AI Is Changing Learning & Development… And Making Human Skills More Important Than Ever

It seems as though the natural instinct is to assume that when we talk about AI, we are talking about replacing humans.

Which, when we think about the learning and development world, makes us wonder whether facilitators and coaches might become obsolete, or whether training would become a fully automated process.

This is not what is really happening though. It is much more interesting and much less daunting.

AI is not handing people their notices and telling them they are no longer needed, it is ACTUALLY amplifying their impact.

Yes, AI is speeding up preparation, further personalising learner experiences, and helping businesses deliver learning experiences at greater scale, but the human element is still undisputedly the factor that continues to drive actual behaviour change.

And in many ways, the more capable our tools become, the more important human skill becomes alongside them.

Here’s what that looks like...

How Is Content Creation Changing?

I attended the World of Learning Summit in London earlier this year, and there was a genuine fear in my head upon entering that there would be machines in attendance that would make me surplus to requirements.

BEYOND HAPPY to report though that it is quite the contrary.

AI does dramatically reduce the time it takes to create learning materials and resources.

In incredibly short spaces of time, it can research topics and summarise its findings, generate outlines of modules, make suggestions on activities, and adapt content to its audience… and this is just scratching the surface.

It is also making it easier to tailor learning journeys to different roles, experience levels, or skill gaps, something that has traditionally been difficult to do at scale.

Clearly though, this does not replace actual humans. However, it does give learning designers and content producers a quicker and more informed starting point.

We still need to use judgement to know what matters, what will resonate, and what will actually stick.

How Is The Gap Between Learning And Doing Changing?

Application is what really matters when it comes to anything we do.

Otherwise, what is the point?

It also presents the greatest challenge when it comes to learning and development professionals.

AI is therefore very welcome when it comes to supporting the transition of learning into behaviour.

This could be that it sends reminders to participants to revisit topics or to use a certain tool when necessary. We see now in meetings how quickly it can provide summaries and reports on discussion points, which is incredibly helpful in a learning context.

The advancements in AI’s ability to recreate scenarios and role plays to aid learning are also something to be aware of. These simulated environments can give people a safe space to practise conversations, decisions, and approaches before applying them in real situations.

AI is also beginning to make learning more accessible, whether through translating materials, simplifying complex information, or helping people revisit content in ways that suit how they learn best.

This reinforcement though is more effective when used to supplement the core experience, such as a workshop or coaching sessions.

Because ultimately, it is the human interaction in those moments that turns information into real change.

How Is Coaching Support Changing?

Talking of coaching, AI can be an incredibly convenient tool for managers when it comes to playing a more pivotal role in developing their team.

Of course, management is a highly demanding role, so to have a tool that can generate conversation prompts, give guidance on how to give feedback, or help structure a development conversation can remove some of the friction that often stops these conversations happening in the first place.

It can also help managers prepare, reflect, and approach difficult conversations with more clarity and confidence.

What it cannot do, however, is replace the conversation itself.

Listening, empathy, understanding the individual in front of you, and responding in a way that builds trust are human skills, and they always will be.

How Are Learning Insights And Understanding Changing?

Another area where AI is beginning to add real value is in helping organisations understand what is actually happening in their learning environments.

For a long time, measuring learning impact has been a challenge. Completion rates and feedback forms only ever told part of the story.

AI is making it easier to spot patterns in engagement, identify skill gaps, and see where learners might be struggling or disengaging. It can bring together large amounts of information and present it in a way that helps L&D teams make more informed decisions.

But insight is only useful if it is interpreted well.

Data does not replace experience, instead it supports it.

Why Humans Still Matter More Than Ever

Learning has never really been about information. Information is easy to access. It always has been, and now more than ever.

What makes learning powerful is something else entirely. Confidence, reflection, challenge and those conversations that question and shift perspectives.

These things typically happen between people.

It happens when someone feels safe enough to admit they are struggling. It happens when a facilitator reads the room and adjusts in the moment. It happens when a manager notices a small change in behaviour and encourages it.

Those moments don’t come from systems, they come from people.

AI can reinforce learning, prompt thinking, and support development in ways that were not possible before. But the moments that truly change behaviour, the conversations, the realisations, the decisions to do something differently… still belong to humans.

If anything, AI is making the human element in learning more important, not less. Because as content becomes easier to produce, the real differentiator becomes the experience itself.

And experience is human.

The Real Opportunity

The organisations seeing the greatest value from AI in Learning & Development are not using it to replace people.

They are using it to remove friction.

They are spending less time searching, building from a completely blank canvas and chasing follow ups.

They are instead spending more time doing. More time spent coaching, facilitating and helping people grow.

And that is where the real impact of learning has always been.AI is making learning faster and smarter. But people are still what make it meaningful.

AI can deliver information… only people can create belief, confidence, and change.

Alex & The Excel Team

About Excel Communications

Excel Communications is a learning and development consultancy based near London in the U.K. For more than 30 years; we have been collaborating with clients across the globe.  

Partnering with Excel empowers you to evolve your people and business by fuelling a love for learning.   

We work with you to create unforgettably, customised learning experiences to achieve your vision of success and growth, with tangible results.   

View our case studies here.