{"id":147006,"date":"2026-04-09T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/?post_type=magazine&p=147006"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:14:23","slug":"the-cost-of-smarter-technology","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/spring-2026\/the-cost-of-smarter-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cost of Smarter Technology"},"author":52,"featured_media":123065,"template":"","tags":[3764,2893,3022],"class_list":["post-147006","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-corporate-training","tag-future-of-work","tag-organizational-culture","global_topic_tax-content-development","global_topic_tax-learning-technologies","magazine_issue_tax-spring-2026","magazine_article_type_tax-thought-leader","magazine_article_type_tax-whats-next-in-tech"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":"JD Dillon","author_image":"","author_bio":"JD Dillon is a respected L&D professional, keynote speaker and author of The Modern Learning Ecosystem<\/a>. After 25 years leading operations and talent development with companies like Disney, AMC, Kaplan and Axonify, he partners with organizations to reimagine enablement strategy, sharpen go-to-market execution and architect AI-powered ecosystems through LearnGeek.","excerpt":"Learning has shifted from connection-driven, in-person experiences to scalable but often isolating digital environments, challenging how organizations balance efficiency with human engagement.","main_content":"I was training a new cast member at The Great Movie Ride at Disney-MGM Studios. She was performing in front of guests for the first time when we hit a technical snafu near the end of the ride. We were buying time for engineering when a fellow trainer popped over and asked, \u201cWanna go to lunch?\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cSure\u2026\u201d I whispered, with a look that clearly translated into \u201cReally, now?\u201d\r\n\r\nThis moment captured how much we valued our group lunches. This time mattered because cast members relied on their peers to keep a complex operation running. Many formed friendships that continue years later. We knew back then, even amid stressful situations, that learning was about connection.\r\n

From Classroom to Clicks<\/h2>\r\nSince then, technology has changed how we train. Classrooms and hands-on activities still exist, but digital alternatives often take the lead. eLearning delivers speed, scale and consistency that are hard to match. As organizations grow and change accelerates, online content becomes the default.\r\n\r\nAt the same time, learning has become more isolated. Employees move through online courses alone, eyes on their screens, even when seated beside others. Zoom and Teams connect people across locations, yet many interactions are purely transactional. We log in, consume information and move on.\r\n\r\nTechnology optimized delivery, but not connection.\r\n

Trust, Friendships and Shared Understanding<\/h2>\r\nThis pattern is playing out across the workplace. Systems are more efficient and expectations are higher, but human connection is thinning.\r\n\r\nFrom a business perspective, technology has delivered. Labor productivity has increased by roughly 60% since 2000<\/a> and corporate profits have more than tripled<\/a> over the same period. Organizations clearly know how to maximize processes.\r\n\r\nThe same cannot be said for the human side of work.\r\n\r\nOnly 1 in 5 employees<\/a> strongly trust their company\u2019s leadership. While up to 90% say workplace friendships<\/a> influence engagement and retention, 40% report feeling lonely at work<\/a>. As connection weakens, people pull back. They\u2019re less likely to share, explore new opportunities or go beyond what is required.\r\n\r\nThe risk goes beyond disengagement. Trust helps teams handle uncertainty and recover when things break. Without it, performance may hold, but resilience fades.\r\n\r\nWe are in the midst of the next digital transformation of work. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistants and coaches promise instant answers, personalized training and on-demand guidance. Employees no longer need to ask a peer or wait for a manager. Information is always available, right when it is needed.\r\n\r\nBut what happens when people stop needing one another?\r\n\r\nAs work becomes more frictionless, something important is lost. These moments were opportunities to compare perspectives and build shared understanding. When they disappear, trust is harder to build. Work moves faster, but it also gets quieter.\r\n

L&D\u2019s Role: Design for Connection<\/h2>\r\nOrganizations must confront this tension as part of their AI strategy. The value of these tools is real, but so is the risk of designing work that prioritizes systems over relationships. We don\u2019t have to choose between technology and people. Instead, we must decide which human moments are worth protecting as work evolves.\r\n\r\nL&D plays a critical role in this process. How we design programs like onboarding and job training signal what the organization values. Each experience can either reinforce isolation or create space for people to meaningfully connect with one another.\r\n\r\nAs AI expands, L&D must pay close attention to how technology is shaping the work experience. We must intentionally create moments for people to pause, ask questions and learn together. Like those group training lunches, these moments shape how teams collaborate, navigate change and respond when disruption hits.","full_width":false,"content_band":[{"acf_fc_layout":"social_callout","blockquote":"Trust helps teams handle uncertainty and recover when things break. 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