Use AI to Train Less Like a Machine and Learn More Like a Human
AI + Learning and Development: We’re Doing It Backwards
I've been thinking a lot about how we use AI in training and development—and how much potential we’re leaving on the table.
Too often, “learning” at work looks like a passive checklist:
Watch these videos
Read these slides
Memorize these steps
It’s training by rote. Paint-by-numbers development.
But let’s be honest: Real learning doesn’t come from slides. It comes from humans.
It happens in meetings where you watch someone navigate a tough conversation.
It’s in the quiet moments where a teammate shows you a better way to do something.
It’s the question from a junior colleague: “How did you know exactly what to say?”
This is where the real growth lives. Observation → Emulation → Mastery.
Here’s where AI comes in: Let’s stop using it to replace human connection—and instead use it to make space for it.
Let AI handle the soul-sucking mechanics: "Where’s the form?", "How do I file this?", "Where's the red stapler?" (yes, Office Space reference)
Let AI streamline onboarding and ops so we can stop spending the first 90 days figuring out where the coffee cups are
Let AI free us to do what only humans can: connect, coach, and learn from one another
And maybe—just maybe—we’ll look forward to coming back to the office. Not for Zoom calls. But to observe, learn, and grow together.
Leaders and HR pros: It’s time to ask the real questions.
Are we training people to follow instructions?
Or are we helping them become something?
Let AI do the busy work. Let people do the real work—together.