On January 7th, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released its highly anticipated Future of Jobs Report 2025. The report highlights significant job disruptions ahead and the urgent need for reskilling. Employers estimate that 39% of key skills needed in the job market will change by 2030. While this is a slight improvement from the 44% reported in 2023, it still signals major challenges. Let’s dive into what this means for businesses and employees and how training plays a vital role in addressing these shifts.

When people think about eLearning courses, they often imagine something simple: plug in some information, hit “play,” and let the learning happen.

Let’s be honest—designing visually appealing eLearning courses can seem like a daunting task, especially if you're not a professional designer. It’s common knowledge that learners often judge eLearning content first by its visual appeal. If it doesn’t catch their eye, maintaining their motivation to learn can be challenging, no matter how compelling the content might be.

AI is now the new normal in many industries, and eLearning is no exception. Among its most powerful tools is generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that creates entirely new content from an initial input or prompt. Here’s the difference: traditional AI works by analyzing existing data, making predictions, or answering questions based on what’s already in a database. For example, if you ask, “What are the best practices for remote onboarding?” traditional AI might give you a list of tips or pull information from existing resources. Generative AI takes it much further. With just an initial input—like “Create a remote onboarding program for new hires”—it can produce brand-new, customized content. This might include a full course structure, lesson outlines, videos, quizzes, and visuals, all tailored to the input you’ve provided. In the eLearning context, it’s like having a virtual assistant that doesn’t just find answers but builds entire training programs from scratch.

SHIFT, a global leader in AI-powered eLearning solutions, is proud to announce it has received the prestigious Gold Award at the 2024 Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards.

As an L&D leader, you face the dual challenge of keeping pace with rapid organizational changes and proving the tangible business impact of every training initiative. It's not enough to adopt new technologies for the sake of innovation; every tool and technique must directly contribute to strategic business goals.

Feeling overwhelmed with AI shaking up the eLearning scene? As L&D leaders, you've been nailing it, smoothly running your training programs and adapting as tech evolves. But now, with AI's rapid rise, it's as if the game board has been flipped over. It's a common, yet dangerous assumption to think that just by integrating AI, all of our training challenges are solved. Beware—this overreliance is a trap! Here's the hard truth: AI, while transformative, is not a silver bullet. In the rush to embrace these new tools, many well-intentioned L&D leaders are making critical mistakes that could cripple the effectiveness of their eLearning initiatives. I totally get the frustration—it’s like suddenly, everyone expects you to have all the answers just because you've got the latest tech at your fingertips. But remember, it’s not all about AI. In the rush to integrate this new tech, I’ve seen too many skilled teams slip up in areas that have always been crucial—like course design, content relevance, and learner engagement. Let’s get real about these common pitfalls, ensuring you’re not just relying on AI but are also paying attention to the foundational elements of effective eLearning. This is your heads-up to keep your game tight, making sure your training programs are as powerful as ever, with or without the extra tech boost.

It’s no longer a question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) will change the way we work—it already has, and instructional design is no exception. What was once a futuristic concept is now a daily reality, reshaping how we approach learning and development at every level.