Expertise Extraction
Oracle’s recent workforce reduction highlighted a new dimension of AI disruption: employees were asked to codify their daily workflows and train internal AI models before many were terminated. The layoffs stripped affected staff of salaries, health coverage, visa stability and unvested equity, underscoring a stark shift in how companies treat human knowledge. By converting tacit expertise into proprietary AI assets, firms are effectively extracting and monetizing employee intellect. The practice raises profound ethical questions about the responsibility owed to workers who help build the technology that replaces them.
Cultural Change
At the Learning Technologies Conference, Kenny Temowo argued that a company’s learning culture is shaped by everyday interactions, not by formal L&D programs. He urged a shift from asking what employees need to learn toward identifying business obstacles that hinder...
AI Gender Bias
At recent Learning Technologies conference, the gender gap in AI naming was highlighted: virtual assistants are overwhelmingly given female names, while autonomous AI agents receive male names. Data from early‑stage AI startups shows 70% of agents are assigned male names,...
Get Ready
At Learning Technologies 2026, chair Markus Bernhardt will explore practical AI agents that act on learners' behalf, while Kenny Temowo will discuss a shift toward learning culture focused on enablement over content. Both sessions probe what modern L&D teams must excel at—diagnosing...
Standards 0 Convenience 1
The article argues that learning‑and‑development (L&D) standards routinely give way to operational convenience unless they are directly linked to enforceable business outcomes. Operational pressures produce immediate, visible consequences, while the impact of skipped training is diffuse and hard to attribute....
Teen Tech
The New York Times highlights a cohort of teenagers who have grown up interacting with AI for productivity, companionship, and emotional processing. Within two to three years many will enter the workforce already accustomed to always‑available, personalized digital assistants. This background reshapes...
Cost Centre Trap
Learning and development (L&D) teams are often labeled cost centres because they are measured by activity‑based metrics such as course completions and hours delivered, not by business outcomes. This perception arises from a reactive role that treats L&D as a...
Buying Badly
The article warns that many firms procure technology platforms without first defining the underlying business problem, leading to costly mis‑steps. It highlights that procurement expertise is a skill built over time and that independent specialists add value by challenging assumptions...
Different Crafts
The episode explores the distinct craft of writing for audio versus writing for the page, emphasizing that the skills don't automatically transfer. It highlights how long sentences, visual-oriented structure, and reliance on headings can falter when heard, while short, rhythmic...
Branding Isn’t Personalisation
The article argues that branding in digital learning platforms is not the same as personalization. It notes that naming a learning journey or adding a logo does not tailor content to individual needs. It warns L&D teams to scrutinize LMS/LXP...
Push a Button
The article argues that AI tools do not erase work effort; they merely relocate it. Users often assume a single click will deliver results, but most AI systems require repeated prompting, refinement, and verification. The piece cautions against adopting AI...
Direction to Design
The Training Journal L&D Influence Report 2026 confirms that learning and development must move closer to the business, rely on portable evidence, and focus on performance rather than content. While those directions are widely accepted, most organisations stumble on translating them...
Competitive Advantage
A recent Acast report shows that while listeners value female podcast hosts—63% appreciate their perspectives and 77% think more women would improve the industry—the market still features far fewer female‑led shows. The gap is not demand‑driven but stems from three...
Why Podcasts?
Podcasts are emerging as a powerful learning medium because they create conversational intimacy that written content often lacks. Hosts report frequent listener feedback that translates into real‑world behavior changes, from increased confidence to new audio initiatives. L&D teams are urged...
Cost of Learning
Learning and development (L&D) teams typically report only the direct expenses of training—room hire, facilitator fees, licences, and content creation. The article argues that this view omits the far larger opportunity costs borne by operations, such as lost productivity, deferred...