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How L&D Leaders Can Get Their Organization Ready for The AI Era
It’s no secret that artificial intelligence is bringing about significant transformations in the learning and development industry. It’s not only revolutionizing how organizations deliver training, it’s enhanced the learning experiences for learners. But, as an L&D leader, it can be daunting to bring AI into your strategy.
Everyday at LearnUpon, our customers are asking how they can prepare and embrace AI in their learning. And we’ve seen it done in some ingenious ways. So, today we’re sharing some powerful ways to get your organization ready for the AI era.
How has AI changed the learning landscape
AI in the learning industry has unlocked a range of new opportunities for learners, you and your organization’s business goals.
We’re seeing it open up a world of more personalized, efficient, and data-driven learning experiences that can adapt to individual needs and the demands of the modern learning teams.
How to prepare for AI in learning and development
Develop AI literacy
To prepare for the changes AI is bringing to the industry, you need to develop your own understanding of AI technologies, their capabilities, and their implications for learning and development.
A recent Brandon Hall Group study found that organizations are less familiar with how AI works within learning technologies than with other HCM tools. Despite this 60% of companies believe that AI is either highly important or critical to properly leveraging learning technologies.
So, to stay up-to-date on read up on AI trends from thought leaders like Josh Bersin, check out relevant workshops or training programs you think you may need, and network with experts in the field for advice or best practices.
Conduct a skills assessment
We recommend that learning leaders assess the existing skill sets within their organization to identify areas where AI could have the most impact. This will help in figuring out the specific AI tools and technologies that can support L&D initiatives. You’ll also get the added benefit of finding out the AI literacy within your organization and whether any gaps need to be closed.
For example, if content is a time suck, dragging your team away from more strategic tasks, why not upgrade to an AI-powered authoring tool like Easygenerator or an an AI video tool like Colossyan.
Foster a culture of continuous learning
With the rapid evolution of AI, it’s crucial to cultivate a culture of continuous learning within your organization. L&D leaders and C-Suite should always encourage employees to upskill and reskill themselves. But this can be made easier by embracing emerging technologies, and adapting to new learning methodologies facilitated by AI.
While you can build the learning content yourself, or there’s lots of great off-the-shelf content that can help your organization learn about AI, like LinkedIn Learning and Go1. Learn more about our integration with Go1 here.
Upskill L&D professionals
While there’s a worry within L&D teams that AI could replace them, we see it differently. At LearnUpon, we see AI as something that empowers Learning teams; a partner that’s helping you achieve. It’s something that can enable for a scalable solution, faster course creation, and more meaningful and personalized learning experiences.
The best way to build confidence is to invest in upskilling your teams to understand and leverage the AI tools you use, or will potentially use, effectively. Think about providing training around AI technologies, data analysis, instructional design for AI-driven learning, and integrating AI into existing L&D workflows.
Collaborate with IT and data teams
If you’re a little hesitant to dip your toes in the AI waters, we suggest chatting with your IT and data teams to ensure they have the necessary technical infrastructure and support to integrate AI tools effectively.
Here at LearnUpon, that’s exactly what our L&D and IT teams did. They closely collaborated together to find the right tools that would work for our teams and you should do the same.
This collaboration can involve identifying and selecting the right AI solutions, addressing data privacy and security concerns, and ensuring compatibility with existing systems.
Pilot AI initiatives and evaluate outcomes
You might want to hit the ground running and implement AI in your learning from the get-go. But, it’s crucial to start small by piloting AI initiatives in specific areas of their programs. Why not use a course recommender tool to see if learner engagement increases, or try an AI-powered assessment tool to find out if it increases learner knowledge?
Starting small and working your way up, means you’ll be able to see the impact, measure success metrics, gather feedback from learners, and make informed decisions about scaling up AI integration.
Address ethical considerations
Not always the funniest topic, but one to consider; as an L&D leader you need to actively consider ethical implications related to AI, such as privacy, bias, and fairness. Things like establishing guidelines and processes to ensure AI systems are transparent, accountable, and unbiased, and that learner data is handled responsibly go a long way in protecting your learners and your business
Monitor industry trends and collaborate with peers
It should go without saying that learning leaders should stay informed about AI developments, industry best practices, and emerging trends. But what’s the best way to go about this? We’re big advocates of attending relevant conferences, participating in professional networks, and collaborating with peers in your field. You’ll discover how to adapt your strategies and programs to align with the evolving AI landscape.
While you can keep a general eye on AI news, make sure to read and watch pieces specific to the learning industry. Like this recent Brandon Hall Group survey which found that 60% of employers said they would use ChatGPT to enhance and scale training activities.
Communicate the benefits of AI
Arm yourself with stats on how AI has the potential to save time. Show your organization how certain tools can help your learners have deeper learning experiences that will, in turn, improve the organization’s bottom line. By fostering this awareness and enthusiasm about AI, you can create a supportive environment for AI adoption and encourage stakeholders to embrace AI-driven initiatives.
You and your organization’s leadership team must set your strategies up to be AI ready. Have conversations around possible tools to adopt, how your strategies could change and how best to educate yourselves and your learners around AI. You need to be set up for the future, so you don’t fall behind competitors.
At LearnUpon, we believe it’s only the beginning of what AI can do for learning teams. The quicker you get onboard, the quicker you can start seeing the benefits. If you’d like to find out more about how LearnUpon is using AI to help learning leaders unlock smarter, scalable, automated learning with a breakthrough suite of AI-powered features, find out more here.
