The End of Learning as We Know It?

In our recent Learning Trends Report Launch webinar, “The End of Learning as We Know It?”, Peter Skalberg, Barbara Stupp, and Mario Coletti shared perspectives on how learning is being radically redefined. The message was clear: learning isn’t ending, it’s evolving into something more strategic, more human, and more accountable.

For L&D leaders, this means embracing three critical shifts and rethinking how learning delivers value across the organisation.

1) From Content Delivery to Human Capability

For decades, learning has been defined by content-heavy workshops, e-learning modules, and knowledge transfer. But today, employees are drowning in content and starved of the capabilities that actually drive performance.

Barbara Stupp put it directly:

“ “The purpose of learning is shifting from information delivery to human transformation.””

Human capabilities - empathy, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, presence- are no longer “soft skills.” They are the performance differentiators in a fast-changing, AI-driven world. Unlike technical skills, these can’t be automated. They must be built through experience, practice, and reflection.

This resonates deeply with us because we believe lasting learning comes from building intrinsic capabilities through experience, practice, and reflection. When people show up as stronger leaders, sharper thinkers, and better teammates, it directly impacts collaboration, decision-making, and innovation.

2) AI Is Reshaping L&D - if You Lead It

AI is already transforming how learning is designed and delivered: from adaptive platforms that personalise pathways to skills engines that connect learning to live project opportunities.


But as Peter Skalberg reminded us:

“AI can recommend, personalise, and track, but it can’t lead.”


AI’s real value emerges when L&D leaders combine its scale with human judgment and governance. Barbara Stupp emphasised the risks of inaction:

“Where policy lags, people improvise. Shadow AI fills the vacuum, another reason to accelerate governance.”

It depends on how organisations use it. Mario Coletti illustrated this with a simple analogy: “AI is like an accelerator. It can help you go faster, but if you don’t know how to drive the car, the risk is that you crash.”

In other words, without clear strategy, governance, and leadership, AI adoption can create as many risks as benefits. This is why we believe in partnering closely with clients to build AI fluency across the workforce, shape governance frameworks that encourage safe experimentation, and design hybrid strategies that balance technology with human-centered learning. Done well, AI should amplify the human touch, not replace it.

3) ROI Is No Longer Optional - And It’s Not Just Finance

Traditional ROI has been a lagging financial measure. But business leaders today want to know: How has learning improved performance, mobility, and engagement?

Mario Coletti explained:

“The new ROI combines financial outcomes with strategic and behavioural evidence that learning was applied, not just completed.”

This broader view of ROI includes productivity, skill growth, efficiency, mobility, and retention.

Barbara Stupp added:

“AI opens the door to qualitative reporting at scale, real-time feedback loops alongside the numbers.”

We believe ROI should be designed into learning from the start. That’s why reinforcement tools like SmartScroll are so important: by nudging participants to reflect and apply learning over time, they create behavioural stickiness and generate measurable evidence that learning is not just completed, but embedded in practice.

These shifts are already underway. To stay ahead, L&D leaders need to:

  • Reframe programmes around capabilities, not content.

  • Step up to lead AI adoption, balancing governance with innovation.

  • Redefine ROI to ensure learning is tied to business outcomes.



And they don’t have to do it alone. Simitri partners with organisations worldwide to reshape learning strategies, blending technology, human capability building, and ROI-focused design.

As Mario HIGHLIGHTED, change must start at the top:

“L&D leaders need to work upwards before working downwards. With leadership sponsorship and the right frameworks, learning becomes not just relevant, but transformative.”

Closing Thought

This isn’t the end of learning, it’s the beginning of something better. Organisations that prioritise human capabilities, embrace AI responsibly, and design for ROI will set the pace for the future of work.

At Simitri, we’re committed to helping leaders and teams thrive at this intersection of intelligence and humanity.

 

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