The impact has been immediate. According to a recent Springboard survey, nearly a quarter (23%) of tech professionals said that AI has already drastically changed their jobs. This is unsurprising given an October 2020 report from the World Economic Forum which declared that AI and automation will disrupt 85 million jobs globally before 2025 — and create 97 million new roles. According to WEF, by 2025, nearly half (44%) of the skills that employees will need to perform their roles effectively will change.

In the effort to stay ahead of the changing nature of work (which, by the way, includes advancements beyond AI), companies at the forefront of digital transformation have already recognized the need to invest in reskilling and upskilling to drive business growth. This is more than a safety plan, it's a strategic imperative. Labor market constraints — including an aging working population, a dearth of new talent, and the regular emergence of net-new required skills — necessitate that organizations establish robust reskilling programs to adequately develop their people.

As we look ahead to 2024, L&D teams will be critical partners in cementing this new positioning. Organizations will increasingly turn to L&D not only to reimagine company-wide learning programs, but also to be strategic leaders in the identification of company-specific skills gaps and opportunities tied to business goals. The L&D function is set to become absolutely vital to driving holistic business success by equipping employees with the appropriate skill sets required to thrive.

This coming year will be an exciting one — one that'll greatly expand the scope and impact of L&D's role. To navigate this transition smoothly, there are a number of considerations and investments to make, and it can be challenging to figure out what to prioritize.

Here are my top predictions on the best bets L&D teams can make as they seek to maximize their impact in 2024.

Teach employees how to work with AI

With all of the media attention devoted this year to AI, it may be hard to believe that we are still in the very early days of the AI revolution. But, the truth is, AI has only just begun reshaping our lives. Because this digital revolution is still in its infancy, now is the prime time for L&D leaders to build an AI-forward culture at their organizations, driving education and experimentation.

Inaction on responding to the proliferation of AI is simply untenable—its impacts on the state of work will be massive. A recent IBM report surveyed 300 C-suite executives across 22 industries to gauge their POV on the impact of generative AI on labor, finding that:

• Executives estimate that 40% of their workforce will need to reskill as a result of implementing AI and automation over the next three years — that's 1.4 billion of the 3.4 billion people in the global workforce

• 83% of executives say that generative AI will reinvent the way their organization works

Generative AI will impact virtually every business function and is poised to significantly reinvent the operations for many. Organizations that embrace its benefits will gain an important edge. A 2023 McKinsey Global Survey found a "startlingly strong connection between organizations that have built a strong innovative culture and their ability to increase value through the newest digital technologies, including generative AI."

Learning & Development leaders are crucial in the work of building an organizational culture that embraces innovation. The coming year provides an opportune time to equip your company with the right AI skill sets — a charge that includes not only implementing targeted upskilling programs that are function-specific, but also cultivating a culture that eagerly welcomes the latest digital advancements.