Let’s be real: Keeping up with workplace transformation feels like a full-time job. For today’s chief learning officer, the days of just rolling out compliance training are long gone. In 2025, learning and development leaders are architects of innovation, crafting ecosystems that are agile, automated and AI-infused. This quarter’s Tech Check invites us to pause, assess and get strategic about where tech is taking us. Because the goal isn’t more tools—it’s smarter, more human learning systems that scale with the business.
The state of AI in L&D: Hype vs. reality
AI isn’t coming; it’s already set up shop. According to LinkedIn Learning’s 2025 Workplace Trends Report, 72 percent of L&D professionals say AI is baked into their workflows. What’s even more telling? Forty-one percent rank it as their number one innovation focus. But let’s cut through the buzz. What’s actually happening on the ground?
Here’s where the rubber meets the road:
- AI-Assisted authoring tools: Tools like Synthesia, ChatGPT and Genially AI are powering faster content creation, from scripts to visuals, cutting timelines by over half.
- Automated content tagging: AI tools now auto-tag content based on job roles, skill frameworks or objectives, making personalization and discovery easier than ever.
- Intelligent content mapping: Platforms like Docebo and Workera help match learner goals to the right training paths, aligning learning with performance metrics.
- AI-Powered learning analytics: Think feedback sentiment analysis and predictive engagement dashboards—real data, real decisions, real fast.
AI in design: From static content to dynamic experiences
Instructional design isn’t just faster with AI—it’s smarter. We’re shifting from linear development to modular, AI-enhanced creativity.
Here’s what’s changing:
- Ideation and scripting: Generative AI helps spin up simulations, assessments and scenarios with just a few prompts.
- Storyboarding: Say goodbye to blank slides. AI helps designers quickly map out branching logic and learner journeys.
- Scenario personalization: Want to tailor learning by role, location or level? AI can personalize pathways that still scale.
AI in development: Redefining production workflows
On the production side, AI is the co-creator we didn’t know we needed. It’s speeding up development without compromising creativity.
- Rapid prototyping: Tools like Adobe Firefly and Canva Magic Media generate assets on demand—goodbye endless design cycles.
- Voice and video: Need a voiceover in five languages or a polished avatar? AI says yes faster than your calendar.
- Microlearning and nanolearning: LLMs convert long content into just-right training bites, perfect for busy learners on the go.
Strategic questions CLOs should be asking
AI can’t lead itself. L&D leaders need to chart the course. Here are four key questions to guide your AI game plan:
- Where does AI add value, and where do we still need the human touch?
- Are our L&D teams fluent in AI tools and prompt-based workflows?
- Are we building a culture of experimentation and iteration?
- What insights can we trust from our data, and how are we using them?
Future forward: What’s next?
Let’s drop the doom-and-gloom headline. AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to level us up. CLOs who treat AI as a design partner, not just a fancy new tool, will be the ones future-proofing their organizations. A productivity ally. A catalyst for inclusion, accessibility and innovation.
The future isn’t about AI vs. humans. It’s about AI with humans—learning side by side. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progression. Faster workflows. Smarter insights. More meaningful learner experiences.
Closing thought
As we enter Quarter 3, let’s treat this Tech Check as more than a box to tick. This is our moment to build AI-enhanced learning ecosystems; to rewire learning with intention, innovation and yes, a little imagination. Because the future of learning isn’t knocking—it’s already moved in.
