A lot of conversations about AI in L&D have been focusing on course design: “How can AI generate an outline?” “Can it draft quiz questions?” “What activities might it suggest?”
Useful, yes. But focusing only on course design misses one of the most powerful aspects of AI for workplace learning: AI as a subject matter expert — or at least, a surrogate one.
If you’ve ever been tasked with designing a course and developing post-training performance support, you’ll know how critical access to an SME can be. But what if:
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- The SME is too busy to give you their time?
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- They’re unhelpful or a bit condescending?
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- Or they’re helpful… but you only get limited access , which leaves you with more questions than answers?
That’s where AI can play a useful role. It can’t replace human expertise, but it can give you:
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- A starting point for research when SME access is limited.
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- A way to “sanity check” your assumptions before presenting ideas.
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- Confidence to ask sharper, better-informed questions in those rare SME meetings.
In my own app development journey, I quickly discovered the usefulness of AI. When I first set out to explore no-code tools for building PerformaGo, I had no easy access to seasoned experts in that space.
Instead, I leaned heavily on AI to map the landscape, compare options, and explain tech concepts in language I could grasp. It wasn’t flawless. But it was fast, flexible, and tireless. And it gave me a head start I simply couldn’t have achieved through traditional research alone.
The same principle applies to workplace learning. AI can’t tell you how your organisation uses a particular tool or process, but it can get you 80% of the way there. And that 80% makes your job easier:
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- Easier to design job aids and performance support tools.
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- Easier to anticipate learner questions.
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- Easier to hold your own with experts who may not always see L&D as equal partners.
Extending learning into performance isn’t just about providing post-training support. It’s about ensuring that support is accurate, timely, and practical. And sometimes, the best way to get there is by letting AI play the role of a temporary SME.
That’s been my experience in a different context: when AI became my no-code SME. And it’s why I believe this is one of the most under-appreciated uses of AI in L&D today.
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