Looking for an LMS with AI? Here’s How to Choose One

Sep 4, 2024 | AI in Learning, Articles, Digital Transformation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted the way everyone works. As organizations continue to assess their generative AI (GenAI) strategy, the Learning Management System (LMS) providers that serve them are rapidly evolving to integrate AI functionalities into their solutions. Finding an AI learning platform has gone to the top of many HR and L&D to-do lists, as businesses assess which genAI tools could help them scale and personalize workplace training.

For most organizations, genAI presents pros and cons:

The pros: AI tools help teams automate many compliance and training tasks. Streamlining L&D processes like course assignment, progress reports, and assessments while providing data-driven insights can help organizations spot areas for learner improvement.

The cons: Gen AI’s increasing popularity in eLearning gives business leaders a glut of AI learning options, the privacy and efficacy of which are difficult to gauge. These factors can make choosing a genAI-powered learning tool confusing or overwhelming.

There’s a lot of hype out there, which is why it’s important to understand exactly what Gen AI is, how it’s used to power learning platforms, and what factors to consider when choosing an AI eLearning platform.

What is an AI-powered LMS?

Many LMS providers are integrating AI features into their platforms to enhance usability, convenience, and clarity for users. Choosing the right AI-powered LMS can greatly enhance the learning experience and reduce administrative strain for those using your LMS.

Unlike machine learning — which uses structured data like names and dates, organized in tabular formats to generate predictions based on historical analysis — genAI can read and learn from unstructured data like text, images, videos, and social media posts.

GenAI is being leveraged by learning platforms because it allows users to more easily generate new content such as questions, quizzes, course recommendations, or activities, from a wide array of assets. These benefits do come with some risks. Many generative AI bots train on public-facing Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, which means that the data users upload into their AI learning platform may not be kept private. Make sure to research whether the LMS you’re considering has clear and robust AI policies regarding privacy, security, and ethics.

How is AI used in L&D?

Automation of L&D tasks isn’t the only use for genAI in workplace learning. AI can also be used to personalize learning experiences for employees, enhance just-in-time training, create better opportunities for learner recall, and help managers analyze learning trends.

Let’s look at a few common uses for generative AI in L&D…

  1. Learning personalization – Admins can use genAI tools to discover what courses are most relevant to their teams, based on their engagement with previous learning materials. Learners can explore topics of interest, ask questions, and seek out additional learning opportunities autonomously with Litmos’ AI Learning Assistant, enhancing and personalizing their overall learning experience.
  2. On-the-job learning – Instead of taking a chunk of time out of their day to take a new course, learners can leverage genAI learning tools to discover relevant resources the moment they need them. Litmos’ AI Assistant is available on desktop and mobile, and lets learners ask for quick summaries of recent courses, anytime, anywhere. Those summaries always include linked citations, so that learners can easily find their way back to those relevant materials later. Learners can also refer back to their AI Assistant conversations in the chat tab.
  3. Learner recall and engagement – GenAI can help learners with self-guided study, after their training is through. Asking it to generate course summaries and recommend follow-on learning materials, learners using the Litmos’ AI Assistant have an easier time reviewing, remembering, and applying critical information.
  4. Learning assessments and analytics – GenAI learning platforms can help managers analyze learner performance at a glance, identify learning trends, or automate progress reports. Users with assigning privileges can leverage Litmos’ AI Assistant to track the completion status of their learners.

What should you look for an LMS with AI?

To take your organization’s learning and development initiatives to the next level, you may be considering your LMS options. If you want to find an LMS that leverages AI to achieve the results discussed above, you’ll have to consider which AI capabilities are most important to your organization when choosing an LMS.

Let’s explore what AI features to look for in an LMS….

  1. Learner-focused AI features – An effective AI-powered learning platform should have capabilities that focus on learner success, giving them the ability to generate course-related questions, surface and summarize content, and get recommendations for relevant follow-up materials. For example, if a learner struggles with a particular topic, they should be able to ask their LMS to recommend additional resources or activities to help them better understand the concept.
  2. Automation features for streamlining admin tasks – Look for AI features that allow admins to automate L&D tasks such as course assignment and learner status tracking. An AI-powered learning platform may be able to analyze learner performance data to help admins identify knowledge gaps and adjust learning paths accordingly.
  3. Instant feedback to motivate learners – Gaining immediate feedback can inspire and engage learners whose managers may not have the bandwidth to coach them. Litmos AI Video Assessments utilize machine learning to deliver individualized feedback on recorded pitches and presentations, rapidly and accurately, based on sentiment, key words, and delivery speed.
  4. Contextual accuracy and content traceability – GenAI helps learners gain instant insights into key learnings, but if an AI learning tool is built on a public LLM, the output can be inaccurate and unsourced. Look for genAI learning platforms that can provide contextually accurate answers to natural language questions, and can cite their sources for easy reference.
  5. Data security and content control – Many platforms use public LLMs, such as ChatGPT, to train their AI models, and may include your organization’s content or data to do so. If your organization has privacy or security concerns about AI, it is crucial to choose an AI learning platform that does not share your organization’s content outside of its LMS tenant. Look for platforms that offer secure upload of course materials and comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR, SOC II, and CCPA. To ensure that your organization has full control over the content that your AI learning platform uses, make sure your AI learning platform gives you the ability to remove or update content as needed, as well as the option to limit access to certain content for specific users.

Before investing in a new system, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the software you’re considering. Identifying your organization’s specific learning and business objectives will help you choose the best AI learning platform for your needs. Additionally, consider the platform’s ability to integrate with your existing systems and tools, such as your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Human Resource Information System (HRIS) softwares. This will allow for a seamless learning experience for your learners, admins and managers.

To streamline your approach to workforce training, start by choosing the right AI-powered learning platform. See how Litmos can make learning easy without sacrificing your data. Check out the Litmos AI Assistant today!