š» Corporate learning embraced digital transformation, but many learners feel disconnected. As learning technologyās shortcomings become clear, AI emerges as a potential game-changer.
Colin Smith explores how AI tutors can enhanceānot replaceāhuman-led learning. šØš½āš» This can offer a future where technology supports engagement, personalisation, and real impact for workplace learning.
In recent years, weāve witnessed a wave of innovation in corporate learning. The rapid adoption of digital delivery of learning brought significant shifts. We saw a move away from in-person, face-to-face learning to digital and virtual delivery. And we saw a move from live, interactive experiences to asynchronous, on-demand content.
For a moment, it felt revolutionary. Yet, the results are telling a different story.
Many organisations embraced this shift with enthusiasm, believing it would make learning more accessible, scalable, and efficient. But now, after years of experimentation, cracks are showing. Outcomes havenāt always met expectations, and, as Iāve mentioned in previous blogs on this topic, there is a lack of research into whether this digital content stuff actually works.
Many learners feel isolated, disconnected, and disengaged from the content they consume. For corporate learning professionals, this should be a wake-up call
It seems to me that something crucial has been lost in the process. In fact, a quiet but noticeable movement is emerging: companies are returning to more traditional forms of learning, including in-person and live delivery. Why? Because theyāve discovered these approaches are often more impactful and effective at driving meaningful change.
Pivot away from engagement?
The article, The EdTech Revolution Has Failed, explores how this pivot reflects deeper challenges within education technology itself. It argues that the promise of technology to revolutionise education has, in many ways, fallen short. Digital learning platforms, while convenient, have often prioritised scale and efficiency over engagement and learning outcomes. Many learners feel isolated, disconnected, and disengaged from the content they consumeāa far cry from the collaborative, immersive experiences of in-person learning. For corporate learning professionals, this should be a wake-up call. The modalities we choose to deliver learning matters as much as the content itself.
But this doesnāt mean we abandon innovation altogether. Quite the opposite. As EdTech grapples with its shortcomings, the shiny new entrant – AI – has become the toast of the town. Leading to many posing the question: how will AI support learning, and not simply replace for human connection, but as a tool to enhance and reimagine how learning happens.
The promise of AI as a learning tool
Enter AI, and with it, the potential to fundamentally reshape the learning landscape. Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy, offers a compelling vision in his book Brave New Words. He introduces Conmigo, an AI-powered learning tutor developed in collaboration with OpenAI. Conmigo is designed to support students in the same way a human tutor might: by answering questions, explaining concepts, and providing tailored feedback. What makes this approach revolutionary isnāt just the technology itself, but the way it aligns with how humans learn best.
Khanās perspective is clear: an AI tutor benefits everyone. For learners, it offers personalised guidance and depth that traditional methods canāt always deliver. For educatorsāwhether facilitators, teachers, or corporate L&D professionals ā AI frees up time to focus on designing impactful learning paths, mentoring, and fostering real-world application. Instead of replacing human interaction, AI amplifies it.
Early results from tools like Conmigo are promising. Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that AI tutors can drive significant improvements in learner engagement and outcomes.
Hereās another good read, highlighting some of those early results: āFrom chalkboards to chatbots: Transforming learning in Nigeria, one prompt at a timeāĀ
By offering instant, tailored support, these tools address one of the biggest challenges in learning: the inability to meet every learnerās unique needs in real-time. And unlike the traditional ācontent-firstā approach of much of learning technology, this model prioritises the learnerās journey. It focuses on their questions, struggles, and goals.
Moving beyond instructional design
This leads to an important distinction in how AI can be applied to learning. Much of the current discussion around AI in L&D revolves around its use in instructional designāautomating content creation, streamlining course development, and so on. While these applications are useful, they feel like an extension of an old paradigm: the idea that learning is primarily about creating and delivering content.
This isnāt about using technology to scale the status quo. Itās about rethinking the fundamental ways we support and enhance learning.
But learning isnāt just about content. Itās about connection, discovery, and growth. Thatās why the role of AI as a tutorānot just a tool for building coursesāfeels so much more exciting. This isnāt about using technology to scale the status quo. Itās about rethinking the fundamental ways we support and enhance learning.
For corporate L&D, this distinction is critical. Imagine an AI that supports employees throughout their learning journeyācoaching them through difficult concepts, suggesting tailored resources, and providing real-time feedback as they apply new skills on the job. This isnāt about replacing facilitators or trainers, itās about empowering them to focus on what they do best: creating transformative learning experiences.
A future of collaboration, not replacement
What excites me most about AIās potential in learning is the collaborative possibilities it opens up. Instead of pitting technology against human expertise, we can design systems where they work hand in hand. AI tutors like Conmigo wonāt replace the need for skilled facilitators, just as digital platforms havenāt replaced the value of face-to-face learning. But they can fill gaps, enhance personalisation, and make learning more accessible for everyone.
As we move into this new era of learning innovation, the lesson from EdTechās struggles is clear: technology alone isnāt enough. The tools we use must align with how people learn best. They must enhance, not diminish, the human connection at the heart of great learning. And above all, they must deliver real, measurable impactānot just convenience.
AI offers us a chance to get this right. By focusing on its potential to support learners and educators alike, we can create a future where technology amplifies the best of what learning has to offer. The revolution isnāt over ā itās just beginning.
Colin Smith is Founding Partner of Cognitive Union
