The biggest opportunity for using AI in learning design isn’t handing your work over to it. It’s discovering how to work with it.
When used strategically, AI can act like a trusted design partner: helping you generate meaningful scenarios, identify course gaps, and diagnose root causes, while leaving the critical thinking, empathy, and business context to you. These four tips from our AI & Learning Design Online Conference speakers will help you partner with AI throughout the course creation process.
- The secret to high-quality AI-generated eLearning isn’t a better prompt—it’s smarter preparation grounded in sound instructional design. Start by defining the learning objectives, then tell your AI assistant its role, who the learners are, your quality expectations, and the type of Storyline or Rise interaction you want to create. This simple shift helps AI generate more meaningful scenarios, stronger assessments, and higher-quality Storyline and Rise content. – Rose Aysegul Kapucu & Supriya Chaudhari, AdventHealth
- There is a tendency in the ID space to use AI to help generate content, but it can also be used to help analyze our courses and identify blind spots, gaps, or unnecessary content. Instructional Designers can use a prompt like this, “act as a new employee with no previous experience in [content]. Identify areas where you are overwhelmed, confused, or need additional support.” This can provide a more authentic version of the learner experience before the content ever hits the classroom and allow designers to get ahead of these issues. – Rebecca DiMeo, Yale University
- The biggest time suck in L&D happens when we design and build a solution that doesn’t address the root cause. Using AI as a diagnostic thought partner takes the guesswork out. Have it work through Knowledge, Skill, Will, and Access before a single slide gets built. Get the diagnosis right, and everything you build after it actually works. – Allegra Robinson, Northern Bank
- Treat every AI-generated learning asset as a draft that must be traceable, reviewable, and owned by a human. Before using AI to create training content, define what source material the AI is allowed to use, what standard the output must meet, and who is responsible for validating it. In higher-risk environments, ‘AI helped me draft it’ is not enough; the final product still needs a clear chain of evidence and human accountability. – Kevin Pledger, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Want to hear more expert advice on partnering with AI? Join us August 26 & 27, 2026 at the AI & Learning Design Online Conference.
