AITD Launches New Research Redefining Capability for an AI-enabled Workplace
New report urges L&D leaders to rethink skills, systems and human strengths in the age of AI
The Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD) has released a new research report, Redefining Capability for an AI-Enabled Workforce: The Human, Team and System Capabilities Shaping the Future of Work, providing fresh evidence and practical insights for learning and development (L&D) and people leaders across Australia.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with L&D practitioners across corporate, government, education and frontline environments, the research finds that AI is reshaping work faster than traditional capability systems can respond.
The report identifies four major shifts redefining capability in AI-enabled workplaces:
- A move from fixed skills to adaptability and learning agility
- Increasing emphasis on human strengths such as judgement, ethics and contextual reasoning
- Performance shifting from individuals to team-based, human–AI capability
- Readiness becoming a continuous state, shaped by clarity, cognitive load and supported exposure
Ben Campbell, CEO of AITD, said the research highlights a profound shift underway in Australian workplaces. “Work is now changing faster than the systems designed to support it. AI is accelerating tasks, reshaping workflows and increasing the cognitive and ethical demands placed on people. What this research makes clear is that the core challenge is not a lack of skills. It’s a design gap.”
“Organisations are asking people to adapt while they continue to operate inside structures built for stability: fixed roles, static capability frameworks, long learning cycles and governance settings that make experimentation difficult. Adaptability is being demanded at the individual level, while the conditions required to support adaptability have not yet been redesigned. That tension is now showing up across every sector we spoke to.”
“AI capability readiness is the defining professional development priority for Australia’s L&D sector. AI is being mentioned in almost every conversation we have with our members,” Campbell said. “L&D professionals are telling us they don’t just want more tools – they want ethical guidance, practical frameworks and a clearer picture of what ‘capability’ actually looks like when AI is woven into day-to-day work.”
Research author Beth Hall said the report offers an evidence base and shared language that L&D and capability professionals can use to drive system-level change.
“This research examines how capability is emerging inside AI-enabled workplaces; where human judgement, team coordination and system design now carry more weight than technical proficiency. Its purpose is practical. It gives L&D leaders, capability practitioners and organisational decision makers the insights they need to redesign capability systems for environments defined by speed, ambiguity and technological acceleration.”
Practical Guidance For L&D Leaders
The report distils its findings into practical actions for L&D leaders, including:
- Redesign systems, not people: aligning work design, governance and learning so they enable adaptability rather than constrain it.
- Elevate human strengths into core capability frameworks: treating judgement, ethics, contextual intelligence and influence as central to organisational performance and risk management.
- Shift the focus from individuals to teams: designing team-based learning, shared guardrails and collective sense-making around AI.
- Reframe readiness as continuous progression: building supported exposure, feedback and experimentation into the flow of work.
“This research gives L&D leaders the language, evidence and practical levers they need to sit at the strategy table,” Hall said. “It shows how we can move beyond ‘more training’ to redesign the systems, guardrails and rhythms that actually enable capability in AI-enabled environments.”
Free Webinar: Unpacking The Findings
To help L&D professionals translate the insights into action, AITD will host a live webinar on Redefining Capability for an AI-Enabled Workforce.Date: Monday 8 December 2025
Format: Virtual (Zoom)
Presenter: Beth Hall FAITD, lead researcher and author of the report
During the session, Beth Hall will:
- Provide insights into the four capability shifts and seven systemic tensions
- Share examples from corporate, government, education and frontline settings
- Explore implications for capability frameworks, learning design, and readiness
- Answer questions from L&D, HR and capability practitioners
Register here: https://www.aitd.com.au/event/ai-and-the-human-edge
Download The Full Report
The report Redefining Capability for an AI-Enabled Workforce is freely available.
L&D professionals, organisational development and capability leaders, HR and P&C practitioners, learning designers and people leaders are encouraged to access the full report and use it to inform their capability strategies, frameworks and programs.
AITD would like to thank Beth Hall FAITD, lead researcher and author of the report, as well as all the L&D practitioners who participated in the research.
