AI Strategy: Build on the Foundation
We talked about creating an AI strategy, the first floor of the AI pyramid, or strategic foundation (below).
Once the strategic foundation is in place, it’s time to level up and translate it into actionable capabilities across your workforce. These make up the middle section of the pyramid, the programmatic enablement stage.
In the next article, we will reach the top of the pyramid, the stage of advanced modalities and insights.
(Want an overview of all three levels of the pyramid? Check out the first article in the series, “AI Adoption: A Story of Three Organizations – and an Opportunity for L&D Leaders.”)
Implement basic AI strategies
To avoid chaotic, ad hoc, and above all dangerous AI deployments, all employees need to be on board with an AI strategy and a collection of vetted AI tools.
It’s also great for employees. Research shows that people who understand AI are more likely to use AI tools and are less likely to fear or distrust AI. And with 82% of leaders planning to empower their workforces with a digital workforce, there’s no better time than now.
Sharing your AI strategy, guardrails, and policies with your employees, along with WIIFM on improving efficiency and productivity, will help them understand AI and approach it as a long-term partner.
Not surprisingly, L&D leaders and teams are also motivated by the same WIIFMS. The biggest obstacle when creating new content is lack of time. On the other hand, the demand for custom learning is only increasing.
Consider how you can work with AI to accelerate L&D and program creation. We curate content and in-house wisdom to recommend personalized learning paths. Help your team scale high-value learning experiences across your learners while tracking progress, business impact, and ROI.
This article focuses on two practical features (and benefits) of programmatic enablement.
AI skills and competency programs Intelligent L&D content and program design
AI skills and competency program
Why are employee AI skills so important? The numbers speak clearly to your needs.
76% of working professionals say they need AI skills to stay competitive in the job market. The overall experience was skewed positive, with 57% reporting that they felt some or a great deal of impact from AI on their work. 56% report feeling unprepared to use AI in the workplace. 55% reported that their employer does not provide clear guidance on the use of AI tools. 41% feel they have a good understanding of AI. More than a third (35%) use AI at work, but only 31% report receiving AI training at work. Only 16% of respondents said they had access to AI tools provided by their employer or school.
Data shows that heavy use of AI among team members does not equate to organizational or individual AI readiness.
Without structured, hands-on training and clear guidance on usage, AI adoption can be superficial, spotty, and carry significant risks (for more information on the risks of scenarios 2 and 3, see our companion article, “AI Adoption: A Story of Three Organizations – and the Opportunity for L&D Leaders”).
True AI capabilities include changing the way people think, act, and incorporating AI into their daily workflows. It’s about achieving real and lasting behavioral change and tool mastery, and empowering team members not only to understand AI, but to exemplify its responsible and effective use.
AI training pathway
Each organization’s AI skills needs are different. However, in general, training pathways tend to fall into three themes.
AI Fundamentals and Responsible Innovation Pathways addresses a fundamental understanding of AI, including:
Define and embody your own AI principles Promote psychological safety Reduce bias Manage data securely and responsibly Ensure copyright traceability
Practical AI Pathways for Productivity focuses on immediate, tangible skills to help team members use AI in their daily work. This pathway leverages insights from custom knowledge bases that reflect the organization’s nuanced knowledge and wisdom, ensuring that valuable sources of human expertise are not lost in digital transformation. Skills include:
Use of vetted AI tools and platforms Rapid engineering Human-AI collaboration
Finally, the Strategic AI Integration and Transformation Pathway is designed for organizational leaders and internal change agents. The goal of this path is to build a consistent strategic AI roadmap across the organization, transform operations and culture, and ensure efforts are strategically aligned, continuously aligned, and evaluated for measurable impact. This pathway details:
Ongoing research and development of new AI initiatives, projects, and tools AI project management Integrating AI into specific industry contexts Mastering change management for AI deployments
As you can see in all three pathways, building AI capabilities requires more than just training the tools. Each builds on the values-based AI principles we established together during the AI Strategy Mapping stage and the mental model changes we identified. (See this article for more information on the strategy mapping phase, including values-based AI principles and changing mental models.)
AI Skills and Competency Programs: Building on Fundamental AI Strategies
Here’s a quick summary of how we can work with you to create the basic building blocks of your AI skills program.
First, we gather information through internal communication channels, qualitative analysis, and empathetic interviews with employees to co-create unique AI principles specific to your culture, such as “continuous improvement” and “ethical use and deployment.” These principles address common AI concerns and provide a north star for your team.
It also forms the basis for defining mental model shifts (MMS), the critical attitudinal and behavioral changes that AI training programs must foster in order to build a truly coherent AI culture.
