At Jackrabbit LX, we’ve been experimenting with generative AI tools, trying to understand for us what works and what doesn’t. Our founder, Jason Gorman, recently shared some of these lessons in a podcast with Trainn.
There’s a lot of hype for AI right now. But looking past that, how can learning teams actually use AI to speed up content creation, improve quality, and reduce bottlenecks?
Working with AI Is Like Cooking a Stew, Not Baking a Cake
In the podcast, Jason offered a memorable analogy:
“If you’ve ever baked a cake, you know you have to follow the recipe exactly. But cooking a stew, there’s flexibility- you add different ingredients, adjust as you go, and still end up with something great.”
Creating learning programs with AI isn’t about following a rigid recipe perfectly. It’s more like cooking a stew where you have a set of core ingredients and guidelines, but room to experiment and adjust along the way. This flexibility is key to making AI work effectively.
Just as with a stew, you need some structure but also creativity and adaptability. This means AI tools can help generate options, refine content, and iterate quickly without locking you into a one-size-fits-all approach.
Speed and Iteration Are the Biggest Advantages
One of AI’s biggest strengths in learning design is its ability to speed up content development cycles. Tasks that once required weeks of collaboration and multiple review rounds with subject matter experts (SMEs) can now be accomplished in days or even hours.
In some cases we’ve seen that creating an hour-long training module that previously took three weeks can now be done in about one week by leveraging AI for drafting, editing, and organizing content.
This is not all cases, though. We find that this works best when everyone is on the same page: we agree on our project North Star, everyone understands their roles, and there’s a clear workflow in place. When we’re still in discovery mode, rapid iteration can lead to chaos, not efficiency.
But under the right conditions, rapid iteration not only accelerates production but also opens doors for more frequent updates and responsive learning experiences.
Three Key Ways AI Is Adding Value in Learning Programs
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- Educational Content Creation: AI can draft scripts, write outlines, rephrase text, and even generate quizzes or discussion prompts—all tailored to your brand voice and learner needs. This removes many tedious manual tasks.
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- Collaboration with SMEs: SMEs are invaluable but often limited by time and may not be expert writers. AI can transcribe interviews, simplify complex language, and help create learner-friendly content, reducing the back-and-forth and speeding reviews.
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- Building Customer Personas: Using both internal feedback and public data sources, AI can identify patterns in learner behavior and preferences. This data-driven persona development informs more effective and targeted learning design.
Structured Workflows Are Essential for Success
To harness AI’s potential, it’s critical to structure how you use it:
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- Start each AI interaction with clear goals, context, and instructions.
- Use separate sessions or “threads” for different parts of the project to prevent confusion.
- Work section-by-section rather than expecting AI to deliver an entire course at once.
- Think of AI as a junior colleague who needs guidance, corrections, and patience.
- Combine AI output with editing tools like Grammarly to polish tone and accuracy.
These practices ensure AI enhances your process instead of creating extra work or inconsistencies.
Easing SME Bottlenecks with AI
SMEs hold deep knowledge but limited time. AI helps by capturing conversations, producing draft content quickly, and simplifying technical jargon. This not only reduces SME workload but also shortens review cycles dramatically. While AI can handle many tasks, final quality checks and ensuring a human connection to the learner experience remain essential.
The Future: AI Agents and New Roles
AI is evolving toward autonomous agents that can interact with systems, perform tasks, and even test products. This evolution won’t replace learning professionals but will change their roles to focus on managing, programming, and collaborating with AI tools. Being adaptable and willing to learn AI tools will become a key career asset.
Addressing Common Concerns: Quality and Consistency
AI can draft content in minutes, but speed is meaningless if accuracy and tone slip. Here’s how we keep both rock-solid:
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- Structured Playbook
A living playbook spells out brand voice, plain-language rules, and our exact workflow. Everyone, human or AI, references it before writing a single line.
- Structured Playbook
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- Two-Layer Review
- Automated checks: grammar, accessibility, and plagiarism scanners catch mechanical issues early.
- Human sweep: a learning designer vets clarity, factual accuracy, and learner empathy.
- Two-Layer Review
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- Version Control
Every draft lives in a tracked repository so edits are transparent and reversible—no more mystery changes.
- Version Control
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- Pilot Feedback
We release micro-batches to select learners, gather data, and refine before full launch.
- Pilot Feedback
Pairing AI speed with disciplined review gives us consistent, high-quality learning experiences.
Ideas to Get Started with AI
Start by inviting AI into your work on small tasks. Experiment with drafting, brainstorming, or simple edits to build familiarity. Document your processes and build a playbook to ensure consistent, scalable use of AI across your team. Regular use uncovers opportunities and builds intuition about how AI can best serve your unique workflows.
Why Jackrabbit LX Is Excited About AI
AI has helped us:
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- Increase efficiency by up to 60% on some projects.
- Reduce SME bottlenecks dramatically.
- Scale content production without sacrificing quality.
- Create more engaging and personalized learner experiences.
While the technology is still evolving, the future of AI in customer education is bright, and it’s here now.
This blog is based on the podcast Customer Educated and captures the gist of the conversation between Jason Gorman and Akash Anil of Trainn. To listen to the entire podcast, please follow the link: Customer Educated Podcast with Jason Gorman
Interested in leveraging AI to transform your customer education?
Jackrabbit LX offers expert guidance and proven frameworks to help learning teams adopt AI effectively, accelerate content creation, and scale impact with confidence. Schedule a free 1-1 with Jason Gorman to help you uncover the kinks in your operations and build your learning operations bullet-proof.