Rebuilding L&D for an AI-Driven World: Larry Durham and Jonathan Eighteen

Learning and development is entering a structural rebuild. The systems, processes and operating assumptions that shaped the function were designed for a world where content was expensive to create, expertise moved slowly and learning largely sat outside the flow of work. As AI changes each of those conditions, the challenge is no longer simply modernizing delivery. It is determining what L&D must become.

In an episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, host David James welcomes Larry Durham and Jonathan Eighteen to examine the findings of the 2026 Learning Transformation Benchmark. Their discussion focuses on the widening gap between organizational ambition and system readiness. Leaders may agree on the need for AI-enabled learning and skills-based talent strategies, but misaligned systems, governance and funding continue to prevent execution at enterprise scale.

The conversation explores the emergence of invisible L&D: learning embedded directly into work rather than experienced primarily through courses and programs. Larry and Jonathan also discuss why skills must move beyond static taxonomies and become active tools for workforce planning, deployment and capability decisions. This shift positions L&D less as a delivery engine and more as an architect of performance.

AI-driven L&D transformation also changes where the function can create value. As AI reduces traditional design and development effort, teams can reinvest capacity in performance consulting, trusted measurement and capability architecture. By helping the organization connect skills, learning and performance, L&D can take ownership of the capability operating system required for an AI-accelerated workplace.