Most L&D leaders are well past the 1.0 stage of AI adoption: By now, we have a foundational understanding of what a prompt is and use large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Gemini several times a week.

The frustration now lies in the “bootstrap problem”: We’re bought into the concept of AI, but many of our organizations aren’t yet applying it systematically and at scale. To meaningfully embed AI into our ways of working, our people need to build AI fluency and learn how to apply it within their workflow and department. 

This enterprise-wide need offers L&D leaders a major opportunity to add value. 

2026 is our year to move beyond “Intro to GenAI” overview modules: They’ve served their purpose, but our learners have graduated. It’s our time to work across functions to build our people’s AI fluency and help them integrate AI into their daily workflows. That might include showing a marketing manager how generative AI (genAI) might aid in campaign analysis, or an engineer how it might assist in modeling materials strengths.

As advocates for both our people and the business, L&D leaders are uniquely positioned to achieve role-based AI upskilling while maintaining psychological safety. One way we can do so is by building in safe, experimental environments where learners can acquire, practice, and refine new skills without pressure or risk. These might take the form of simulated scenarios or a “sandbox” that looks and behaves just like the real software, programs, or environments learners use every day. 

This process of experimentation is the vital catalyst to help people move from theoretical understanding to practical application. 

Partnering for Access and Expertise

If, like many L&D leaders, you’re experiencing tension between the high demand for AI skills and the lack of internal AI expertise, you’re not alone! With an emerging and rapidly evolving technology like AI, we may still be building our bench of in-house experts. 

When our in-house team doesn’t yet have the expertise to build the complex, role-based AI skilling programs our organizations need, staff augmentation can help address the issue. Bringing in high-demand talent from a partner empowers us to build high-quality, secure, and effective custom AI skilling programs now, rather than waiting years to develop that capability internally. 

And because a vendor-partner routinely matches consultants and SMEs with projects, they can help you scope your engagement with in-demand talent and accurately estimate timelines and budgets. 

AI fluency looks different at every organization, and we’d love to help you make your vision a reality. Reach out to explore the possibilities for empowering your people with this future-ready, ever-evolving capability. 

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