AI is Eating Learning and Education, So What Does That Mean For The Workplace?

Exploring the shifting present

Author

Ross Stevenson
August 19th, 2025

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 TODAY’S THOUGHTS ☠️

Hey there 👋,

I began writing this newsletter seven years ago to shine a light on leveraging modern technology for learning and performance.

It’s the thread that guides my writing to this day.

Lots of innovations have happened during this time, but perhaps none so transformative as the AI boom. This has led to the rise of many apps that are shifting how we work, learn and perform at our best.

In the past year, almost all the big AI and established tech powerhouses have released some sort of learning/education-focused AI solution.

So…

Today, we’re exploring how AI is eating learning and education, and what that means for the workplace.

Get your tea or beverage of choice ready, 🍵.

We've got lots to discuss!

P.S. Your app might clip this edition due to size, if so, read the full edition in all its glory in your browser.

 IN THIS DROP 📔

  • Big tech wants to be your tutor

  • What happens to the L&D function long-term?

  • How to navigate unknown waters

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 THE BIG THOUGHT 👀

AI is Eating Learning and Education, So What Does That Mean For The Workplace?

Well There It Is Jurassic Park GIF

AI companies are invading the education and workplace learning space.

You can’t blame them. Both industries are worth billions, and neither has a great history of adapting modern technology well.

In the past year, Google has released LearnLM, an AI model trained on learning science principles, Claude released its specialised model for Education, as did OpenAI, and in the past few weeks, OpenAI added study mode into ChatGPT.

This, of course, is a natural evolution.

Tools for learning and performance are becoming deeply integrated into the products we already love. Which is a big win, as learning should be decentralised.

Its yet to be seen how well these tools perform in the long-term, but we can’t deny things are changing.

2027…perhaps?

What happens to the role of workplace L&D?

I believe it will be more performance-focused (hopefully), as we were never in the game of learning.

I know that might be hard to wrap your head around.

I still go back to my thought of the past few years that L&D departments will transform into more performance-focused units and move away from the “learning” branding.

They’ll be built by partners who provide the context for humans that technology cannot, and help human users understand how to make the most of the vast array of tools at their disposal.

This doesn’t mean human experiences disappear.

On the contrary, I think they’ll be positioned as a premium experience.

One where meaningful connection and collaboration are nurtured. I’m not talking about the “forced fun” sessions that terrify many workplaces. The experiences I envision are where people come together to share problems, talk through emotions and find solutions. No slide decks or fake gurus.

Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPTs creator), said something similar about the rising value of human-crafted and curated experiences because of so many AI apps.

“I think people will go to fewer websites. I think people will care more about human-crafted content than ever. My directional bet would be that human-created, human-endorsed, human-curated content all goes up in value dramatically.”

Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO)

Like all things, this will take time.

Despite tools dropping every other day, it will take time for these to filter through our workplaces.

L&D transformed by AI

The unknown

I know many in the industry are scared about how this will play out.

The thing is, no one knows what will happen - that’s life!

We’re all rolling with the punches (me included). What we can do is explore and experiment with all these innovations. Living in fear and not playing with what’s on the market won’t help anyone.

We’re not totally powerless in this pace of innovation.

After all, learning is the key to growth, and learning is what we do, right?

So get out there and play, human.

Resources to explore 👀

Final thoughts

You don’t need to fear tech.

Innovations will continue to shape and reshape what and how we do work. Your best move is to keep informed, experiment and be open to the good and bad.

One cannot know unless one walks the line.

→ If you’ve found this helpful, please consider sharing it wherever you hang out online, tag me in and share your thoughts.

Till next time, you stay classy, learning friend!

PS… If you’re enjoying the newsletter, will you take 4 seconds to forward this edition to a friend? It goes a long way in helping me grow the newsletter (and cut through our industry BS with actionable insights).

And one more thing, I’d love your input on how to make the newsletter even more useful for you!

So please leave a comment with:

  1. Ideas you’d like covered in future editions

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 👀 ICYMI (In case you missed it!)

  1. It looks like the most sought-after resource in the race for artificial intelligence appears to be human intelligence. We’re in a new world where AI hires are being paid more than your favourite sports stars.

  2. Why are you chasing that shiny new product when you probably already have what you need? A note on exploring what you have before you go wasting that dollar dollar.

  3. How does the humble L&D team escape the madness of doing the same “training project” for that team every 6 months? Let’s figure that out together.

 VIDEO THOUGHTS 💾

How To Build Your First AI Assistant

Creating a tailored AI assistant doesn’t have to be complicated.

In this video, we'll walk through three powerful options—ChatGPT’s built-in GPT builder, Sana AI agents, and Chip AI—to show you exactly how to design, structure, and publish assistants that solve real-world problems.

You’ll see the full backend setup, learn how to organise knowledge sources, and discover when to add advanced capabilities like APIs.

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