At our recent L&D Next keynote from the top of the One World Trade Center in New York, L&D professionals gathered to discuss a heated topic: LLMs are changing the way we work, and it’s putting our function at a crossroads. The rise of AI isn’t just another technological shift, and long-standing assumptions about the role L&D plays in the business are being exposed whether we like it or not.

The focus of our conversation was not on tools or trends, but around the need for L&D to rethink its identity, value, and place within the organisation to prevent irrelevance. The goal is to stop viewing AI as a competitor and instead reclaim professional sovereignty, by transitioning L&D from a service-oriented function to a strategic partner, and shifting the emphasis from 'content delivery' to 'high-stakes influence'. 

Let’s take a look at the main points to consider when reinforcing an L&D function that aligns with the business:

 

AI is exposing a fragile definition of value

For years, L&D has been closely associated with content. Designing courses, delivering programs, and scaling access to learning have been central to how the function defines success.

AI is now putting that model under pressure. If content can be created faster and at significantly lower cost, then the value of being the team that produces it becomes increasingly difficult to defend. Competing with AI on speed or efficiency leads to what I describe as “a race to the bottom.”

When L&D is known primarily for “providing learning content and experiences,” it occupies one of the most exposed positions in the organisation. In contrast, the least exposed position would be “providing a predictable, scalable engine for upskilling and reskilling that gives the business a competitive advantage.”

The distinction is critical: one is an output and the other is an outcome.

 

The real shift is from content delivery to influence

Moving beyond content is not simply about adopting new tools or formats, but changing how L&D defines its contribution.

During the keynote, we emphasidsed the need to move from content delivery to what was described as “high-stakes influence.” This means operating not as a service function that responds to requests, but as a partner that shapes decisions.

In practical terms, this changes where and how L&D engages. Instead of focusing on delivering solutions after priorities have been set, the function needs to be involved earlier, helping to determine what capabilities the business needs and how resources should be deployed.

This is where L&D can create the most value, by ensuring that the right skills are built at the right time to support business outcomes.

Without this shift, even well-executed learning initiatives risk being disconnected from what the organisation actually needs to succeed.

 

Why L&D remains stuck in low-impact work

Despite clear signals that change is needed, many L&D teams continue to operate in ways that limit their impact. When we look closer at why this gap persists, at the core is an identity challenge within the function itself—and a key factor reinforcing this gap is the tendency toward agreeability.

L&D has long positioned itself as a supportive, responsive partner to the business. While this has helped build strong relationships, it has also created a pattern where maintaining organisational harmony can take priority over driving performance.

This dynamic often leads to a cycle of low-impact activity. Projects are delivered efficiently, stakeholders are satisfied, and outputs are visible. But these efforts do not always translate into meaningful improvements in capability or business results. Over time, this reinforces the perception of L&D as a delivery function rather than a strategic partner.

Business leaders are focused on outcomes, risk, and performance. When L&D operates primarily as a service provider, it creates distance from those priorities. 

Shifting this perception requires a more disciplined approach. It means asking more direct questions about business priorities, challenging assumptions when needed, and focusing efforts where they will have the greatest effect. It also requires confidence. 

Operating as a strategic partner means being prepared to say no when necessary and to redirect attention toward higher-value outcomes.

 

From knowledge provider to capability governor

As AI continues to make information more accessible, the value of simply providing knowledge is diminishing.

Rather than focusing on the possession and distribution of information, this is L&D’s opportunity to move toward governance and take a more active role in determining how the organisation’s limited human resources are developed and deployed.

This involves setting standards, prioritising investments, and ensuring that capability building aligns with strategic goals. In this model, L&D not only supports the business, it also helps to shape how it operates and competes.

This is a significant shift, but it is also where the function is least vulnerable to disruption—as governance, influence, and strategic alignment are not easily automated.

 

A defining moment for the profession

AI is accelerating changes that were already underway in L&D, creating both pressure and opportunity. I’ll explore the ideas and research further in my first book coming out next year. 

The pressure comes from the need to justify the function’s role in a landscape where traditional outputs are no longer enough. The opportunity lies in redefining that role in a way that is more closely aligned with business performance.

Enjoy L&D topics like these? Tune into The Learning and Development Podcast for more insights on high-impact L&D.

 

David James 

Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning