GP Strategies’ annual Customer Forum just took place in London. Titled “Stronger Together: Human-Centred L&D in the Age of AI,” the forum brought together voices from across industries to grapple with the challenges and opportunities of AI, and the conversations revealed a clear path forward.
Here are the five main concepts we’re taking away from the event.
#1: Human-Centered AI: The Power of Partnership
AI’s promise is undeniable, but its true value emerges only when paired with human curiosity, empathy, and judgment. AI amplifies human capabilities, but human insight drives AI effectiveness. Organizations that treat AI as a partner (not a replacement) are finding new ways to personalize learning, unlock creativity, and scale excellence.
Here are some key insights from Walter Pasquarelli’s keynote presentation on Day One:
Reframing AI as Partnership
Traditional Mindset
- AI will replace human roles
- Technology threatens job security
- Learning becomes automated
- Human expertise loses value
Partnership Mindset
- AI amplifies human capabilities
- Technology enhances job performance
- Learning becomes personalized
- Human insight drives AI effectiveness
Takeaway: Invest in developing your people’s ability to work alongside AI, not just use it.
#2: Foundations First: Data, Skills, and Culture
The temptation to chase the latest technology is strong, but the most successful organizations are those that build strong foundations first. Delta Air Lines’ transformation story underscored the importance of getting data hygiene, skills taxonomy, and unified teams in place before launching enterprise AI. Microsoft’s case study echoed this, highlighting that “meta-data, meta-data, meta-data” is the backbone of any scalable AI solution.
Takeaway: Before scaling AI, audit your data, clarify your skills architecture, and unify your teams around shared goals.
#3: Curiosity and Psychological Safety: Fuel for Innovation
Innovation thrives where curiosity is encouraged and psychological safety is protected. The forum’s hands-on workshops and “prompt-a-thon” activities focused on creating environments where people feel safe to experiment, fail, and learn. Leaders must model openness and resilience, fostering cultures where bold ideas can flourish.
In fact, Leah Clark’s research revealed the critical need for psychological safety, trust, and executive role models in order for leaders to take bold action and overcome obstacles.
Takeaway: Create safe spaces for experimentation and reward curiosity, not just results.
#4 | Overcoming Barriers: Inclusion and Trust
Resistance to AI adoption is real, whether it’s skepticism, fear, or lack of clarity. Ella Richardson’s presentation “Embedding AI in the Enterprise, Driving Adoption Through Behavioural Change” explored the BRAVE framework (Belonging, Relevance, Access, Visibility, Empowerment). This framework offers a roadmap for fostering inclusion and experimentation.
Takeaway: Use real-life insights to demonstrate value, celebrate quick wins, and share adoption stories widely.
#5 | Measuring What Matters: Data-Driven Impact
In the age of AI, intuition alone isn’t enough. Leaders need clear, actionable data to guide decisions. The forum highlighted the shift from measuring activity to measuring impact: connecting learning directly to business outcomes, productivity, and innovation. Advanced analytics and real-time dashboards are helping organizations identify skill gaps, track engagement, and prove ROI.
Takeaway: Move beyond vanity metrics. Define what success looks like for your learning initiatives, and use data-driven insights to iterate, improve, and demonstrate value to stakeholders.
Action Items Recap for Learning Leaders
- Invest in human-centered AI partnerships: Develop your people’s ability to work alongside AI, focusing on collaboration and creativity—not just technical usage.
- Build strong foundations before scaling AI: Audit your organization’s data, clarify your skills architecture, and unify teams around shared goals.
- Foster curiosity and psychological safety: Create environments where experimentation is safe and curiosity is rewarded, enabling innovation to flourish.
- Overcome barriers with inclusion, trust, and measurable impact: Use frameworks like BRAVE and data-driven insights to foster inclusion, build trust, and celebrate progress.
- Measure what matters—focus on impact, not activity: Define clear success metrics for learning initiatives and use analytics to demonstrate and improve value.
The Future of Work: Human+AI Teams
The next frontier will be built by teams that blend human judgment with AI agents to unlock new value. To succeed, we need bold leadership, disciplined foundations, and a relentless focus on human strengths. The organizations that embrace these principles will not only keep pace with change; they will shape the future of learning and work.
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