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We’re at a turning point, not just in technology, but in how people learn, remember, and stay connected. As AI becomes more integrated into our workspaces and learning ecosystems, the questions learning leaders face aren’t just about adopting new tools. They’re about building trust and connection, fostering engagement, inspiring growth, and sustaining learning cultures that thrive through change.

At Desklight, we’re thinking out loud.
This is the first in a series of conversations with our team on how AI is reshaping learning design, not just in theory, but in daily practice. From creativity to connection, we’re asking: what’s possible, and what must never be lost?

It’s about designing for long-term impact, while protecting the human core of learning in an increasingly hybrid, distracted, fast-moving world.

We’re asking ourselves:
Can AI actually help people learn? Can it deepen learner agency and connection?
Or does it risk stripping away the emotional depth, curiosity, and relationships that make learning meaningful, leaving us with something more disengaging and impersonal?

To explore these questions, we started with our own team. In this conversation, Erin Huizenga, Desklight’s Founder and Chief Experience Officer, shares how AI is showing up in real time, what excites her most, and what learning leaders need to consider as they move forward.

“We like to think of AI as a dance partner.”

That’s how Erin describes it, not a replacement for human thinking, but a collaborator that stretches the edges of our ideas.

Internally, AI is already helping Desklight’s team brainstorm more boldly and expansively, acting as a tool to simmer with ideas longer, and show up to conversations with thinking that’s been sharpened, not automated.

“We’re still bringing all of our rigor, our thought leadership, cognitive science, instructional design,” Erin explains. “But AI can help make our ideas broader, push them in directions we may not have reached on our own. When each team member comes in having co-created with their own AI assistant, the group creativity is just that much richer.”

Yes, AI brings efficiency, cleaning up writing, structuring notes, but Erin is quick to point out: it’s not just about speed. It’s about shaping the thinking before the output. In that sense, AI becomes less like a shortcut, and more like an idea-extender.

Beyond Delivery: Design for Retention

When Erin talks about AI’s biggest potential, her focus goes straight to learning that sticks.

“Our brains need repetition,” she explains. “We don’t learn by hearing something once. We need it reinforced, in different contexts, through different touch points.”

A powerful facilitator can spark understanding. But what happens after class? That’s where AI can shine.

“Let’s say you just finished a lecture. Now you’re on the train going back home. What if AI could quiz you on what you just learned? Help you make those connections again, but in a different setting, in your own words, on your own time?” Erin asks. “That’s the kind of reinforcement that actually helps you remember it the next day, and apply it.” In that vision, AI doesn’t replace a facilitator. It extends them, offering personalized support beyond the session and helping learning move from exposure to retention.

But Can It Replace Human Connection? Not Even Close.

While Erin is energized by what AI can do, she’s crystal clear about what it can’t.

“No, I don’t think AI can build the kind of trust and empathy that a great teacher brings to the room.” “That in-person experience, that ability to read the room, to connect, to see someone, that’s always going to be essential.”

Erin Huizenga

For her, the future isn’t about choosing between digital or in-person. It’s about designing intentionally for both. When done poorly, hybrid learning can leave everyone frustrated. And in the context of organizational learning, that frustration can quietly erode trust, engagement, and retention.

Instead, Erin encourages learning leaders to take a systems view:
“We start by asking what the business is trying to do, and also, who are the learners? What do they need? What’s the win for them?”

At Desklight, that means designing learning ecosystems that don’t just align with business outcomes, but truly serve the learner experience. When learning feels relevant, purposeful, and thoughtfully designed, people actually want to engage, whether they’re onboarding, upskilling, or adapting to change.

Craveable Learning, Designed with Care

Whether it’s a digital tool or an in-person moment, the human experience is always the guide. Erin’s not interested in learning that simply works. She wants it to resonate.

“Learning should be something you look forward to,” she says. “It should feel craveable.”

But for Erin, that word goes far beyond convenience. She believes learning deserves the same care and intentionality we bring to the best consumer experiences, experiences that are emotionally intelligent, thoughtfully crafted, and grounded in real empathy for the end user.

“There should be humanity and consideration for every learner at every touch point, at every age.”

Her north star is clear: learning should be designed with depth, joy, and respect. Not mandated. Not mechanical. But meaningful. Lifelong learning, in her view, is not a checkbox. It’s an ongoing invitation that adapts with people’s needs, context, and aspirations over time.

What Learning Leaders Need to Hear Right Now

There’s a lot of noise in the AI space right now. A lot of pressure to move fast, stay ahead, adopt the next thing.

Erin’s advice?

“Don’t just follow what everyone else is doing. Talk to your learners. Find out what they actually want, what helps them retain and apply knowledge.”

Because even the most beautifully built tool is a waste if no one uses it.

“The long-term win isn’t the flashiest tool. It’s the one that connects people, helps them remember, and makes them apply immediately.”

She’s not afraid of what’s coming. In fact, she’s wildly excited, if we keep asking the right questions, and if we use AI to amplify the best of what learning can be, without forgetting the part that makes it matter.

“Humanity is needed more than ever. We’re already seeing a swing back toward in-person connection because people are in need of it. We just need to make sure that in building for the future, we don’t lose what makes learning human.”

Curious how human-centered AI design could take shape in your organization?
Stay tuned.

More voices from the Desklight team coming soon.
Because this isn’t a one-answer conversation, it’s a shared exploration.

Let’s imagine what’s possible, together.

Lunna Pigatto