Happy 2025! I can’t quite believe I’m typing these words as 2024 seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. I’m usually not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but after more 2 a.m. editing sessions than I care to admit lately, I think I need to focus more on my well-being and working smarter, not harder (helloooo, AI!).
Based on the input we received from Learning and Development (L&D) experts for our 2025 L&D and HR trends round-up (“What Will Drive 2025?”), many employees are in the same boat. As a result, organizations continue working to provide employees with the wellness benefits they crave, along with personalized learning opportunities that are both enhanced by AI and teach workers how to use AI tools to improve their productivity and performance.
“Curating a generative AI-enabled workforce, leveraging technology as a training tool itself, and exploring ways to personalize training through genAI can help your organization activate in the web of ‘training needed because of technology changes’ and ‘using technology for training’ in an impactful way,” notes Kotter Chief Growth Officer Kathy Gersch in “Equipping Your Workforce with AI-Fueled Learning.”
ServiceNow SVP and GM Gretchen Alarcon agrees. As she writes in “How AI Will Reshape L&D and HR in 2025,” “Employees now expect learning to be seamlessly integrated into their work, tailored to their needs, preferences, and schedules. Innovative companies will leverage AI to create predictive and personalized learning experiences that are delivered exactly when employees need it. AI-powered recommendation engines will suggest the most relevant content based on an individual’s skills, career goals, and learning history. Plus, conversational AI assistants will be available around the clock, answering questions and delivering microlearning experiences right in the flow of work.”
AI Adopters vs. Resistors
That all sounds good, but the AI landscape continues to see workforces divided between the “AI adopters” and the “AI resistors,” according to a recent survey of 800 workers by Unily. While more than half of the surveyed employees rarely or never use AI tools, The AI Reality Check found, 27 percent are eager adopters, embracing new AI tech “right away,” yet 32 percent have never used an AI tool at work. For nearly 10 percent, AI has already become a game-changer, “dramatically increasing” their productivity. On the flip side, almost 10 percent resist AI adoption altogether unless forced.
Despite AI’s potential, many employees feel limited by a lack of organizational support. According to Unily’s research, 52 percent of employees say their organization has no known AI policy, and 18 percent indicate that their company only has vague, informal policies. A quarter of respondents say they would use AI tools more frequently if they understood their organization’s policies around AI. This lack of policy can result in:
- Paralysis: Employees hesitate to adopt AI tools without clear approval or guidance from their employers.
- Shadow AI: Employees turn to unsanctioned tools to meet their AI needs, presenting a major compliance and security issue. According to the survey data, 9 percent of employees admit to inputting sensitive data into AI tools their employer hasn’t sanctioned, and 11 percent aren’t sure if they have done so.
The Human Aspect
Even if organizations and their employees embrace AI, it’s still important to keep the “human” in human capital management (HCM), stresses ExpertusONE founder and CEO Ramesh Ramani. “While aspects of HCM and L&D can be automated and personalized using AI-assisted learning recommendations and sentiment analysis, it’s ultimately the people driving these tools and their active verification of how skills are applied and utilized that will seal the deal,” he says.
Skillable CLO in Residence Karie Willyerd concurs. “CLOs must embrace performance validation methods that go beyond rote knowledge testing,” she notes in the trends round-up. “Proof of skill, demonstrated in real-world or simulated environments, will ensure employees are prepared to tackle the complexities of modern roles—and it is validation AI can’t fake.”
Ultimately, NovoEd Chief Learning Strategist Todd Moran believes that L&D and HR working together will be key to building resilient organizations that strategically develop their employees’ skills. As he writes in “4 L&D and HR Trends to Embrace for 2025,” “With the right collaborative tools and an aligned strategic focus, L&D and HR professionals can establish robust learning frameworks and create impactful learning experiences that prepare employees for emerging challenges.”
Adds Willyerd, “The organizations that succeed will prioritize adaptability; foster a culture of unlearning and relearning; and invest in immersive, validated training that prepares employees for an AI-powered future.”
Training 2025 Conference & Expo
Our upcoming Training 2025 Conference & Expo (Feb. 17-19 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort) is an excellent place to learn more about emerging technologies, innovative solutions, and successful L&D best practices (plus, enjoy some sunshine and warm temps to ward off the winter chill). The event will feature a variety of breakout sessions and hands-on clinics on AI, upskilling/reskilling, personalized learning, and other L&D topics. It also will offer attendees a chance to network and get hands-on with new training solutions and technologies in the Expo Hall, Innovations in Training Test Kitchen, and Podcast and Virtual Engagement Labs. Click here to register by Jan. 24 and get the $150 Early Bird Discount.
We hope you’ll join us and your L&D peers in Orlando next month!
