Rich Douglas

Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of technological innovation, holding immense promise for the future. It’s shaping industries, revolutionizing healthcare, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in science, automation, and communication. But one of its most profound impacts will be in talent development, where AI-driven learning platforms, personalized coaching, and intelligent training systems are redefining how we grow and adapt in our careers.That paragraph was written by ChatGPT©, an artificial intelligence chatbot. I asked it what the benefits and potential dangers of AI were, particularly in our field of talent development.Artificial intelligence can be defined as any system that mimics human behavior and produces comparable results. It’s been around in one form or another since humans began doing science. The abacus, for example, was in use in Sumeria as early as 2600 B.C.E. In the early 19th century, Charles Babbage introduced the first mechanical computer, while IBM brought us the first general-use electronic computer (the ENIAC) in 1945. Technology presses on.Today, we engage artificial intelligence in nearly every aspect of our lives. Pressing an elevator button, doing an internet search, and setting a destination on the GPS in our cars are all forms of modern AI. These are known as “special use” forms of AI. But that’s not the kind of AI grabbing everyone’s attention these days.What has our attention now is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This is the type of AI that mimics human intelligence, behavior, and thinking. That conversation with ChatGPT© is a good example. I asked it a question, and it gave me an answer. But it wasn’t just a technical question with an objective answer. I asked for its subjective opinion—and it gave it to me.AGI holds incredible potential, harnessing the whole of human knowledge and applying it to myriad challenges: medical diagnoses, more efficient manufacturing processes, and education, to name a few. But perhaps nowhere is AI’s influence more evident than in talent development. AI is transforming how we learn, reskill, and advance in our careers. Intelligent tutoring systems and adaptive learning models now make professional development more accessible and tailored to individual needs. Organizations can analyze workforce trends, identify skills gaps, and even predict future training demands with unprecedented accuracy.However, with all these advances come valid concerns. It’s not just the “machines are taking over” fear, although that remains a popular talking point. There’s the issue of AI-driven assessments—are they accurate, unbiased, and fair? There’s also the risk of over-relying on AI for hiring and promotions, which could reinforce existing biases rather than eliminate them. And, of course, the impact on jobs: AI is streamlining processes but also replacing roles, a trend that has repeated throughout history. If you doubt that, go ask your town crier, elevator operator, or milkman!So, what’s the solution? Like any other form of technological advancement, we must treat AI like a tool—a sharp knife, if you will. It can do a lot for us, but we’ll need to handle it with care. We’ll also need to master it, using it thoughtfully and ethically to support human progress.Beyond job displacement, AI presents ethical risks, including its potential for misuse in surveillance, misinformation, and biased decision making. As AI continues to evolve, organizations must implement responsible practices to ensure fairness and transparency in workforce development.Another challenge is AI’s increasing complexity. As these systems grow more advanced, they may operate in ways that are not fully understandable or controllable by humans. This unpredictability is particularly concerning in education, career planning, and corporate training, where clear decision-making processes are essential.So, I went back to ChatGPT© and asked for its advice. It said:The future of AI is full of potential, but it must be approached with caution. By harnessing its power responsibly, AI can become an invaluable tool for progress. However, without careful management, its rapid advancement could lead to unforeseen challenges that require proactive solutions. The key will be ensuring that AI enhances humanity without compromising our values.Who can argue with that? As we navigate this evolving landscape, particularly in talent development, let’s make sure we’re using AI as a partner—not a replacement—to help people learn, grow, and thrive in the future of work.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword

It’s never too soon to begin thinking about how you’ll enter retirement and what you’ll be and do during that phase of your life.

Talent Developers in Retirement—Where Do We Go From Here?

“People don’t just show up in the C-suite overnight.” — Amy HoodWhat’s the point of all this growth and development—the crux of our profession—if we don’t do something with it ourselves? It would be difficult to become a strategic leader and stay at the tactical level anyway, so I based the foundational theory of my book Purposeful Leadership Development, in part, on that idea. What is the upper management team (UMT) and how do we get there?Upper Management Team Theory helps explain how the senior management operates strategically within the organization. The senior managers of an organization exist as an “upper echelon,” strategically directing the organization. The departmental model is common. Members of the UMT are heads of their respective technical departments. They are responsible as a group for strategic leadership of the organization, as well as individually for managing their respective departments. Another is the CEO model: One member has the right to dictate to the other members and can undertake strategic decisions unilaterally. The CEO has the final say, even for departmental decisions. Regardless of the models in place, the typical UMT is sustained by adding functional managers rather than general managers, and then turning them into strategic leaders.In his book The Next Level, Scott Eblin does a terrific job explaining the managerial perspectives that leaders need to let go of and the strategic leadership perspectives they need to pick up to be successful. At the personal level, successful strategic leaders develop confidence in their presence, seek regular renewal of their energy (instead of running until crashing), and custom-fit their communications to a wide variety of audiences. On the team level, they become more reliant on their teams (and less on themselves), define outcomes instead of telling employees how to do things, and become accountable for many more results. Finally, at the organizational level, these strategic leaders look left and right (in addition to up and down) as they lead, adopt an outside-in perspective, and develop a “big footprint” view of their roles, rather than the narrower perspective of a manager. In short, they move away from being bureaucrats and toward being business owners. (Even if what they’re running isn’t technically a business!)No matter what your specialty is—marketing, finance, IT, human capital—there is a science to being on the upper management team. There is also a science behind getting there, too. Let’s examine four ways this happens, including one you probably haven’t considered.R.F. Vancil suggested that executives are selected in one of three ways: by horse race (where an opening is identified, candidates are gathered, and one is selected over the others); by relay race (succession planning, where internal candidates for potential openings are identified, prepared, and once the opening is available, selected); and by crisis (an organizational emergency requires a particular candidate or kind of candidate to be found). But there is a fourth.My own research with chief learning officers (CLOs)—the C-suite members responsible for talent development—showed a fourth way: create it yourself. Some study participants created the CLO position for their organizations and then filled it. This had the dual effect of creating a career opportunity for the new CLO and to introduce the practice of the CLO—and its effect on the organization. Nearly half the study’s participants reported creating and filling the CLO position for the first time for their respective organizations. Someone wanting to advance to the upper management team of their business or organization finding few opportunities in senior leadership might decide to create their own.Joining the upper management team of any business or organization means a transformation from being a tactical manager to becoming a strategic leader. It doesn’t happen by accident. But it certainly can happen on purpose.

Rich Douglas

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