Redefining L&D’s Role in an AI-Driven World with Amanda Archer of Advocate Health
Amanda Archer, Director of Learning Experience at Advocate Health, joins this episode of Learning Leaders Spotlight to discuss how learning and development is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, organizational change, and rising expectations from the business. The discussion explores why L&D teams can no longer operate primarily as content producers and what it will take to remain relevant and valuable in the years ahead. Throughout the episode, Amanda Archer brings a candid, reflective, and future-focused perspective shaped by deep experience inside a complex healthcare organization.
Amanda serves at one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the United States, supporting a workforce of approximately 170,000 teammates. She leads teams responsible for instructional design, learning systems, regulatory learning, governance, and emerging work in skills and AI literacy. With nearly two decades in the learning profession, Amanda has held roles spanning facilitation, instructional design, and leadership development, giving her a broad view of how the field has evolved and where it must go next.
From Content Creation to Business Consulting
A central theme of the episode is the shift from viewing L&D as a support function to positioning it as a strategic business partner. Amanda emphasizes that learning teams must move beyond simply producing courses or elearning modules in response to requests. Instead, they must help the business think more deeply about behavior change, performance outcomes, and the most effective ways to influence how work actually gets done. This often means challenging default solutions like mandatory training assignments and exploring alternatives such as communication strategies, testimonials, or performance support.
AI as a Catalyst, Not a Replacement
Artificial intelligence is described as the most significant force reshaping learning today. Amanda acknowledges that AI can dramatically reduce the time required to create content, which raises difficult questions about the future size and structure of learning teams. At the same time, she argues that AI elevates the need for learning professionals who can consult, design meaningful experiences, and connect learning efforts to real business value. AI enables Learning-in-the-flow-of-work that L&D has long pursued, but it does not eliminate the need for human judgment, design, and facilitation.
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The Pendulum of Learning Modalities
The episode highlights a recurring pattern in L&D: the pendulum swing between different delivery methods. Amanda suggests that while AI will push learning further into on-demand, agent-driven, and just-in-time experiences, this shift will eventually be balanced by a renewed desire for in-person interaction. She stresses that people learn from one another and benefit from shared experiences, diverse perspectives, and human connection. As AI handles more transactional learning needs, the role of learning professionals may increasingly focus on designing and facilitating high-impact, in-person experiences.
Proving Value in a Cost-Center Reality
Amanda speaks directly to a challenge many L&D leaders face: operating as a cost center rather than a revenue generator. In an environment where AI can create content quickly and cheaply, learning teams must clearly articulate and demonstrate their return on investment. This includes showing how effective learning experiences drive behavior change, support business outcomes, and reduce risk. Without this clarity, learning risks being misunderstood as a function that can simply be reduced or automated.
Learning as a Journey Without a Map
The future of learning is described as uncertain but full of opportunity. Amanda references the idea that learning is currently “a journey without a map,” where established models are shifting faster than clear replacements can emerge. Rather than waiting for certainty, she encourages learning leaders to actively shape the path forward by experimenting, adapting, and asserting their role as strategic contributors. Sitting still and hoping for stability is framed as a greater risk than engaging with change.
Practical Takeaways for L&D and Business Leaders
Reframe Requests Around Outcomes
When business partners request training, learning leaders can pause the conversation to clarify the desired behavior change or performance improvement. By reframing discussions around outcomes rather than deliverables, L&D can recommend solutions that may or may not involve formal training, increasing credibility and impact.
Invest in Consulting Skills Within L&D
As AI reduces the effort required to produce learning assets, the differentiating capability for learning professionals becomes their ability to consult, analyze problems, and influence stakeholders. Upskilling learning teams in performance consulting, data interpretation, and business acumen is positioned as essential for long-term relevance.
Balance Technology With Human Connection
Leaders can intentionally design learning strategies that combine AI-enabled, in-the-flow support with opportunities for human interaction. This balance acknowledges efficiency gains from technology while preserving the social and experiential elements that deepen learning and engagement.
Lead Teams Through Constant Change
Adaptability emerges as the most critical skill for today’s leaders. Amanda’s experience navigating mergers, role changes, and organizational growth underscores the importance of remaining flexible while also providing stability and clarity for teams. Maintaining engagement during ongoing change requires transparency, trust, and attention to individual needs.
Normalize Feedback and Imperfection
Drawing on advice from an early mentor, Amanda highlights the reality that leaders cannot make everyone happy. Learning leaders can model resilience by separating useful feedback from noise, learning from what does not go perfectly, and helping their teams do the same. This mindset supports continuous improvement without discouragement.
Optional Resources or Tools Mentioned:
- Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, recommended for its focus on vulnerability, authenticity, and people-centered leadership.
- Professional communities and conferences such as ATD, webinars, and industry events, emphasized as sources of insight through connection with peers.
Closing Reflection
This episode presents a clear message: the future of learning belongs to those willing to evolve from content creators into trusted business consultants. Amanda Archer’s perspective reinforces that while technology will continue to transform how learning is delivered, the core value of L&D lies in human judgment, connection, and the ability to shape meaningful change. For learning leaders prepared to adapt, the coming years represent not a threat, but an opportunity to redefine the profession’s impact.
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