AI impact on learning is higher than ever

Published in November 2025, Fosway Group’s Digital Learning Realities research analyses all the critical trends and opportunities for learning leaders in the next 12 months. Here, Fosway analysts show that the AI impact on learning is only going to increase.

AI in L&D has become mainstream. Whilst we might argue about AI’s true effectiveness or the strength of its grip on learning operations and the overall learning experience, it would be fair to say that the impact of AI on L&D is now pervasive. Only 6% say AI isn’t having an impact on their L&D team, and over half say it is having at least a moderate impact on corporate learning today.

The early momentum behind AI’s adoption in learning is turning into transformation. Whilst the expectation of scale of impact has moderated as L&D looks out to 2026 compared with previous years, the trend towards AI-enabled L&D teams is clear.

Half of L&D professionals think the claims for AI are living up to the hype

Whilst the inflated expectations of AI appear to have declined over the past three years, there is a clear separation between L&D AI sceptics and AI believers. Someone is twice as likely to believe AI will live up to the hype than to think it’s being over-hyped. It’s easy to say that the reality will play out in due course, but the reason this statistic is important is it underlines the willingness of L&D to explore and embrace AI innovation, rather than discounting it out of hand.

If AI isn’t being over-hyped, the concerns learning professionals have about being left behind will drive buying behaviours and maintain interest in AI’s transformative potential for L&D teams. Already in our wider research we are seeing the differentiating influence of AI in driving interest for providers with strong AI innovation roadmaps.

Productivity has become a bigger driver for L&D adopting AI

The economics of AI are hard to ignore, and whilst the business case for adopting AI isn’t always in place and there isn’t always a strong desire from L&D teams to pay for AI, its productivity gains for L&D professionals have become an increasingly important part of the story, particularly in the production and efficiency of learning content. But, truly revolutionising the learning experience through personalisation still seems a distant opportunity. As a result, the transformative impact of AI still seems out of reach, as all but a few are really thinking about radically changing their L&D team and the learning experiences they enable.

What we appear to be witnessing is a more gradual evolution of what has always been done, and truly transformative thinking is very much at the fringes. That reticence to think radically may yet be the undoing of many L&D teams, as their position in organisations risks becoming yet more commoditised.

This is an excerpt from Digital Learning Realities 2025. Get the full insight and discover all the latest market and solution trends by downloading all infographics here.

What should you do next?

• Phase Two is now open – alongside Fosway’s publicly available suite of AI research papers come a range of private assets for this AI project’s participants, with a level of detailed analysis and insight you will not find anywhere else. Contact us for more, join Fosway’s strategic AI project for 2026: ‘AI in Learning’.

Other recommended reading

• The full AI learning impact insight is here.
• Build your AI strategy with evidence, not guesswork. Fosway AI Strategic Research Programme
• The 2025 Fosway 9-Grid^TM for Digital Learning – full report. Before the 2026 report is published, brush up on our last research cycle.

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