Think back to just a decade ago, consider the Human Resources industry and the role of Learning & Development. The plethora of paperwork, manual quality assessments, feedback loops. It simultaneously feels a lifetime ago and yet just yesterday. This industry evolves at a rapid pace, combined with technological development you see a combination for explosive advancement in working practices.

Therefore it is no surprise that those resting on traditional L&D tools may struggle with a modern world increasingly turning digital. The past year especially has highlighted to new world. So, what will the future of L&D look like in the next decade?

The role of artificial intelligence has been elevated to a pedestal upon which it infiltrates every aspect of our lives. Whether it is the assistant on your phone, live traffic-informed sat-nav directions, or even the autopilot flying the plane whisking you away for work or pleasure.

AI is entrenched in our personal and professional life. But while it may have enhanced services thus far, its potential would change the industry entirely.

The world today
The optimisation and engagement that truly tailored AI can provide to a business is notable. When it comes to training, no two employees will react alike to any Learning & Development programme. Whereas in the past individually personalising your approach would have consumed considerable time, effort, and cost, the world moved on.

It all comes from consistent monitoring. Take the example of a contact centre. A team of agents spend their days assisting loyal customers. As the days go by some agents are thriving, up-selling is on the rise, and customers are raving about the service at that company. So, when it comes time for a fresh training approach, those individuals will not need the same level of attention and may feel isolated by the programme leading a drop in morale.

Today, artificial intelligence is already being utilised to prevent this. It may seem hard to conceive if you have yet to come across the system in action. AI models are capable of listening in on agent calls, detecting tone of voice and topics being discussed. When used live it can provide employees with the tools they need to tackle the customer on hand. From here, when combined with business results, algorithms can detect what working practices are working and which aren’t. Who needs specialist training and who simply needs a refresher.

Aside from the professional aspect of this technology, AI can also be applied to monitor employee wellbeing, encouraging breaks from the desk and pushing agents to take better care of their own health at times where some can become solely focused on their work. Healthy, motivated, and dedicated agents transition to accessible and willing learners for those responsible for developing a centre’s agent training programme.

The future
Developments in technology are non-stop. It appears the possibilities are endless. Solutions for issues few companies are even thinking of are already being released before many business leaders even identify the problem being solved. With machine learning evolving as it has over the last decade, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that within the next decade training programmes can be written and delivered to agents identified by AI without the need of human input entirely.

The past few years have produced viral-inducing AI projects capable of writing literature and music using a library of existing material. Why would this not extend to L&D?

We already know that different learning styles suit different employees. Instead of re-formatting a programme several times, imagine the ease of feeding an AI assistant your base content and allowing it to determine how it could be best served to those learning under you.

The system behind this thinking already exists. Social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter use algorithms on each user to provide friend suggestions, news articles, and relevant advertisements. It wouldn’t take a huge leap to implement this idea into employee quality monitoring, thereby generating a profile of the individuals in your company upon which you can design the L&D solution around.

We could even go a step beyond. Even the most well-educated HR professionals have blind spots. Areas of knowledge outside their realm which could elevate training further. In development already is an AI solution which specifically targets unconscious incompetence. A harsh sounding turn of phrase but a system necessary to polish every tool in your professional repertoire.

In 2011, a decade ago, much of the AI possibilities of 2021 would have sounded more suited to the Minority Report. Indeed, there are some ethical questions when it comes to its utilisation. But if treated correct, with the best interested of you, your employees, and education in mind there is no end to the possibilities on the table.

The reality
A handful of these future software offering are already taking baby steps whilst others remain the fanciful idea of industry forecasters. What we do know it that artificial intelligence is already deeply ingrained within both Human Resources and L&D where it will continue to flourish. Some ideas will never come to fruition and others have yet to even been conceived. 

History is littered with a long list of ‘next big things’ in business with a sub-section set aside for those within learning & development who believed they had developed an industry changing training programme. This time it could be different. This time machine learning has evolved to a point where AI is almost at a point of self-sufficiency. In segments, the basis for a revolutionary system already exists it just needs joining as one. While in theory these systems can, and some will be, totally autonomous there will always be a role in human resources for training professionals to lead the changes, but their role will change as the technology does.

After all, technology develops one day to the next. Business practice must change with it. Artificial intelligence has arguably already forever changed the world of L&D. The next decade could see it change business as we know it.