Expert perspectives: How AI in learning and development can power career mobility

As artificial intelligence reshapes the business landscape, forward-thinking people leaders have a unique opportunity to leverage this transformative technology — not only to create learning content —  but also to empower career mobility and people’s growth.

In Lepaya’s State of Skills Report 2024, we asked experts to share their views on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)  in learning and development. How can learning teams seamlessly implement AI in their strategies? And what is AI's role in talent development?

The true value of AI in learning and development 

In 2024, people teams are faced with the complexity of connecting individual career pathways with enterprises’ growth needs. This is where AI learning technology holds great potential.

“One of the biggest shifts within the next couple of years is the career development that will move our employees forward in a more tailored way and reduce the need for external recruitments.

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There are already interesting ventures into this, where companies create solutions that make personalized career paths and continuously offer guidance on future learnings to set employees on the right path. Many of the solutions today are still immature, but in a few years, this will be a must-have for the best companies and HR teams,” Thomas Eklöf, Founder of AI for HR.

From mapping employee skills to providing predictive analytics for talent management, AI will enable people leaders to streamline performance evaluations, better match employees to job openings, and identify factors to improve employee retention strategies, among other things. 

While the opportunities for AI to bolster the capabilities of learning and development (L&D) initiatives abound, the technology should not be seen as a replacement for L&D teams. Instead, L&D professionals are uniquely equipped to harness the power of this new technology and identify boutique learning opportunities within their organizations for maximum impact. 

“Think of it like learning to drive. Once you have learned to drive a manual car (i.e., working without AI assistance), you will have all the knowledge needed to drive an automatic too (i.e., working with AI)," Alex Rylance, Head of Human Resources UK at Netcompany.

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As AI plays a more significant role within L&D, it is crucial for teams to first get clear on the concept of “impact” within upskilling and then implement a strong talent strategy to match.

“What do I mean by impact in an upskilling and technology context? As people teams transition into 2024, the definition is clear: impact is when learners apply new skills at work in ways that contribute to business goals,” Clemens Lechner, Head of Learning Technology Innovation at Lepaya.

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Identifying the right skills and technologies for AI training

To begin leveraging AI-powered processes in L&D strategies, HR leaders must identify the skills and technologies their business needs to train and grow in the long term to be competitive and successful, while also understanding which of those needs should be prioritized in the short term. Data is key to this.

People leaders should start by gathering data on their current workforce's qualifications, capabilities, and experience, drawing from sources such as HR systems, performance reviews, training records, and employee feedback surveys.

Once all of the quantitative and qualitative data is laid out, people leaders must define KPIs and L&D objectives — such as skill proficiency, employee engagement, or career progression — to use as benchmarks for evaluating the effectiveness of AI-driven interventions. This will improve decision-making and help people leaders map out a future-proof L&D strategy for AI in training and development.

It’s also important to note that while predicting and planning for every innovation in AI is impossible, fostering a learning mindset will gear teams and people up for growth. This agile lens will be critical as AI changes the old career ladder into a more flexible lattice, creating extra routes for employees to move around internally, grow, and stay engaged. 

“Businesses must empower employees to learn soft skills and behavioral skills that can enhance their current positions and prepare them for future roles.

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If done right, the role of AI within HR should ultimately expand conversations about more meaningful career progression and job fulfillment between employees and employers,” Alex Rylance, Head of Human Resources UK at Netcompany.

Where AI adds the most value to upskilling

The advantages that AI offers for both individual career advancement and the capabilities of people teams are significant. Yet, the question remains: Which AI technologies should HR teams prioritize? 

In Lepaya’s recent AI panel discussion on technology’s value in learning, more than 50% of learning leaders surveyed see AI mentors for continuous career guidance as the best addition to AI learning and development strategies.

“We’re talking about very personalized individual feedback that impacts learners and brings them to a higher level. In a way that previously only human coaches could do,” Clemens Lechner, Head of Learning Technology Innovation at Lepaya.

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AI mentors offer unique, unscripted feedback generated by the input of learners, making upskilling both active and interactive — and above all — personalized. Additionally, these AI-powered chatbots or virtual avatars can facilitate continuous feedback loops, offering timely guidance and support to employees on their career development journey.

After AI mentors, automated skills gap analysis (27%) and personalized career path recommendations (27%) were considered the most valuable areas for AI-powered talent development. These capabilities, combined with expertise in learning science, leverage what people leaders are already great at — helping individuals build the right capabilities to make organizations future-proof and create impact.

The current state of AI in learning and development

As enterprises worldwide seek to innovate their learning solutions in 2024, current data on AI’s use in people’s growth can help illuminate the way forward.

Last year, 50% of the 170 analyzed companies in our report had already embraced AI in learning, with the tech, banking, and retail industries emerging as the primary adopters of this technology.

What did that look like in practice? Favored tools were immersive Virtual Reality (VR), 2D interactions with AI avatar coaches, and AI learning bites — a short AI-powered interaction to help learners consolidate information pre- and post-classroom sessions. These tools were tailored and integrated into each organization’s unique learning journeys.

For people leaders struggling to find a starting point for applying AI, it’s important to be curious about and experiment with new tools, educating yourself on the benefits and risks — while also not feeling pressured to keep up with every AI development. Focus on solving your challenges and be strategic so you can select tools intentionally. 

And as technology’s role in upskilling grows, following the top voices in AI technology for talent and business transformation can help spark fresh ideas for how to use it to solve business challenges.

For additional insights on the latest AI learning and development trends, download the full State of Skills Report 2024.