From Features to Possibilities: Why AI in Learning & Development Needs an iPhone Moment

When Apple released the first iPhone in 2007, it turned the mobile world on its head. It eliminated the physical keyboard, untethered the internet, democratized photography, and let you pick the apps. Why was this so genius? Because they didn’t just iterate on the mobile device concept; they gave you an “everything machine.” They weren’t selling functions; they were providing possibilities. The iPhone wasn’t a contented improvement over existing technology; it was a reimagining of what’s possible.

Before the iPhone hit the market, the device-du-jour was arguably the Motorola Razr. Its slim, dark lines screamed coolness when opened one-handed. But you simply had a Razr. Just like everyone else. And 4-4-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-6-6-6 just spelled "hello." The iPhone destroyed that overnight. You made the iPhone what you wanted it to be. You took your own photos and made them backgrounds. You installed and used the apps of your choice. You defined the device instead of it defining you.

So, why this trip into digital nostalgia? Because we are again at a time when the scales are about to tip and the world shifts.

Artificial intelligence (AI)—call them bots, enhancements, or features—is showing up in nearly every piece of software. Even my browser now tries to predict and write for me. (Don’t fret; a real-breathing human wrote this piece.) Likewise, the learning and development space is seeing a rising tide of features like content generation, tone analysis, writing improvements, question creation, and more. While these remarkable functions make designers’ work easier and more efficient, I would argue they are the “default apps” of our day. Put another way, they are akin to the “Snake” game on my original Razr.

Before your hackles flare, let me clarify.

I loved that Snake game. I spent more hours chasing apples than I care to confess because the app was simple and fun and provided exactly what it was designed to do—just like the AI features showing up in our software. There is unquestionably a desire and necessity for features and functions like these. Sometimes you just need an easy button; sometimes generating 10 questions is the perfect starting place.

But what happens when information technology approves a different LLM than the one leveraged in your software? What happens when the generated content is only marginally helpful? What happens when your security team questions the data privacy behind the provided features? These questions drive me to beg for possibilities instead of just features.

Because we deal in proprietary content in the corporate learning space, and the need for security, governance, and accountability are paramount, we cannot be satisfied with only single-function, pre-defined solutions. Nor can we continue with right-conscious to secretly copy/paste into the LLM of our preference before the cobra-like questions above rear their heads. So, what is the solution?

A rethinking. A reimagining.

By no means am I calling for a replacement of single-function solutions. I love the default apps on my phone. What I’m asking for is that software companies also start thinking about possibilities. I appreciate easy buttons, but as an organization, I want to be able to choose and define which AI features show up. I want to bring the services most useful to my team into their workflow. I want to fine tune the results from these tools for a better fit. And I want to choose the LLM that empowers these features. Essentially, I want to determine the best solutions instead of having the software determine them for me. For an example of this type of forward-thinking, look at Xyleme’s Sidekick implementation. It is all about empowering organizations through possibilities.

L&D recognizes the value behind personalized learning, and that the best way for someone to improve is to meet their learning needs. That’s all I’m asking for in how we continue the rush of AI implementation. Don’t let your vision be clouded by where we’ve been. Be brave enough to offer possibilities—because the software solution that allows me to choose the AI, determine and meet the needs of my employees, and leverage the services we need, just iterated on the same type of magic that made the iPhone so revolutionary.

Now, please excuse me. I must go beat my high score on Snake.