For example, your goal might be to change your employees’ mindset from “It’s OK to experiment with AI without boundaries” to “It’s great to experiment with AI, but you need to follow your organization’s AI guidelines, policies, and best practices to use AI safely, ethically, and effectively.”
By aligning your programs with these custom MMS, you can ensure your programs drive lasting behavioral change in your workforce and build desired AI competencies across all areas of your organization.
(Curious about how AI skills and competency programs work in practice? Check out three real-world case studies in our ebook, The AI Blueprint: Actionable Strategies For L&D Leaders To Reduce Value, Add Value, and Unlock the Benefits of AI At Scale.)
Intelligent L&D content and program design
Thanks to changes in the global economy, skills needs are evolving more rapidly than ever before. But most training budgets haven’t kept up. The constant need to do more, faster with fewer resources puts L&D leaders under extraordinary production pressure.
Traditional content creation workflows struggle to keep up with the rapidly evolving needs of learners and the demand for personalized and relevant learning materials.
AI offers a revolutionary opportunity here. AI can accelerate development, potentially reducing labor, lowering costs, and accelerating time-to-implementation of critical training initiatives.
With these promising benefits, it’s tempting to rush into adoption. But accepting the use of AI alone can be ad hoc, inefficient, and extremely dangerous.
To benefit our teams, AI needs to be strategically integrated into the L&D ecosystem, not just a tool or shortcut. And as we work toward integration, it’s important to maintain high standards of accuracy, quality, and instructional integrity in every program we design.
Here’s how it actually works:
Creating learning content using AI
AI helps learning teams increase efficiency and shorten project timelines while meeting the growing need for more learning programs and content.
For example, SweetRush team members work with client partners to guide AI through a combination of simple requests and special prompts to generate high-quality content tailored to each client partner’s needs and their brand and voice.
We then conduct rigorous internal reviews to ensure that all AI-generated content meets our quality standards and aligns with the learning objectives we defined together at the beginning of the project.
Then, integrate sophisticated AI-generated content into a polished final product that you can deploy to your learners.
This process allows us to more efficiently create engaging and effective learning experiences while maintaining a human-centered approach. All human interactions that occur at strategic points throughout the process are mandatory and cannot be omitted for any reason.
Avatar creation by AI
Digital avatars are much more than just non-player characters. It helps you personalize your learning solutions. Learners’ emotional connection to the material deepens. Additionally, you can interact with your learners in a realistic and natural way.
Avatars are divided into two categories.
Pre-rendered: These avatars are pre-created for use with videos and other recorded or static content. Pre-rendered avatars are more photo-realistic because they don’t need to be loaded in real-time. Although not as interactive as live avatars, they are great for e-learning modules and programs delivered through videos.
Live: Live avatars process in real time and require more intensive computing power. The result is less realism, but highly interactive. These are the perfect choice for virtual coaching, interpersonal skills simulation, and any learning experience that prioritizes hands-on, in-the-moment practice.
Which one you choose depends on your use case, project budget, and schedule.
Whether you want pre-rendered avatars, live avatars, or a combination thereof, you can leverage several different design approaches, each involving different levels of AI involvement.
Avatar design approach
Primarily powered by AI: For internal programs or informal use, AI tools can help you develop avatars that can be quickly created and easily leveraged in videos and e-learning courses. Like any other generated AI output, it should be reviewed and refined. Note: These avatars are not highly customizable, but their simple shapes, colors, and styles are suitable for eLearning modules and videos.
Custom: Client work and programs that require high production values require complete control by a human artist from start to finish. In this process, a 3D artist (or team of artists) starts with a photo or sketch of the desired avatar and “sculpts” it in a 3D design program. Custom avatars can be used in any program and are especially valuable in immersive learning experiences where nuance and realism are key.
Hybrid: An intermediate pass uses AI to create an initial avatar, then human 3D artists fine-tune details to create the final version of the avatar. This approach helps teams quickly create custom-quality avatars while respecting timelines and budgets.
Next up is Peak AI
These exciting examples of AI training and L&D content creation are just a few ways to build on foundational AI strategies and enhance efficiency, productivity, and a sense of shared responsibility across your organization. Level up to the next article to explore advanced modalities and insights at the top of the AI pyramid.
Want to explore at your own pace? Download our e-book, The AI Blueprint: Actionable Strategies for L&D Leaders to Reduce Risk, Drive Value, and Harness the Benefits of AI at Scale. From secure foundations to peak implementation, you’ll find a comprehensive plan to help you build your AI strategy.
sweet rush
Our job is to help you achieve your goals and succeed. From analytics to custom development (including e-learning, mobile, gamification, and ILT) to evaluation, we’re here to help.
