Training in the Age of AI: What Learners Expect in 2025

Drawing on responses from over 100 learners and training buyers between April and June 2025, this report by findcourses.com uncovers how AI is actively influencing course searches, learning priorities, and professional anxieties. For training providers, this is a call to reimagine offerings—not just to keep pace with AI, but to equip learners to thrive alongside it.

📌 Overview of Key Trends

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a fringe topic in professional development—it’s now a major catalyst shaping how learners search, choose, and experience education. According to findcourses.com’s latest user data, AI is a consideration for more than half of all course seekers. Whether out of curiosity, career necessity, or employer pressure, learners are looking for guidance on how to navigate this shift.

Top takeaways include:

• Over 30% of learners are searching for courses due to AI disruptions in their field.
• Interest in AI for tool mastery remains high, while career switchers are steadily increasing.
• The need to keep learning continuously in response to AI is learners’ most pressing concern.
• Learners also highlight AI’s potential to make learning faster and more personalized—when used correctly.

For training providers, the opportunity lies in designing relevant, scalable, and reassuring education that addresses both the promise and uncertainty AI brings.

🔍 How AI Impacts Course Interest

To understand AI’s influence, we asked learners whether the technology had prompted them to look for a course. The responses reveal a blend of professional pressure and genuine curiosity.

Insights from the Data:

• By June 2025, over 54% said AI played a role in their decision to explore courses.
  • 31% are responding to direct industry changes.
  • 23% are simply interested in understanding AI’s workings.
• The number of learners not influenced by AI trended downward, and the percentage of those unsure also dipped slightly.

Implications for Providers:

• Ensure AI-adjacent courses are visible—even if they’re not “about” AI per se.
• Develop messaging that appeals to both change-averse professionals and the curiosity-led learner.
• Equip advisors to help learners who are “not sure” about AI’s relevance see how it may affect their career trajectory.

🎓 Why Learners Are Enrolling in AI-Relevant Training

Among learners who acknowledged AI as a factor in their training decision, motivations range from adapting to disruption to staying ahead of the curve.

Insights from the Data:

• Improving productivity with AI tools consistently ranks near the top (31–44%).
• Career protection and adaptability saw a spike in May (38%) but dropped in June (15%).
• Changing into AI-related fields is a growing trend, rising steadily from April to June.
• Compliance or employer-mandated learning also saw a strong uptick in June (35%).

Implications for Providers:

• Build training that’s immediately applicable—help learners save time, boost efficiency, and show value at work.
• Integrate non-technical entry points for professionals considering a pivot to AI.
• Partner with employers or industry bodies to align courses with regulatory and upskilling needs.

🚧 Top AI-Related Learning Concerns

While many learners are optimistic, they also raise significant concerns about what AI might mean for their future. These concerns offer vital insight into where providers can build trust.

Insights from the Data:

• Ongoing need to upskill due to AI was the most common concern across all months (peaking at 41% in April).
• Fear of job loss climbed to 35% in June.
• Worries about inaccurate AI-generated content dropped sharply—from 33% in April to 15% in June.
• Appreciation of AI’s benefits (e.g. efficiency, personalization) remained stable but modest.
• Fewer learners said they had “no concerns” over time, reflecting growing awareness and caution.

Implications for Providers:

• Create learning models that build confidence, not pressure—shorter formats, refreshers, and micro credentials.
• Provide quality assurance training—show learners how to use AI tools responsibly and critically.
• Reframe AI as an assistive, not replacement, technology in your communications.
• Share human-led success stories where learners used AI to enhance—not end—their roles.

🛠️ Action Plan for Training Providers

1. Modular Learning, Updated Often
   • Respond to learner concerns with bite-sized, evolving content that keeps up with AI's fast pace.
2. Low-Barrier Entry to AI Topics
   • Offer role-specific intros like “AI for Customer Success” or “Smart Tools for HR Professionals”.
   • Minimize technical jargon—focus on outcomes.
3. Real-Life Tools, Real-World Use Cases
   • Build how-to lessons on tools like ChatGPT, AI in Excel, Canva’s AI features, etc.
   • Help learners apply skills right away.
4. Address Anxiety Head-On
   • Build confidence with transparent modules on AI ethics, content validation, and career adaptability.
   • Feature learner stories and case studies to demonstrate practical success.

📚 Closing Thoughts

AI is no longer optional for learners—it’s a reality they’re actively preparing for. They’re not all looking to become data scientists or engineers, but they do want to understand, adapt, and stay employable in an AI-driven world.

Training providers have the chance to become trusted partners in that journey. By focusing on real-world utility, flexibility, and learner confidence, you can deliver the skills that today’s professionals need—and tomorrow’s workforce will expect.