact your learning efforts can have on an organization. Force yourself to go deeper and grow into the value you know learning can deliver to your business. eLearning Industry is offering a course to accompany you in your professional development. Enroll in their course, "How to Sell eLearning to Internal Stakeholders" at a limited special rate.
Please share your thoughts and feedback with us. We would enjoy hearing about your efforts. And who knows, it may be the topic of our next eLearning Industry article. Also, please check out our LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more about developing business credibility for your learning efforts. Please share your thoughts and remember #alwaysbelearning!