Why AI Should Be Used More in Learning and Development

When we talk about artificial intelligence in pop culture, we tend to think about robots, and usually evil ones. But how often, when we think about AI, do we think about how artificial intelligence could help us learn?

Even when we do think about AI and learning together, the focus is usually on an AI learning rather than human learning: for example, how long will it take an AI to win at chess, Go, or Jeopardy! - that sort of thing.

Humans track the progress of AI with great interest, but rarely focus on what we can learn from AI. It’s a shame because many e-learning systems are not incorporating the potential of AI learning into their platforms.

Measuring return on investment in Learning and Development can be tricky, since in the past it was hard to quantify how successfully an employee had retained information. But AI changes the playing field. How artificial intelligence is used in Learning and Development is already an important question for anyone in the industry.

The Untapped Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development

Not only are there many ways that artificial intelligence has been undervalued, but Learning and Development itself often goes unappreciated within the corporate work environment. And it’s no surprise why. Most employers treat corporate training as a burden rather than an investment, and employees are treated more like parts on an assembly line than living, thinking learners.

Traditional e-learning systems just check to see that the employee has the right parts, and sends them on their way. There’s no follow-up to see how well the employee retained the new knowledge, and whether a refresher is needed (and in what parts of the larger course).

Artificial Intelligence Unlocks New Passages into Learning

What is so overlooked about artificial intelligence in Learning and Development is its ability to parse through mountainous amounts of data and process that data to get unique insights into a learner’s performance.

This fast-calculating ability allows AI to guarantee a return on investment most e-learning platforms just can’t match. AI can guarantee a unique curriculum tailor-made to each learner’s needs. This ensures that no employee is left behind just because they learn differently than their co-workers.

New technology should be used to focus on building up a learner’s weak points, not wasting time redistributing information the employee is already an expert on.

Adaptive Learning Utilizes Artificial Intelligence Systems

The Adaptive Learning system uses artificial intelligence to gather information about a student’s progression, and it gathers far more intuitively and faster than a human could if given the same data.

It’s a little like comparing Google Analytics to an abacus.

The system updates a learner’s user profile without the need for further human intervention, and all it needs to do this is for the learner to answer a few questions, and rate how confident they are in their answers. The AI can then give detailed reporting on a learner’s progress, provide detailed analytics for instructors, and predict what areas of a course a learner will struggle in. Compared to this level of detail and feedback, traditional tests, quizzes, and exams begin to look pretty archaic.