“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler
And friend, that 21st century is now knocking on 2026’s door.
1. Do you have an AI champion who actually gets both learning AND technology?
Target State: Someone who bridges L&D and IT, speaking both languages fluently—and more importantly, someone willing to unlearn what made them successful in the pre-AI world. Quick Win: Identify your most tech-curious instructional designer. Give them 20% time to experiment with AI tools and report back weekly. Their first job? Unlearn the notion that good learning takes months to build.
2. Can your team create a working prototype in days, not months?
Target State: Rapid prototyping culture where “good enough to test” beats “perfect in theory.” Quick Win: Pick one microlearning module. Rebuild it with AI assistance. Test with 10 learners. Iterate. Repeat. Time to unlearn ADDIE’s timeline and relearn what “rapid” really means.
3. Are you capturing workflow patterns that AI could automate?
Target State: Document repetitive tasks that eat 20+ hours monthly. Quick Win: Have your team log their work for one week. Highlight anything they do more than 3x. That’s your AI automation list. First, though, you’ll need to unlearn the belief that busy equals productive.
**"Learning without unlearning is like trying to pour new wine into a full cup—messy, wasteful, and you end up with a stained shirt."**
4. Do learners interact with AI as naturally as they text?
Target State: AI assistants that feel like helpful colleagues, not tech obstacles. Quick Win: Start with one simple use case—like an FAQ bot for your most common learner questions. But first, unlearn the fear that AI will replace human connection. It won’t—it’ll free you up to be more human.
5. Is your content intelligent enough to adapt in real-time?
Target State: Learning paths that adjust based on performance, not predetermined sequences. Quick Win: Take your highest-traffic course. Add 3 branching scenarios based on quiz results. Watch engagement soar. Unlearn the linear course. Relearn the adaptive journey.
6. Can you predict who will struggle before they fail?
Target State: AI flags at-risk learners within their first 3 interactions. Quick Win: Track early engagement patterns in your current top course. Find the “tells” that predict dropout. But here’s the rub—you’ll need to unlearn waiting for the post-training survey to know something went wrong.
7. Are SMEs contributing content without the traditional bottleneck?
Target State: Experts upload rough content; AI handles formatting and instructional design. Quick Win: Create a simple template + AI prompt combo. Let one SME test it for their next knowledge share. They’ll need to unlearn perfection and relearn “good enough to share.” Your experts have gold in their heads—stop making them mine it with a teaspoon.
**"The factory model of learning is dead. Those who can't unlearn it will be buried with it."**
8. Does your AI respect both efficiency AND humanity?
Target State: Technology that enhances human connection, not replaces it. Quick Win: For every AI automation, identify one human touchpoint to preserve or enhance. Unlearn the binary thinking of human OR machine. Relearn the power of human AND machine.
9. Can you measure impact beyond the learning platform?
Target State: Connect learning metrics to actual performance data. Quick Win: Pick one business KPI. Track it before and after your next major training rollout. Time to unlearn vanity metrics, relearn value metrics. If you can’t draw a line from learning to earning, you’re just hosting very expensive webinars.
10. Is experimentation celebrated, even when things break?
Target State: “Failed fast” stories shared proudly in team meetings. Quick Win: Launch an “AI Experiment of the Month” showcase. Award points for creative attempts, not just successes. The biggest unlearning? That failure is bad. The biggest relearning? That failure is data.
Your 30-Day Sprint:
Pick questions 3, 5, and 7. But before you do, spend one hour unlearning these three myths:
- “Good learning takes months to develop” (It doesn’t)
- “AI will make learning impersonal” (It won’t)
- “We’re not ready for this” (You’re more ready than you think)
The Real Secret:
AI readiness isn’t about learning new technology—it’s about unlearning old assumptions. Every sacred cow of traditional L&D needs to be questioned, examined, and possibly sent to pasture.
Start tomorrow. Not with a strategy deck, but with one curious question: “What’s the one thing we do because ‘we’ve always done it that way’?”
That’s your first unlearning opportunity. That’s where transformation begins.
“In the end, the organizations that thrive won’t be those who learned AI the fastest, but those who unlearned their limitations the quickest. The illiterate of 2026 won’t be those who can’t use ChatGPT—they’ll be those who can’t let go of 2019.”
Remember: Every expert was once a beginner who was willing to unlearn what they thought they knew. Your AI journey starts with that same humility.
Let’s Continue This Conversation
Want to dive deeper into AI readiness and other hot L&D topics? Join me at the Adobe Learning Summit in Las Vegas, September 23-25 at Resorts World.
We’ll be unpacking these questions, sharing war stories, and figuring out together how to unlearn our way to success.
Register here: Adobe Learning Summit 2025
See you in Vegas – bring your questions and your willingness to unlearn!
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