Learning Signals Survey 2026

Drawing on insights from 225 senior professionals across corporate learning, education, and learning technology, the 2026 Learning Signals Survey explores how organisations are navigating unprecedented change driven by AI adoption and rapid digital transformation. View Learning Signals Survey (PDF 2.5 MB)

In 2026, managing technology and digital transformation has become the defining challenge, cited by 55% of respondents and rising sharply from 48% in the previous year. Budget and resource constraints remain persistent (48%), while skills gaps have climbed the priority list to third place (43%). These shifts reflect a learning landscape fundamentally reshaped by AI, where L&D professionals face mounting pressure to innovate while managing limited resources and competing organisational demands.

AI adoption is accelerating, with 28% of organisations now actively deploying AI – up five percentage points from 2025 – yet the sector remains cautious. Organisations are grappling with real concerns about cognitive offloading and the erosion of critical thinking skills, even as they recognise AI's transformative potential. Meanwhile, half of all organisations still lack a proactive strategy to address skills gaps, relying instead on reactive, short-term approaches that risk leaving them behind.

Amid this complexity, one finding stands out: resonance has become paramount. Seventy-nine percent of respondents now prioritise making learning relevant to learners as the primary motivator – a significant rise from 51% in 2023. Combined with growing emphasis on interactivity, flexibility, and human connection, this points to a sector determined to centre the learner experience even as it races to keep pace with technological change.

The 2026 findings reveal L&D at a crossroads – under intense pressure to deliver on AI and digital transformation, yet increasingly recognising that sustainable progress depends on strategic clarity, human-centred design, and the fundamentals of meaningful learning.

View Learning Signals Survey (PDF 2.5 MB)