{"id":62637,"date":"2024-07-19T09:32:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T09:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explore.local\/2024\/07\/19\/how-gen-ai-will-reshape-ld\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T20:37:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T20:37:49","slug":"how-gen-ai-will-reshape-ld","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/degreed.com\/experience\/blog\/how-gen-ai-will-reshape-ld\/","title":{"rendered":"How Gen-AI Will Reshape Your L&D Department"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s not a question of whether Gen-AI can<\/em> change your L&D department. It will. And your department must substantially change it if you want it to play a critical role in your company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a bold assertion, and a key theme to emerge from The Shift Community<\/a>\u2019s summer blockbuster webinar A Closer Look at Skills in an AI-Driven World<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>We expect a proper summer blockbuster to provide scintillating content, star power, and a jam-packed audience, and this event certainly checked all the boxes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The webinar focused on not just one, but the two big disruptors in the world of work right now: skills and AI. And the stars were there to light the way: CEO and market analyst Josh Bersin<\/a>, Global Head of Learning and Capgemini University Estelle Maione<\/a>, and Co-CEO of Degreed Max Wessel<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea was to mix analysts and daily practitioners and see what happens. Surprisingly, and despite each presenter coming from different perspectives, they aligned on several key points about the marketplace, skills, and more. One of those points of consensus was the blockbuster takeaway that Gen-AI will<\/em> reshape L&D.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L&D must shift and upskill to remain relevant and critical in a Gen-AI world. How? Let\u2019s take a closer look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"L&D<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just AI\u2013it\u2019s Gen AI.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To start off, please take note that this wasn\u2019t an event about any old AI\u2014it was about Gen-AI. As Max, host of the webinar pointed out, the industry has used the buzzword AI as clickbait for years. But the difference between the AI of a few years ago and the Gen-AI of today is quite stark.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While AI is a 50-year-old concept, “today\u2019s Gen-AI systems teach themselves based on data,” Bersin said. \u201cIt\u2019s a totally different idea.\u201d And the differences have consequences for everyone\u2014including L&D.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The takeaway? As learning pros create new Gen-AI awareness and literacy programs, they need to take a hard look at what they\u2019ve done in the past versus what they need to do going forward. “These are two different things that don\u2019t come with the same level of complexity or impact,\u201d Maione said. And with the level of complexity with Gen-AI, people will need to learn more <\/em>than just how to use tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Employee Learning & Gen-AI: A Soft & Hard Skilling Approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So what does<\/em> L&D need to do differently to help employees prepare for the Gen-AI future? Because Gen-AI is, as Maione noted, more complex and disruptive, L&D needs to embrace a deeper and more holistic learning approach that combines soft and hard upskilling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, learning to use Gen-AI tools requires technical upskilling. But finding effective ways to leverage these tools into work also requires more honed and developed skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. This is why Gen-AI requires a two-pronged approach of hard and <\/em>soft skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Capgemini, Maione works hard to strike that hard skill and soft skill balance. \u201cI\u2019m trying to balance the focus,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not either-or. [Employees] must have both  to remain relevant.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Soft<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Upskilling Learning Pros for Gen-AI: Embracing Disruption <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just building more comprehensive hard and soft skilling programs for employees that will change your job. Some of the core everyday tasks you perform as a learning and talent professional will be disrupted. After all, the mantra, \u201cupskill or become obsolete\u201d applies to everyone\u2014and that includes learning professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a core task for many instructional designers, technologists, trainers, and L&D professionals is content development. Bersin shared how his company now puts together courses for a client academy in which 80 to 90% of the content is generated by Gen-AI. If you do the same, it means you\u2019ll be spending a lot less time building content in the future\u2014and that\u2019s a huge shift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the other ways that Gen-AI will disrupt your work as a learning and talent professional? You\u2019d be wise to prepare for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n