5 L&D Predictions for 2024 (No. 5 Says It Won’t Be AI, AI, and More AI)

It’s hard to believe it’s been only 14 months since generative AI burst onto the scene. Already, the new technology has made inroads into how companies hire, how employees work, and how everyone learns.

So it came as little surprise that when top learning and development leaders weighed in with predictions for 2024, everyone wanted to talk about AI. But as life-long learners — who, by nature, are curious about nearly everything — they also touched upon subjects ranging from social media to soft skills to the multigenerational workforce.

What’s in store for L&D in 2024? Let’s peer into the crystal ball. 

1. Transparency will take center stage 

If there’s one thing employees want from companies now, it’s transparency. They want to know how AI will affect their jobs, what skills they’ll need in the future, and in what ways they need to develop and grow. 

That’s why Dr. Terri Horton, a work futurist, predicts that “transparency as an essential core value in the workplace will drive 2024.” She says employees will increasingly demand “clarity, honesty, and authentic guidance” from leaders about how AI will change their roles and the business. 

This seems especially true considering how quickly skills are changing. According to LinkedIn data, skill sets for jobs have changed by about 25% since 2015 and that number is expected to rise to 65% by 2030, with the advent of gen AI. 

“Talent leaders who prioritize transparent communication that encompasses AI integration, business strategy, upskilling initiatives, job displacement, and evolving career trajectories,” Dr. Terri says, “will not only navigate these changes effectively but also garner the trust and respect of forward-thinking talent.” 

2. Social media will become a go-to destination for learning

“The learning landscape is about to get a major facelift as social media becomes our go-to playground for professional growth,” predicts Ruth Gotian, chief learning officer at Weill Cornell Medicine. She envisions platforms such as LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok becoming vibrant learning hubs — even more than they already are. 

“Imagine,” Ruth says, “Twitter threads dissecting industry trends, LinkedIn Live sessions turning into virtual classrooms, and TikTok tutorials making complex concepts a breeze.”

This wouldn’t be just about scrolling through feeds, but about turning every comment, like, and share into a collaborative learning experience. “Social media,” Ruth says, “is about to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning, creating a community where knowledge flows freely and bidirectionally.” 

3. The market will be flooded with subpar learning content 

While AI can boost performance and help with mundane tasks, it can also churn out a staggering amount of content in mere minutes. And that’s potentially a problem. 

“If it’s not happening already,” says Lori Niles-Hofmann, senior educational technology strategist at NilesNolen, “I predict we will be inundated with massive amounts of subpar learning content.” 

Because it’s so cheap to create learning courses using gen AI, some companies will rush to replace good instructional designers with the new technology. “The product quality could significantly vary,” Lori says, “and quickly clog up a learning platform if there is not thoughtful curation.” 

Instead of producing massive amounts of content, she says, it’s time to adopt a “less is more” strategy. Why? Because when employees are deluged with content, they often can’t figure out what’s applicable, relevant, or effective — and they simply give up.

But there’s a silver lining here. All this subpar material could create opportunities for companies that generate (and curate) high-quality learning content. Those organizations are poised to stand out in the crowd. 

4. Companies will upskill and reskill rapidly to close talent gaps

Research from Korn Ferry has found that by 2030, more than 85 million jobs could remain open because there won’t be enough skilled workers to fill them. 

That’s why Naphtali Bryant, chief people and culture officer at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, predicts that “the most effective companies won’t just retrain employees, they’ll help them become expert learners.”

Naphtali says that in this rapidly evolving workplace, staying relevant isn’t an option — it’s a necessity. Companies will help employees stay up-to-date, he says, by embedding learning into the “heart of company culture” and “upskilling and reskilling in the flow of work.”

When companies upskill employees, it allows them to stay current in their roles. Reskilling can help them pivot to new ones. And that helps companies too. “Organizations that focus on upskilling and reskilling,” he says, “will dance to the tune of faster and better results — and have more engaged employees.”

5. In-person softs skills training will increase

For all the media hype, it might seem the only skills workers need now are AI, AI, and more AI. But when LinkedIn published its most in-demand skills in 2023, the research showed that half of what companies needed were soft skills, including management, communication, leadership, and teamwork.

So it’s not surprising that Nick Shackleton-Jones, CEO and founder of Shackleton Consulting, predicts an increase in face-to-face soft skills training this year. The reason, however, may catch you off guard. “It’s not because of AI and automation,” he says, “but because leaders are struggling to engage their teams.” 

In particular, he says, employees need soft skills to work as multigenerational teams. “Gen Z/Gen Alpha will increasingly find themselves at odds with Boomers/Gen X in the workplace,” he says. “Both sides have a lot to learn on the way to achieving performance and engagement.” 

The good news is that when the generations learn to work together, it pays off in big ways. A 2020 AARP survey found that 83% of leaders believe that having a multigenerational workforce is key to the growth and long-term success of their companies. 

Final thoughts

If there’s one big risk in making predictions, it’s that none of us truly knows how the future will unfold. But we hope the wisdom from these top L&D leaders will help you and your company continue to evolve and grow. Happy 2024!