AI for Corporate Training: How to Get Ahead of This New Wave

Professionals across a range of industries have come to see artificial intelligence as a looming threat. We hear often about how this (relatively) new technology has come to take our jobs and put skilled workers out to pasture. Learning and development (L&D) managers among them. 

But contrary to popular belief, AI is not a sword of Damocles threatening L&D leaders. In fact, it represents an extraordinary opportunity to make a greater impact in organizations. 

At 360Learning, we’ve made this technology a pillar of both our training platform and our own L&D strategy, long before ChatGPT became a global phenomenon. Here's how AI is already transforming the corporate training function, and why it's essential to the future of L&D.

The rapid democratization of AI in corporate training

2023 saw a major turning point for artificial intelligence. Rapid progress led to growing adoption, and ChatGPT (in particular) thrust AI into the mainstream. Suddenly, generative AI is within everyone's reach, both at work and in our private lives. 

At 360Learning, we’ve been experimenting and building with AI for years. That’s given us a head start, and put us atop Elearning Industry's Top LMS Platforms With The Best AI Tools For Training And Education In 2024.

In just over a year, trainers have already found three ideal uses for AI: 

1. Creating training content: generate an entire course from a single prompt in our learning management system (LMS), segmented into several modules with quizzes, tests, and learning check-ins. 
2. Personalized content recommendations for learners: build training programs increasingly tailored to the profile and expectations of each individual. 
3. Dynamically updating skills repositories: the best L&D programs feature skills-based learning based on up-to-date skills ontologies and clear learner needs mapping. AI removes the slow work of manually updating all this.

A McKinsey study from May 2024 reveals an interesting paradox: 21% of companies have already put in place policies to restrict the internal use of AI, despite the clear conviction that this technology will revolutionize their business sector. Many are fighting against the current, and risk holding their own business back in the process.

The proven results of AI in training programs

Our customers have been adopting and enjoying AI for more than a year. And the results are overwhelming. In April 2024, almost 20% of the courses on the 360Learning platform were created by AI — more than 3,100 courses produced by 600 companies. 

The most obvious advantage for these users is the sheer amount of time saved in content production. An example: Nadine Jouy, Training Project Manager at Buffalo Grill, uses AI to make a preliminary selection from subjects as broad as sales prospecting and customer relations. Based on her organization’s training needs, AI makes content proposals and then iterates based on her review. 

Another advantage is the increase in production: by entrusting certain courses to AI, training managers can move faster on certain standardized content, such as regulatory training. This frees up L&D leaders to concentrate on more niche or expert content with extra added value. According to Camille Carmona, Head of Education Projects at Free Distribution, “360Learning's AI-assisted authoring tool makes it possible to build a course quickly. It's ideal for creating an introductory module based on a simple objective.”

AI also improves collaborative learning by helping in-house business experts produce content more easily, without the anxiety of a blank page. Subject-matter experts are your company’s secret weapon, but you never have as much of their time as you’d like.

Shireen Arendrup is an International Event Specialist at FIBA (International Basketball Federation): “I don't have any expertise in digital teaching, and I don't have enough time to create new content. AI does 60% of the work needed to produce new modules for me. Without AI, it would have been very difficult for me to create eLearning content.”

Aurélie Jeanne, Group HR Development Manager at Orisha, agrees. “360Learning's AI can generate a module from a simple prompt. It's a very practical and inspiring way of coming up with ideas when you run out of inspiration.” 

Finally, AI provides dynamic skills management. It can continuously analyze market trends, business needs and employee performance to automatically update skills repositories. In the past, skills mapping would take weeks or months, and was often obsolete by the time you rolled it out. With these new tools, your maps and repositories stay up to date in real time.

What next for AI in training departments?

For a better understanding of the technologies we can expect in the near future, we spoke to AI expert Thomas Gobin, Microsoft Technology Center Technical Architect. Thomas says that we’re far from knowing all of generative AI’s capabilities, but three realistic areas are emerging in the short term.

First, AI can already create text for training plans and course content from prompts, and translate them into any language. Soon, it will be able to generate a variety of media (images and videos), tailored to the needs of learners and trainers. 

Next, we could have AI coaches acting out real-life situations and role plays. This will help learners apply their knowledge in practical ways in what we call “situational training”: simulating scenarios, challenging learners, and providing appropriate feedback. 

Finally, AI will be able to analyze data in real time thanks to natural language interactions. This will democratize access to data and enable more in-depth analysis by business experts, making data use more intuitive and accessible.

Prompt engineering: the training manager's future-proofing skill

Training managers are resilient. The supposed risk of being replaced by robots is overblown. But to master this AI rocket, L&D leaders and training managers definitely will need a little training of their own.

Writing good AI prompts isn’t rocket science, but it takes practice. Proper prompt engineering lets you configure your AI training tools so that the courses created are always adapted to the company's culture, its brand image, the tone of voice used in its communications, and also its data confidentiality rules.

For L&D professionals, this lets you iterate and write queries that lead to better, more efficient training content. Then in true collaborative learning style, you can help your subject matter build their own prompting skills to do the same. 

With each prompt you write — and the more information you provide the tools — the more attuned to your company they become. You’ll have built a tailored corporate training platform, and the skills to keep improving on it along the way. 

A turning point in corporate training and development?

With AI, training teams are finally in a position to accelerate content production and deliver the right training modules and courses at the ideal moment. You can answer the organization’s most pressing needs on time, every time. 

The training department can finally shake the perception of being a mere content provider, and have a real impact on the business. AI tooling is the secret weapon we’ve been waiting for. 

But you need to get to grips with AI right away. If you’re not one step ahead, you could get left behind. 

The teams that adopted AI early and understood how to use it are already making an impact. Are you ready to join them?