Which learning management system (LMS) is the one for me?

It’s not the right question, but I get why people ask. With so many lookalike platforms in a crowded marketplace, it’s easy to get smitten with features.

The learning and development (L&D) field’s history with technology is complicated. We agonize over requests for proposals (RFPs) and endure hours of demos in search of the perfect platform. Then we pick the one that fits the budget and checks the most boxes — and try to make it work, for better or worse.

Now artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how work gets done. L&D might not be making the decisions, but we’re feeling the impact. Ready or not, workplace learning is changing fast.

Learning tech, we need to talk about our relationship.

This Isn’t Working

Lots of tools have come and gone over the years. But our approach remains the same: L&D builds content, loads it into a system and hopes people engage. It’s familiar and scalable, but it rarely moves the needle.

My most impactful learning platform wasn’t a “learning platform.” It was a wiki. It wasn’t flashy, but everyone used it. It was part of the workflow, and that made it more powerful than any learning tech.

For years, I tried to make my LMS more engaging. But the truth was it just wasn’t a tool people needed to do their jobs. I always had to convince employees to come to me. I spent more time promoting programs than solving problems.

Eventually, I stopped trying to “make fetch happen.” I shifted to familiar tools like the wiki to bring L&D to employees. This changed everything. Finally, learning was part of the job, and L&D was part of the operation.

The breakthrough wasn’t the technology itself. It was moving past our legacy mindset on tech in L&D.

I Met Someone New

AI is shifting how organizations think about skills, roles and responsibilities. The work is changing, and so are the people expected to do it.

Tasks once exclusive to L&D can now be handled by others. Stakeholders can turn source materials into courses. They can use avatars to produce explainer videos. They can generate job aids in multiple languages. The barriers to content creation — a legacy L&D value proposition — have fallen. The output may not be top-tier (yet), but many decision-makers will trade quality for speed and cost savings.

We can view this as a threat or an opportunity.

When L&D is no longer anchored to content, we’re also freed from the constraints of traditional learning platforms. We can rethink how technology enables performance. Just as the wiki opened my eyes to a bigger ecosystem, AI is giving L&D an opportunity to break out of our silo and reshape our value.

We Can Still Be Friends

It’s time to assess the entire tech stack. Companies are moving fast to extract AI value. They’re applying new tools to solve familiar problems. L&D must follow suit by shifting our focus from creation to connection — bringing together those who know with those who need.

We’ll continue to build programs and facilitate experiences. These tasks remain essential, especially in compliance-heavy environments. At the same time, we must find new ways to elevate performance through technology.

While we may not abandon every legacy tool, learning tech cannot be the core of our strategy. Instead, our tools must serve a clear purpose within a broader, integrated ecosystem. They must enhance the digital work experience rather than distract from it.

This isn’t a typical breakup. It’s a breakthrough in how we use technology to support people, solve problems and drive performance.