The CIPD’s 2023 Learning at Work survey found two thirds (68%) of L&D leaders believed they are successful at using the learning technologies available.
Just one in 20 learning functions were using AI tools as of February 2023, and only 6% plan to do so in the next 12 months.
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Despite headlines around the use of AI in the workplace and for HR tasks Michelle Parry-Slater, L&D director at Kairos Modern Learning, said AI won’t be widely adopted in development activities until it can solve specific learning issues.
She told HR magazine: “Until we [L&D] have a real need to get involved and learn about AI, it will just trundle along in the background. That said I don’t think AI is going away.”
Parry-Slater said that while she does not think AI will override the need for humans in L&D, it might have a future in creating learning content if the professionals using it are skilled enough.
She added: “The skill [for L&D professionals and learners] will not be in using AI but in creating the right prompts to create learning content at speed.
“If we don’t write the right prompts the learning content will be wrong.
She added that the future of L&D was likely to include an element of AI alongside other tools: “What we’re beginning to understand is all these things play a part of the story.”
Parry-Slater was confident that L&D functions will be able to adapt again when AI in learning becomes more commonplace, citing how quick it was to adopt digital learning practices during the pandemic.
“L&D upskilled to being digital because we had to and people realised the values,” she added.
Andy Lancaster, head of learning at the CIPD, believes this mindset will be useful if L&D is to keep being innovative with technology and learning delivery going forwards, helping organisations get the skills they need.
He said: “Covid-19 forced learning practitioners to address key organisational needs, particularly new ways of working and digital skills.
“Post-pandemic, learning professionals must engage in consultative discussions, leverage data and insights, and foster innovative approaches to provide accessible solutions.”
The CIPD’s 2023 Learning at Work survey was based on the views of 1,108 individuals who support workplace learning.
