AI Won't Save Your L&D Strategy - But It Might Supercharge It

It’s goal setting season in my organization, which means a lot of reflection, recalibration, and (let’s be honest) scrambling to articulate ambitious, measurable, cross-functional brilliance that doesn’t feel completely made up.

This year, though, we did something different: we leaned into AI.

Not in a “robots write our goals” kind of way. But as a thought partner to summarize priorities, draft starter language, align competencies with goals, and nudge clarity where there was chaos. It didn’t replace our thinking. It accelerated it.

And that got me thinking: why aren’t more L&D teams using AI as a real strategic lever, not just a cool trick?

Because here’s the thing no one wants to say out loud:

Most of what’s written about AI in Learning & Development is either too fluffy (“use AI to personalize learning!”) or too panicked (“AI is going to take your job!”).

What’s missing is the honest middle. The human-AI collaboration that makes good strategy better. So here’s what I’ve learned so far — and what I think more L&D teams should try:

1. Use AI as a Drafting Partner, Not a Dictator

Most of us are drowning in decks, training guides, LMS blurbs, and “can you make this more engaging?” requests. AI tools like ChatGPT can knock out a first draft in seconds. But here’s the catch: first draft doesn’t mean final decision.

I’ve used AI to help me outline training sessions, tighten up communications, and yes, draft team goals. But it still takes a human to translate nuance, context, and culture.

🧠 AI tip: Try prompt layering: give context, intent, and examples. Then revise together. It’s a co-creation, not a handoff.

2. Let AI Help You Spot the Gaps You’ve Normalized

We’re so used to our own systems (our org structures, our LMS categories, our competencies) that we stop questioning them. AI tools can help you audit your content, structures, and assumptions.

Try this: feed your AI a series of course descriptions or learning paths and ask what’s missing. You might get insights you didn’t even know to look for.

🧠 AI tip: Ask it to play devil’s advocate. “If this course failed, what would be the likely reasons?” Then reflect.

3. Bring AI Into the Learning Loop (But Don’t Make It the Loop)

AI can suggest personalized content, summarize feedback forms, or generate knowledge checks - and it can do this at scale. But here’s the secret sauce: you still need a strategy.

Just because a tool can generate a thousand quizzes doesn’t mean they’re good ones. And just because it can recommend content doesn’t mean it’s relevant to your people.

🧠 AI tip: Set clear design principles before you automate. Otherwise, you’ll scale confusion.

4. Train Your People to Be AI-Literate, Not Just AI-Impressed

If your org is still at the “Wow, it wrote that in 3 seconds!” phase, that’s okay. But L&D should be leading the charge in how to use AI well, not just showcasing that it exists.

We’re creating a culture of continuous learning, right? That means helping people evaluate, question, and iterate with AI. Not blindly accept its outputs.

🧠 AI tip: Incorporate prompt writing and critical review skills into your L&D programming. Make AI part of your capability building.

5. Use AI to Buy Back Time, and Spend It Strategically

If AI can take 6 hours of logistics emails or copy-pasting evaluations and shrink that to 30 minutes, amazing. But the win isn’t just efficiency. It’s what you do with the reclaimed time.

Use it to go deeper with people. Coach more. Think more. Design better. AI should buy you margin for the work that actually matters, like the work only humans can do.

Final Thought: AI isn’t here to replace us. But it is here to expose us.

If your L&D systems are shaky, your strategy unclear, or your programs disconnected, then AI will only speed up the dysfunction. But if you know what you’re trying to build, AI can help you build it faster, better, and maybe even with fewer late nights.

So no, AI won’t save your L&D strategy. But it might finally give you the tools (and the time) to save it yourself.

Want to talk more about how to lead your L&D function into the AI era without losing your soul (or your standards)? Let’s connect!