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In this episode of The Learning and Development Podcast, host David James discusses the transformative potential of generative AI on learning and development with L&D expert Donald Clark. James and Clark emphasize how AI is already helping L&D professionals adopt a more personalized, bottom-up approach to learning and how it will continue to challenge traditional course-based methods. Clark argues that L&D teams should enthusiastically embrace the power of generative AI to enhance learning, productivity and overall effectiveness.
Take-Aways
- The rollout of ChatGPT marked a significant new AI milestone.
- Generative AI can provide customized support for both individual and corporate learning and development needs.
- L&D professionals can’t afford to ignore new AI tools.
Summary
The rollout of ChatGPT marked a significant new AI milestone.
While the real impact of AI in people’s daily lives began roughly 20 years ago with the advent of technologies like Google Search and Google Maps, the November 30, 2022 release of ChatGPT marked a significant milestone in AI history. This new AI model quickly gained popularity, reaching a million users within two days and a hundred million users within two months. Bill Gates called this era of AI the most significant development in computing since 1980. He emphasized its transformative impact on the field of technology and its potential to help with education and learning.
“This generative AI stuff has been marbled like fat into the meat of these tools that you’re using anyway.” (Donald Clark)
Generative AI draws on, and, thus, reflects the vast knowledge available online. Experts already see people using it as a productivity tool in their professional lives: Tasks that previously took weeks to finish now take only minutes. Generative AI can help with analyzing and summarizing complex data, for example.
Generative AI can provide customized support for both individual and corporate learning and development needs.
AI is also offering new ways for people to learn. It enables continuous learning, as it is accessible 24/7, and will lead L&D away from traditional, overly structured courses where information is divorced from the on-the-ground realities of work. Generative AI models like ChatGPT allow people to learn in “the flow of work” – that is, to ask the tool for the knowledge they need at the moment, and in the context in which they actually wish to use it. This approach treats workers as independent learners – giving them agency and, thus, improving engagement – and ensures learning content is relevant to their needs.
By embracing the AI-driven demand, rather than the traditional supply model of learning, L&D professionals can avoid wasting time and resources trying to answer questions no worker is really asking. A course on an abstract subject like “how to be resilient,” for example, isn’t really helping with upskilling – which is desperately needed – and therefore, can create further frustration around learning.
“People are doing it for themselves and using the tool for themselves.” (Donald Clark)
Demand-driven learning represents a significant shift away from the top-down methods that have been used in L&D for decades. For example, generative AI can analyze internal organizational data and identify “critical points of failure,” such as talent attrition within parts of the company. This allows L&D to then pinpoint the underlying issues or managerial shortcomings driving the problem and address them. It also allows companies to avoid spending huge sums on creating sweeping, company-wide courses which research shows do very little to solve practical problems like biased hiring practices or skill gaps.
L&D professionals can’t afford to ignore new AI tools.
While these developments might sound troubling for the future of L&D departments, they need not be. But L&D professionals can’t afford to ignore the technology – they need to get comfortable with it, and quickly. They must accept that, moving forward, learning will be more of a dialogue – a back-and-forth between employees and L&D departments. L&D must also become more data-savvy, and thus, able to discover their organization’s true pain points. Finally, L&D departments must consider how to shift their budgets and other resources to fit the goals of providing real-time performance support and dynamic learning.
About the Podcast
Host David James is the chief learning strategist at Looop and guest Donald Clark is an EdTech entrepreneur, CEO and professor.