Nearly half of talent development leaders surveyed in LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report say they see a skills crisis, with organizations under pressure to equip employees for both present and future roles through dynamic skill-building, particularly in AI and generative AI. Likewise, the AI in education market that includes K-12, higher education and corporate training is projected to grow to between $32.27 billion by 2030 and $127.2 billion by 2035, driven by a surge in demand for personalized learning in workforce-aligned corporate skills training and scalable ed-tech solutions.
“We’re seeing skills become obsolete in two to three years instead of decades. Demand on our platform shows professionals know learning can’t stop at graduation in an AI-driven world,” says Hugo Sarrazin, CEO of Udemy, one of the world’s largest online learning platforms. He predicts that universities will increasingly serve as launchpads, awarding degrees alongside lifelong digital memberships. “Think of it like Netflix, but for education,” he says.
Sarrazin says that every minute, roughly five to eight people sign up for an AI course on the platform. According to Udemy’s 2026 Global Learning and Skills Trends Report, AI-related enrollments have surged fivefold in the past year, surpassing 11 million globally. The study also found rising interest in AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot, underscoring a strong demand for practical AI proficiency.
That surge has likely bolstered Udemy’s market growth, with the company reporting $199.9 million in revenue for the second quarter of 2025, a 3 percent increase from a year earlier.
“Companies are realizing employees who can use AI fluidly while thinking critically about its risks, outputs, and impacts will drive the biggest business gains. We’re seeing budgets shift from annual training events to continuous, integrated skill-building happening in daily workflows, helping employees learn skills precisely when they’re needed,” Sarrazin says.
SKILL FITNESS AND ADAPTABILITY IN THE AI ERA
Sarrazin describes this shift as the dawn of the “skill fitness” era, where learning becomes akin to working out: AI fluency is strength, critical thinking is cardio, and communication is flexibility. Education is no longer a stopover, but a lifelong regimen.
“In fitness, you don’t go to the gym once and then declare yourself fit for life. But, that’s how we have traditionally approached learning,” he says.
But skills only stick when they’re exercised in context — AI is enabling this kind of practice at scale.
Udemy’s AI Role Play, launched in May of this yaer, enables employees to rehearse real-world scenarios such as negotiation, feedback conversations, or conflict resolution through AI-driven simulations. “I anticipate in the coming year, the use case of play and test runs using AI will explode, going beyond conversations to action,” Sarrazin says.
Gen Z, poised to dominate the workforce, recognizes that in an AI-saturated world, its real advantage is adaptability. According to Udemy’s Gen Z in the Workplace report, 84 percent of Gen Z professionals now prioritize developing adaptive skills such as decision-making, communication, and critical thinking over purely technical training.
“Gen Z grew up with technology that evolved constantly,” Sarrazin says. They’re becoming the first generation that’s truly AI-native while remaining distinctly human-centered.”
CAUTIOUS INTEGRATION FOR A RESPONSIBLE FUTURE
While AI integrations are set to make learning easier, experts caution that it is critical to separate genuine progress from marketing noise.
“While the technology holds great promise for improving education quality, its full impact is still being measured,” says Shai Reshef, education expert and president of University of the People. “Responsible institutions must ensure that claims are backed by real evidence and that their deployment actually benefits students globally, especially those turning to online options out of necessity.”
He added that while personalization through AI is a powerful opportunity, it also carries risks of isolation and bias. “If the underlying datasets within AI-powered education systems are flawed, or if algorithms reinforce existing inequalities, the technology might amplify problems instead of solving them.”
Kavitta Ghai, CEO of Nectir, echoed the concern, noting that a single poorly designed AI-powered education rollout can spark headlines about “AI hurting learning,” even though the reality is more nuanced.
“It’s all about how responsibly institutions deploy and maintain it,” Ghai says. “The responsible path is running controlled pilots, measuring outcomes, and iterating.”
She also notes that while AI tools have made it easier to gain workforce and technical skills, formal education and degrees still play a critical role in developing strong fundamentals and depth of expertise.
“The real danger is that students and professionals might stop learning how to recognize what ‘good’ work looks like. Without that foundation, they can’t judge quality or innovate,” she says. “The real opportunity is to use AI as a Socratic tutor; guiding individuals through mistakes, not doing the work for them. That’s what keeps critical thinking alive in an AI-first world.”
That perspective underscores a deeper truth: education might soon become less about consuming content and more about cultivating culture. Organizations and universities will need to treat learning as a shared value, a collective discipline that keeps pace with technological change.
“Like electricity or the Internet, I believe AI will become an invisible infrastructure. You won’t think about “using AI to learn,” because learning will simply be AI-enhanced by default,” says Sarrazin. “Rather than competing, AI and universities will complement one another, helping learners build skills in a format that works best for their unique needs.”
Fast Company © 2025 Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
