By almost any metric, it’s clear that generative AI is taking the world by storm. Many luminaries predict that it could have the most significant impact on society since the creation of the internet and will rapidly transform many industries. One of the most-cited areas of potential disruption is education, including corporate Learning & Development (L&D), with the promise of more effective learning outcomes for employees. This is a welcome message for business leaders feeling the mounting pressure of skills shortages and gaps. The World Economic Forum predicts more than one billion employees will need to be reskilled by 2030 due to technology-driven changes in their work and that 60% of companies report that skills gaps are a barrier to business transformation.
Generative AI Streamlines Content Creation and Curation
Generative AI is a pivotal solution for leaders seeking to revolutionize employee training. Its immense potential lies in accelerating content creation and curation or eliminating these processes altogether. With the ability to tailor examples and tone for different audiences, generative AI ensures that training content remains engaging and relevant. Moreover, it excels in scaffolding complex learning, providing employees with seamless and structured paths to acquire new knowledge.
The use cases for generative AI in training content are so numerous and compelling that some L&D professionals (and business leaders) may wonder if AI can largely replace the learning function. The answer is no, but AI can and should be used to significantly reshape learning to better serve business needs. How? By harnessing the power of informal learning.
Shifting Emphasis to Informal Learning
The 70-20-10 principle, a well-established framework in workplace learning, emphasizes that employees best acquire knowledge through a combination of three components: 70 percent of information is optimally learned from on-the-job experiences, 20 percent through interactions with others, and 10 percent from formal training programs. However, as shown in the 2020 State of the Industry report by the Association of Talent Development, most organizations disproportionally prioritize content delivery and formal training over more-impactful informal learning. Coupled with research showing that only 11% of workers apply training to their jobs, this indicates that a content-focused L&D organization is not optimized for employee learning. The emergence of generative AI can change that. With AI lightening the load of content creation and curation, L&D professionals can now concentrate on fostering the 90 percent component by facilitating interactions and knowledge sharing among employees.
There are many types of informal learning that L&D can support. The acronym STRIVE identifies six of the most impactful types:
- Social learning. Humans are social creatures, and we learn best when we interact and learn from others. In the workplace, this natural process of acquiring knowledge, skills and behaviors through interactions with colleagues, managers, mentors and clients is known as social learning. L&D professionals can create opportunities for informal learning by strengthening mentoring programs, expanding lunch and learns, and offering cohort-based learning programs.
- Teaching others. Teaching others helps employees learn better. Since ancient times, we’ve recognized that explaining and sharing information reinforces our learning and helps us internalize concepts more effectively. In the workplace, L&D can support informal learning by creating opportunities for employees to become educators and achieve a win-win— both the teacher and the learner benefit, creating a culture of continuous improvement in the workplace.
- Reflection is a powerful way for employees to learn and grow— it’s like pressing the pause button to absorb and make sense of lessons from real-life experiences. L&D can support this by organizing feedback sessions, coaching and group discussions, and providing frameworks and digital platforms to help employees capture their insights and track progress.
- Investigation. Individual research is a natural avenue for workplace learning. When faced with a new concept or problem, it has become second nature for many people to open a browser and perform a search. This is often overlooked as a means of valuable learning. L&D professionals can encourage employees to engage in self-directed learning by organizing workshops and webinars that teach effective research skills and critical evaluation of information. Providing access to specialized resources like online databases, industry publications and research papers will help employees delve deeper and access cutting-edge knowledge.
- Vocational education. Participating in conferences, attending industry events and reading trade publications are invaluable sources of informal learning. L&D professionals can promote continuous professional development by sponsoring employees to attend relevant conferences and workshops. Post-event discussions or debrief sessions can encourage knowledge sharing among attendees. Additionally, L&D can curate and share industry-related content from reputable sources, keeping employees updated on the latest trends and insights in their field.
- Experiential learning. On-the-job experiences are a goldmine for informal learning. Experiential learning is arguably one of the best ways to learn because authentic tasks, projects, simulations, or on-the-job experiences challenge employees to apply their knowledge and problem-solving abilities in real time with real-world consequences. L&D can support this type of learning by creating opportunities for employees to take on challenging projects, assignments and stretch roles.
Generative AI Supports Informal Learning
Streamlining content creation and delivery isn’t the only way generative AI benefits L&D. One of the most exciting things about generative AI is its potential to support learners directly, including in several areas of STRIVE. For example, employees can use generative AI as a coach and mentor who can answer questions, provide personalized feedback and prompt reflective practice. With its ability to simulate various scenarios, generative AI can create immersive learning experiences, allowing employees to practice and improve their skills in a risk-free environment. Generative AI can even act as a student, prompting employees to “teach” it, mimicking a student’s questions, responses and learning behaviors.
Conclusion
As organizations seek to close the skills gap and retool their workforce, the integration of generative AI becomes increasingly vital. Beyond streamlining content creation, generative AI opens new avenues for L&D to shift its attention to informal learning and provides new opportunities to support learners directly. By embracing generative AI as a valuable ally, training professionals can make workplace learning more engaging, personalized and impactful than ever before.
