Learning tools are here. But learners?
AI tools can accelerate learning, but they can't make people learn.
There’s a growing belief that with more resources and smarter tools, more people will suddenly start learning faster. I disagree.
Those with the drive to learn were already doing it—with or without AI tools. Their progress may have been slow due to access or environment, but they kept moving. AI tools will help them grow faster, with more coverage and fewer mistakes. This small percentage of people will do more and likely push boundaries even further.
But people who've been waiting for the perfect time or a magical moment to begin learning will continue to find reasons and distractions, just like they did before.
For every tool that can upskill people, there are five that can distract them. That's the reality. This means more people might actually fall off the learning curve rather than get onboarded. A scary possibility.
The real push, as always, will come from economic pressure. Job security, performance expectations, and the fear of being left behind will keep most people moving, even if reluctantly.
Another nudge will come from consumer apps that simplify these tools. Take the Meta AI widget on WhatsApp: people with zero tech background are already using it like a better search engine. Slowly, through trial and error, they’ll realize there’s more to it. That’s how mass adoption—and learning—usually begins: not through formal training, but through everyday utility.
Still, the number of people actively seeking to learn something new (just because they want to) will remain low, as it always has. Technological (or any other kind of) breakthroughs have always been limited by the willingness and discipline of those who use it, and will sadly remain so.
I'm not against optimism, but utopian dreams being sold by influencers don’t sit well with me.