Learning teams are using AI to work faster, not learn better, says Fosway
Digital Learning Realities research finds AI adoption is delivering productivity gains, while more transformative uses remain at an early stage.
Learning teams are finding immediate value from AI by improving their own productivity, but the technology's biggest opportunities for transforming workplace learning remain largely untapped, according to David Perring, Chief Insights Officer at Fosway Group.
Speaking to Learning News in the second of a three-part interview series on Fosway's 2026 Digital Learning Realities research, Perring said most organisations are concentrating on practical applications such as media generation, translation and AI-assisted authoring rather than more advanced uses including adaptive learning, coaching and personalisation.
'The low hanging fruit' is reducing the workload on learning teams, he said, allowing them to create content more quickly, translate learning into multiple languages and increase capacity without increasing headcount. Organisations already using these applications report tangible value, particularly where repetitive manual tasks have been removed.
Translation emerged as one of the strongest examples, with 43% of organisations identifying it as a high-value application. Media generation, learning design and AI authoring are also gaining momentum as learning teams seek practical ways to improve productivity.
The research suggests more transformative applications remain some way from mainstream adoption. Only 11% of learning teams describe themselves as advanced in their use of AI. Comparable figures for workflow learning, personalisation and digital coaching are similarly low, indicating that most organisations are still at an early stage of adoption.
Perring said this reflects both capability and technology maturity. Learning teams are developing new AI skills while platform providers continue to embed AI into their products, creating different rates of progress across the market. Organisations with AI-enabled learning technologies are likely to move faster than those relying on older platforms.
The research also points to a shift in the relationship between learning teams, the business and external suppliers. AI authoring tools are enabling subject matter experts and project teams to create more learning content themselves, reducing reliance on external providers and making learning production more self-service.
For Perring, the longer-term impact extends beyond productivity. As AI changes how employees access knowledge and develop skills, the role of L&D is evolving from creating learning content to enabling learning across the organisation.
This interview is the second in Learning News' three-part series examining Fosway's 2026 Digital Learning Realities research. The final interview explores the technologies supporting digital learning and why skills strategy continues to challenge many organisations.
Programme links
Digital Learning Realities 2026 infographics
The Digital Learning Realities research is produced in association with Learning Technologies.