Is Overengineering AI Prompts Holding Back L&D Innovation?

The Overcomplication Trap: Are We Missing the Point?

In the rush to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Learning and Development (L&D), a curious trend has emerged: the fetishisation of prompt engineering.

LinkedIn is flooded with carousels promising the “perfect prompt” to solve every workplace learning challenge. But is this obsession with getting AI to perform a trick actually distracting L&D and HR leaders from the real opportunity – to think differently about how we work, communicate, and develop people?

Peter Plumlee, Head of L&D and co-founder of the Responsible Leadership Collective, challenges us to stop overengineering and start experimenting. In a Season 3 Episode 7 of our AI for the Average Joe Podcast Show, Peter shares his approach: dive in, be human, and treat AI like a conversation partner, not a machine to be mastered.

From Complexity to Curiosity: A New Mindset for AI in L&D

Too many professionals are waiting to become “prompt fluent” before they try AI. But according to Peter, that’s like refusing to use Google until you understand Boolean logic. Instead, he encourages teams to type what they’re really thinking:

“I’m having a rough day. Can you help me write this email?”

The response? A surprisingly warm, on-point draft – and a bit of headspace reclaimed.

This human-first approach reframes AI from a tool of replacement to a co-pilot in upskilling, wellbeing, and performance. For leaders tasked with driving digital learning or workplace learning strategies, the message is clear: stop waiting, start playing.

AI as L&D’s Mirror for Leadership and Communication

Bad Prompts? Bad Briefs.

One of the most powerful insights Peter offers is how we talk to AI reveals how we communicate, full stop. If AI “doesn’t work” for you, ask: would your team understand what you just typed?

This is where learning and development meets leadership development. Poor prompts often reflect poor delegation or fuzzy thinking. Teaching your team to interact well with AI is a soft skills training opportunity – for clarity, curiosity, and quality checking.

AI Reflects Our Culture

From jargon to accessibility, AI can expose the gaps we’ve normalised. Peter talks about how AI helped him review internal training content for inclusivity, using it to challenge assumptions around neurodiversity, acronyms, and even alt text. This kind of reflective use shows how AI can improve organisational development, not just automate tasks.

L&D and AI: From Course Creator to Quality Guardian

Let Go of the Slide Deck

There’s a bold point here for those in corporate training: the job isn’t designing PowerPoint-based eLearning anymore. It’s enabling the business to solve problems quickly, through whatever channel works. That might be a 30-second AI-generated video, a chatbot, or a just-in-time resource.

AI offers the capacity to scale digital skills training and personalise support at speed. But the value of L&D isn’t in the tool – it’s in curating, checking, and challenging the quality of outputs. As Peter says, “we’re not just creators – we’re now guardians of quality.”

Why This Matters for the Future of L&D

Whether you’re leading hybrid learning strategies or designing leadership programmes, the future of L&D is not content – it’s context. Artificial intelligence gives us scale and speed, but it’s up to us to provide the nuance. That’s not just the future of employee training, it’s the future of work.

Peter’s advice? Don’t wait. Most platforms have a free version. Open it, start typing, and be honest. Let AI guide you, challenge you, and help you reflect. Then, take those insights back into your team and your leadership conversations.

Blog post co created with ChatGPT 13.08.2025