Artificial intelligence can supercharge your L&D business – if you know how to use it well. George Hanley reveals top tips for maximising the tech 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, revolutionising many businesses with its ability to boost productivity, heighten efficiency and streamline processes. But while the fundamental principles of how AI can benefit businesses are similar across various industries, there are some ways you can tweak this technology to suit your specific business needs.  

Adaptable AI systems can analyse immense quantities of data to help you identify where to refine your courses  

Here, we investigate three ways a learning and development business can leverage AI when starting out.  

Personalised learning 

As an L&D specialist, chances are you’re placing a lot of focus on providing a personalised learning experience. AI algorithms can offer you data-driven insights to help you further tailor your services to individual needs and preferences.  

Adaptable AI systems can analyse immense quantities of data including past performance, skill gaps and engagement levels to help you identify where to refine your courses, modules or resources to best help your students. This can drastically boost your learners’ experiences and help set you apart as an innovative and exciting prospect for those looking to expand their knowledge. 

To help beat the competition, consider using AI to power virtual mentoring and coaching services. However, be sure not to over-invest in any technology until you have tested and refined it appropriately. Many L&D businesses heavily utilise AI chatbots and virtual assistants, but only a small percentage do it effectively. Focus on guidance, feedback and supporting the AI with plenty of human interaction and input so it can deliver the best services to your clients. 

Content creation 

Generative AI is constantly evolving, and it can be a good place to start if you want to delve into the world of AI without investing too much capital upfront. Using either free or low-cost options, you can use specific prompts to gain drafts for engaging content which can help you to produce high-quality learning resources more efficiently.  

However, AI is not a replacement for human intelligence – professional editing and cross-referencing for accuracy are essential when using AI-generated content (see my blog on this for more – Ed). 

Another way to use AI to help you develop an extensive library is by asking it to sift through a range of learning materials and current trends to suggest the most relevant ideas for new content. Then, with AI-powered editing assistance, translation capabilities and the power to summarise text, you can easily adapt existing resources to cater for a diverse range of learner needs, helping you expand your reach and client base. Again, always have a human professional check over anything generated by AI to assess it for accuracy, bias and contextual relevance. 

Business analytics 

Like any other business, as a small L&D enterprise, you’ll need to track data to keep an eye on your growth and stay ahead of any issues or roadblocks. Using AI to power your decision making is an effective way to harness predictive analytics. From forecasting market trends to anticipating learners’ needs and resource allocation, AI can transform the ways in which you analyse your business decisions. This proactive approach will empower you to stay ahead of the curve and drive growth and profitability.  

While AI does require some initial investment of both time and financial resources, it can quickly pay off when used effectively. The agility of AI-powered systems can help your startup grow faster and with a more data-based approach than using human resources only.  

George Hanley is an entrepreneur and business development specialist