I’ve just come back from an incredible trip to Japan! Japan is well known as a global leader in technology, and in cities, it’s ingrained into the culture as part of everyday life.
Tech and People working in Partnership
What surprised me most, though, was how many people were still doing jobs, unlike in the UK. In Japan, technology hasn’t replaced people—it’s designed to work alongside them, even in something as futuristic as the robot café! The robot guided us to our seat and took our order, but a person brought the order over and made sure we had everything we needed.
You may buy your ticket from a machine, but a person checks it and points you in the right direction. Or you might purchase from a person, and then a machine scans it.
In contrast, in the UK, we seem determined to replace people with machines, and it doesn’t always work smoothly. There’s a reason we’re not so keen on self-service checkouts… Sure, they’re fine when you’re picking up a sandwich, and everything works as it should. But what happens when something doesn’t scan, or you’re buying an age-restricted product or an item with a security tag? It’s often slower and more frustrating. Most people would rather have more cashiers on tills.
In Japan, this balance between tech and people meant everything worked efficiently, and it was easy to get what we needed.
Technology drove the system. People drove the experience. It was a powerful combination, showcasing a harmonious example of AI versus human learning in action.
AI and Human Roles: Addressing Fears for the Future
Many people are worried about how AI in training will take away jobs and disrupt society. I won’t lie, I share some concerns too. I see ads for AI tools for education, aimed at teachers to mark student work. But what’s the point if students are using AI to help do their work? We risk entering a world where AI is marking AI—how does that benefit anyone?
I also worry about what this means for my children’s future careers. Living behind screens makes it easy to lose touch with what’s real and what’s not. We can experience things second-hand, but it’s less satisfying. I could have seen Japan through a screen, but I would have missed the heat, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, and the effort it took to explore.
Human-centred learning is everything.
This is why designing live learning experiences will be more valuable than ever. AI can generate content, but content alone doesn’t lead to learning. Learning experiences come from problem-solving, emotional reactions, creative thinking, discovery, and social connections—things AI cannot replicate satisfactorily.
As learning and development professionals, we need to apply our creativity, empathy, and judgement to design effective learning experiences. That’s why I developed the course “Save Time with AI-Assisted Training Design”—not “Use AI to Design Your Training.” We have to use our human-only skills and integrate accelerated learning principles, like MASTER, to ensure that training is practical, relevant, inclusive, accessible, and engaging.
AI Should Support You, Not Replace You
AI alone isn’t going to create effective learning experiences. It can support you—it should support you—but it will never replace you because you are unique. You still need to bring your unique human-only skills to the table.