Recently, at an online event I facilitated, an attendee asked, “how do I keep up with L&D-related AI?”
It’s a good question. Everywhere you turn, there are articles on artificial intelligence and how it is revolutionizing our world. It definitely feels like a fire hose of information. Here’s a graph from the New York Times opinion piece 8 Big Questions About AI.
Much recent information about artificial intelligence trends negative (A.I. Poses ‘Risk of Extinction,’ Industry Leaders Warn), and some of it is humorous (AI is gonna change video editors lives). But it’s hard to know where to begin if you want to understand AI’s impact on our professional lives as L&D practitioners.
One excellent place to start is with sources that you already know and trust, both people and organizations. To avoid adding too much to the firehose, I’ll cite a few useful resources. If you’d like to dive deeper, you’ll find an additional list at the bottom of this article.
The Learning Guild hosts a bonanza of informative content on the topic of AI and learning. Just to choose one, some months ago, Jane Bozarth, Director Of Research for The Learning Guild, did a great interview with Chad Udell on Using AI for Content Creation. Chad summarizes for us what AI is good at, what it isn’t good at, and provides some practical applications, including ways to improve accessibility and inclusivity. Jane and Chad also point us to other helpful resources, including LinkedIn posts by Josh Cavalier (check out Josh’s ChatGPT sandwich) and Dr. Philippa Hardman.
Similarly, the virtual pages of Training Magazine contain a great deal of useful information. And of course, there are a wealth of resources available for members of the Association for Talent Development, including articles, blogs, performance support, publications, videos, webinars, and an e‑learning course.
The special interest group I lead for our local ATD chapter on Learning Trends and Innovation has held several events on related topics, including AI-enabled coaching for managers, localizing training content using AI tools, and deploying Al chatbots for behavior change. Check ATD-RTA’s schedule for upcoming events, including appearances by both Chad Udell and Luke Hobson.
Finally, get in there and try out some of these tools for yourself!
With a few well-crafted prompts to ChatGPT, one of my colleagues at SAS jump-started a blog post on cognitive load in instructional design. I created the graphic for this article with DALL·E. Many companies put a free version of their software out there for you to try (an example is SparkLearn).
Whatever you do, get started! Change is coming – let’s all be a part of making it positive.
Additional Resources
Some specific articles, posts, and videos:
- Josh Bersin, Microsoft’s Massive Upgrade: OpenAI CoPilot For Entire MS 365 Suite.
- Josh Bersin, The Next Generation Of HR Software Has Arrived, Finally.
- Sal Khan’s TED talk, How AI could save (not destroy) education
- Dr Philippa Hardman, AI-Powered Learning Design
- Luke Hobson’s posts on LinkedIn and other platforms. Check out Luke’s The 10 Commandments of Instructional Design by ChatGPT and his YouTube video, 15 Ways to Use ChatGPT as an Instructional Designer, Instructor, and Teacher.
From The Learning Guild:
- Markus Bernhardt’s e-book, AI’s Increasingly Important Role in L&D
- David Kelly’s Curated Content for 4/10/23 (check out David’s other monthly lists as well)
- Bill Brandon’s article, Start Building Your Knowledge About Artificial Intelligence (and other articles by Bill)
- Yulia Barnakova, Riding the AI Creative Wave
- Michael Leimbach, Leadership Development in the Age of Disruption
- Nicolas Lassus, Using ChatGPT to Slash Production Time for Sales Enablement Videos
Association for Talent Development (membership required for access)
- Michael Hruska and Christina Barss, Unleashing the Power of AI: Enabling an Augmented Enterprise
- AI in Learning and Talent Development: Embracing Its Future Potential in the Workplace