Canaries in the Coal Mine: Instructional Design in the Age of AI

The phrase “canaries in the coal mine” comes from the practice of miners bringing canaries into coal mines to detect the presence of carbon monoxide. Because these tiny birds are much more sensitive to carbon monoxide than humans, they show signs of distress before the miners. If the canary dies, the miners know it’s time to evacuate. It’s an elegant and life-saving solution for the miners; not so much for the canaries.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the world around us, and the field of instructional design is no exception. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we design, develop, and deliver powerful, intensely personalized learning experiences. However, it is also important to be aware of the potential challenges that AI poses for the instructional design profession and talent development in general.

According to the ATD Research study, AI in Learning and Talent Development: Embracing Its Future Potential in the Workplace, AI is already being used to automate some of the tasks that instructional designers traditionally perform, such as content creation, quiz development, and performance support. This practice could lead to a decrease in the demand for instructional designers and other talent development professionals soon. In fact, Fortune Magazine reports that about 4,000 technology jobs – including many in our profession – were replaced by AI alternatives in June alone.

But AI didn’t cause this problem. While instructional design jobs generally require a strong understanding of technical concepts, as well as the ability to communicate complex ideas to a variety of audiences, the median annual salary for instructional designers in the United States in May 2022 was $73,130, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That same source reports the median salary for software engineers at $110,000, and Project Managers at $133,000. In addition to being under-valued in the workplace, talent development professionals are often the first to be laid off, as companies consider their forecasts and look to trim “unnecessary” positions in difficult times. While we’ve been writing about getting “a seat at the table” since at least 2004, it seems that the learning profession continues to be seen by many as a useful – and highly expendable – little canary.

It’s important to note that AI is not replacing all instructional designers just yet. But it may be tempting for some employers to consider this option. As I see it, we can stay in our cage and hope for the best, or we can choose to be miners – finding ways to bring new value to our organizations and becoming agents of our fate.

Learning professionals can stay ahead of the curve by:

• Learning about AI and how it can be used to support our work.
• Developing AI-centric skills, such as machine learning, data analysis, and prompt engineering.
• Networking with colleagues who are using AI in other parts of the organization.
• Contributing to the development of AI applications for learning and talent development.
• Keeping up with the latest trends in AI and sharing those with our stakeholders.

AI is already rapidly transforming the world around us, and the field of instructional design is no exception.

We can stay ahead of the curve by learning about AI and how it can be used to support our work. We can also continue to develop those skills that are not easily automated by AI, such as designing engaging learning experiences and evaluating the effectiveness of training.

No matter where you are on the learning curve, I urge you to begin. That’s why I’ve built the Master Series, AI for Talent Development. I’m on a mission to help us all get smarter about AI.

By taking these steps, talent development professionals can ensure that their skills remain relevant and marketable in the Age of AI. Or we can dress up like canaries this Halloween and see where that gets us.