The race for impact: How AI is reshaping the role of L&D
Where is AI really taking workplace learning? And what separates teams who are transforming performance from those simply doing the same things faster?
In this episode of Learning at Large, we’re joined by Donald Taylor, Chair of the Learning Technologies Conference and Founder and Lead Researcher of the L&D Survey Series. Donald unpacks new findings from his AI in L&D: The Race for Impact report, explains the widening divide between efficiency and transformation, and shares what future-ready L&D teams are doing differently.
Watch the full podcast video
Top tips for navigating AI’s impact on L&D
Don’t have time to listen now? Here’s a quick summary of what you’ll learn in this episode:
- Spot the shift toward smarter AI use – Look beyond content generation to how AI is enabling analysis, insight, and personalized development.
- Know which track you’re on – Identify whether your team is using AI for efficiency or genuinely transforming how learning happens.
- Scale only what works – Before automating, check that the practice actually solves a real problem and creates value.
- Reframe L&D around performance – Focus less on delivering learning and more on improving capability and solving business challenges.
- Choose your future intentionally – Be clear about what you want L&D to be, and shape your approach to match it.
- Lead with an entrepreneurial mindset – Set a clear direction, adapt quickly, and stay laser-focused on business impact.
1. Spot the shift toward smarter AI use
AI adoption in L&D has moved well beyond pilots. More than half of teams now use AI actively, but the real story is how usage is evolving. Donald highlights a rise in qualitative data analysis, insight generation, and personalized development support, indicating a shift from simple content production to deeper, more meaningful applications.
“Underneath the surface things are happening, which are showing an increasing sophistication in the way that we use AI.”
2. Know which track you’re on
Donald’s research shows L&D is splitting into two distinct tracks. The first uses AI to increase efficiency, creating more content, faster. The second uses AI as a catalyst to rethink the role of L&D entirely, moving toward performance, problem-solving, and business partnership. Knowing which track you’re on determines your long-term impact.
“When I talk about two tracks, what we’re talking about is one group that is using… L&D for efficiency… And there’s another group that is seeing it as being transformational”
3. Scale only what works
AI accelerates everything, which is why L&D must be disciplined about what gets scaled. Automating an ineffective process only magnifies its weaknesses. Donald stresses the importance of validating that a practice genuinely creates value before using AI to expand it.
“AI is like wine and caffeine. It helps you do stupid things faster. Is it worth scaling? That’s the question.”
4. Reframe L&D around performance
AI is pushing organizations to rethink what L&D is really for. Instead of measuring success through course completion or content volume, Donald argues that future-focused teams are orienting around capability, problem-solving, and real performance outcomes. L&D’s value is shifting from what people learn to what people can do.
“Start thinking not about the L&D department, but… about performance. The organization pays for the end result – that people can do their jobs better now and in the future – not for the learning itself.”
5. Choose your future intentionally
Donald introduces the Transformation Triangle – three possible operating models for L&D. Teams may become a Skills Authority, managing skills as a strategic asset; an Enablement Partner, empowering people across the business to create and share solutions; or an Adaptation Engine, embedded in multidisciplinary teams solving performance challenges end-to-end. Every model requires a conscious choice.
“These three things represent possible futures for L&D. You can’t be both centralized and decentralized. You can’t both have an L&D department and not have an L&D department.”
6. Lead with an entrepreneurial mindset
According to Donald, the single biggest predictor of L&D transformation isn’t technology, it’s leadership. High-impact L&D leaders think like entrepreneurs: they define a clear north star, adapt quickly, and maintain focus on outcomes that matter to the business. Their mindset is what turns AI from a tool of efficiency into a catalyst for meaningful change.
“The key factor is the attitude of the leader… They see the department as being something like a business...They know where to make compromises. They know what to fight about, what not to fight about.”
About Donald
Donald is the Chair of the Learning Technologies Conference and a leading commentator on the business of learning. Known globally for the Global Sentiment Survey and the AI & L&D Global Report, Donald has spent more than 30 years helping organizations understand how technology reshapes learning, performance, and capability.
Connect with Donald on LinkedIn.
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