Debrief : "The Human Advantage in Learning" Session (December 2025)

The conversation between Dr. Robin Yap, Jennifer Cohen, and Jas Sindhu

The conversation between Dr. Robin Yap, Jennifer Cohen, and Jas Sidhu paints a clear picture of what the "human advantage in learning" actually looks like in an Al-saturated world. Robin warns that when we outsource our thinking to tools, we drift into dangerous sameness-generic prompts, generic outputs, and brands that all sound alike. Al is powerful, but only when anchored in values, context, and critical thinking; it should never be a proxy for judgment or accountability. Jennifer adds the strategic layer: learning teams only become true business partners when they deeply understand how the organization makes money, which metrics matter (like safety, productivity, and retention), and can talk about those in the language of the business-not just in "learning

speak." Jas then extends this into the executive arena, showing how trust, data, and a ruthless focus on business outcomes are what move L&D from just a “training provider" to a trusted partner with a seat at the strategy table.

Together, their message is blunt but energizing: Al and tech should amplify what makes us human-empathy, curiosity, critical thinking, and relationships-not erase it. For 2026, that means three things: build or join real communities of practice where you can safely wrestle with challenges; treat empathy as a performance skill, not a nice-to-have; and immerse yourself so deeply in the business that senior leaders know you by name and call you before they've even decided whether "training" is the answer. When L&D shows up early, speaks the language of outcomes, and stays present even when things get messy, learning stops being a cost centre and becomes a co-owned engine for performance, culture, and transformation.

Additional resources:

• Dr. Keith Keating's book on “showing value” (https://bit.ly/KeithKeating) and LinkedIn post on “seek value, create value, measure value”   https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-keith-keating-1976963a/

• Cathy Moore on “training help” blog – a resource for thinking about what solutions actually work in practice. https://blog.cathy-moore.com/blog/

• “Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)” metric – a safety/operations metric widely used in Europe as an example of an industry benchmark L&D professionals should be looking at and incorporating into their measurement strategies. See https://www.alcumus.com/en-ca/insights/blog/lost-time-injury-frequency-rate/

• Eilik Robot https://amzn.to/452m3xe

• Training Magazine: How AI will reshape L&D and HR https://trainingmag.com/how-ai-will-reshape-ld-and-hr-in-2025/