Workplace learning and development (L&D) departments have increasingly relied upon EdTech to deliver valuable professional development to employees throughout the pandemic. Naturally, this has prompted a number of educators to confront a question that has long been looming: will these new technologies eventually displace their roles? For a variety of reasons, the answer to this question is "no", chief amongst which is the fact that humans have essential skills and qualities that are all too challenging to replicate in their robotic counterparts. From empathy and compassion, to creativity and improvisation, these virtues make skilled HR professionals and training vendors much sought-after in the workplace. That is not to say that job functions will not change as domains like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics continue to develop.

As artificial intelligence (AI) takes hold, the organizations that gain a competitive edge will be those that become more human. As artificial intelligence (AI) takes hold, the organizations that gain a competitive edge will be those that become more human. In a future teeming with robots and artificial intelligence, humans seem to be on the verge of being crowded out. But in reality, the opposite is true. To be successful, organizations need to become more human than ever.

At the same time, L&D professionals are rightly wondering whether they'll soon be automated out of existence. After all, Google and YouTube are the de facto training departments for many employees: they're ubiquitous, free, and packed with seemingly limitless content. But more sophisticated technology is on the rise, too. For example, AI can determine what someone needs to learn based on their performance data and career stage, then push content to them as they need it. This leaves many corporate trainers to stake their own value on curation, controlling the quality and consistency of training resources–but that's already shrinking territory for L&D experts to stake their value on.