AI can turn a policy document into a course outline, generate quiz questions and build a practice scenario in minutes. Training and development specialists still work out what people actually need to learn, run the sessions and check whether the training changed anything.
The short answer: AI is speeding up course building, but the evidence points to more demand for training, not less. The ILO's 2025 index puts training and staff development professionals in gradient 2, with a score of 0.41. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 46,000 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed training specialists are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Training and Staff Development Professionals | Gradient 2 | 0.41 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Training and development specialists | Grow 11% | About 46,000 |
The BLS says that as technology continues to advance, workers may need to learn new skillsets to use it, and that continuous training and upskilling will increase demand for these specialists. It also expects more training on internal policies and regulatory requirements.
What AI is taking on
- First drafts of course outlines, slides and scripts.
- Quiz questions, practice scenarios and role plays.
- Translating and adapting material for different teams.
- Tracking completions and summarizing feedback.
What stays with training specialists
- Needs analysis: finding the real skill gap behind a performance problem.
- Facilitation: running a room, reading a group and adjusting on the fly.
- Measuring impact: checking whether people work differently after training.
- Checking AI help: generated course content can be confidently wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Content production gets faster, and a growing share of the work is teaching people to use AI well. That puts training teams close to how organizations adopt AI. See how to train employees on AI.
See also will AI replace HR?, will AI replace teachers? and will AI replace technical writers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for training and development specialists at $69,280 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace training specialists?
Not on current evidence. The ILO puts training professionals in gradient 2, and the BLS projects 11 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.
Does the BLS mention technology for training jobs?
Yes. It says workers may need new skillsets as technology advances, and continuous upskilling will increase demand for these specialists.
How many training specialist openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 46,000 openings a year, on average, over the decade.
What training work stays human?
Finding real skill gaps, leading sessions, measuring impact and checking AI-generated content.