In 2025, learning professionals will have an extremely busy agenda. Business leaders want them to provide future skills and train employees in artificial intelligence. They also need to ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest training staff needs to perform their current roles.
Fosway’s Digital Learning Realities Report for last year revealed that AI has a significant impact on L&D. 48% of respondents said it would have an “a lot” (or “a great deal) influence. The expectations about AI have been moderated since 2023 and the scepticism has increased about its potential.
Personnel Today talked to analysts from Fosway to find out what organizations can expect in 2025, in terms of L&D investment and focus – and if AI will live up to its hype.
Business readiness is the top priority
This year, we’ve seen L&D teams focus more on compliance than business readiness. David Perring, Chief Insight Officer, explains that they are thinking about career advancement and wider trends like the lack of available talent. We can retain our people by providing them with opportunities to grow. “But they are also asked to do more work with less.”
The L&D team is more engaged in strategic workforce planning. This strengthens their relationship with HR and other leaders.
Driving efficiency
Myles Runham is a lead analyst in digital learning. He says that economic pressures force organisations to prioritize efficiency as the main benefit of AI. They’re looking to automate content creation and tasks as budgets and staff numbers are low.
He cautions that AI is not the panacea to these problems. There will be an emphasis on effectiveness and impact, rather than just making savings. In 2021, Covid boosted digital learning. Had generative AI been available, we may have seen a greater focus on innovation. Now, it’s about proving the concept and demonstrating its impact, he says.
AI: A pragmatic use
According to Fosway’s Digital Reality report, 64% respondents plan to use AI to increase the speed of their learning and 63% for improved learning effectiveness. This can be translated into workplace use cases like practice and reversal. For example, a salesperson could role-play against a virtual customer.
AI can improve user-generated material (UGC) by making it easier for experts to share their knowledge (and at a lower cost), and to include it in libraries of learning materials. Perring says that UGC was the talk of the town a few years back, but at the time it was chaotic. “AI can enhance this content, and become your assistant to help you create better materials.” It may be appropriate when budgets are tight and a project is high priority, for instance.
Reduce costs
AI allows organisations to create content previously impossible for budgets. In addition to obvious use cases like translation and transcription, which are already built into the tools that employees use every day, more teams are using AI tools for generating content. Fosway found that 51% of respondents would increase spending on content creation. Runham says that the tool can be used to improve learning design by proposing improvements or objectives. It can also boost development of expensive solutions like games and scenario experiences.
Perring cites examples like PwC, a consulting firm that uses AI to allow employees to enter virtual worlds or scenarios which build diversity and inclusion awareness. AI can make this kind of learning accessible to organisations who may not have the budget for it. He says that these tools are three times more efficient in terms of their response. AI can help small businesses accelerate these scenarios and grow their skills.
Learning in a Hybrid World
Runham says, “We have been focusing on content for so long that it has become a standard factor.” Now teams are looking for ways to integrate it with experiences like on-the job learning and how we spend our time learning together.
He says that digital learning can be a lonely experience. But there is a chance to make it a group activity by using time for mentoring, peer feedback and other activities. “We’re working with leaders to find ways to improve networking, and to make the most of their time together to gain expertise. This is a better option than spending four days at a hotel for a leadership training course.”
Understanding AI’s Limitations
Learning teams must be realistic about the role AI will play in their learning agenda, alongside human and in-person learning. While they acknowledge that their employees will use ChatGPT as a tool to help them with their work, Perring says that they are keen to stress that these systems do not know the workflow of your employees, what they sell or your clients’ goals.
Many bots are free and can be used by employees to get advice on how to deal with a particular situation. A large language model won’t be able to tell you how your company lives out its values. ChatGPT cannot do new starter orientation, or understand new products”, he says.
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