Will AI Replace Instructional Designers?

AI is changing everything, including instructional design. Tools like ChatGPT, Veo 3, and Flow can now do what used to take hours: conduct deep-dive research, draft storyboards, organize notes, and even generate learning objectives and assessments. And now, Articulate 360 and Rise have built-in AI features that summarize writing or generate text tailored to tone, audience, and intent.

So, are instructional designers still needed?

Absolutely.

 What AI Can Do, and What It Can’t

AI can generate content, but it doesn’t understand learning. That’s where we come in. Instructional Designers (IDs) don’t just produce words or slides; we analyze, filter, and structure content to make it instructionally sound.

We decide what’s accurate, what sequence supports cognitive load, and which learning strategies match the content, like when to use:

• How-to steps with visual reinforcement

• Cause-and-effect flow with feedback

• Chunking for cognitive ease

• Story-based learning for retention

• Multimedia or explicit instruction for application

These are human decisions grounded in learning science, not automation.

 The Future: Partnership, Not Replacement

Recently, I used ChatGPT to help organize content and suggest a video sequence. It gave me a decent outline, but it wasn’t great. The flow felt off, and the tone didn’t fit the audience. As the designer, I restructured it, layered in visuals, and built an experience learners could apply on the job.

That’s the human piece: interpretation, empathy, and intentional design.

The future of instructional design isn’t man or machine; it’s both. AI helps with the heavy lifting, but the Jessica Effect comes from what humans do best: crafting meaningful learning that connects, engages, and transforms.