Most people find one true calling in life, but I’m lucky to claim two. Some days, I’m knee-deep in new tech testing tools, poking at platforms, and seeing what clicks (and what crashes). Other days, I’m at my laptop, orchestrating learning experiences like a nerdy Mozart of instructional design. On the best days? I’m doing both.
If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re a bit like me: part creative, part strategist, and 100% curious about how AI is changing the game.
Whether you’re a course developer, an L&D lead, or just wondering if ChatGPT is coming for your job (spoiler: it’s not), I’m breaking down everything you need to know about using AI in instructional design through the lens of creativity, practicality, and a little Tony Stark-style curiosity.
Illustration of person sitting in front of computer with a chat bot on screen (Midjourney, 2025).
First Things First: What Is AI Anyway?
Let’s set the stage before we get into the workflows and tools.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to machines that are designed to mimic human intelligence. We’re talking about the ability to learn, solve problems, make decisions, and even, occasionally, crack a decent joke.
But AI isn’t one monolithic robot brain: it’s actually an evolving spectrum of tech. And if we’re going to use it well, we need to know what’s what.
The Building Blocks of AI
Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you sort the signal from the noise:
| Term | What It Means | Why It Matters to You |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | The umbrella term for machines that can do tasks that typically require human smarts, like reasoning, learning, or decision-making. | You’ve probably used AI today without realizing it. (Spellcheck, anyone?) |
| Machine Learning (ML) | A type of AI where systems learn from data to improve their output over time. | Think recommendation engines, predictive analytics, or adaptive learning tools. |
| Generative AI (Gen AI) | A more recent evolution of AI that creates content like text, images, audio, video, or even code. | This is the tech behind ChatGPT, DALL·E, Gemini, and all those tools you’ve probably already tested out. |
Meet the Brains Behind It: Foundation Models
Generative AI tools run on foundation models, massive machine learning models trained on everything from Wikipedia to research papers to public code repositories. The goal? To give the model a broad, flexible understanding of language, logic, structure, and context.
Once trained, these models can be fine-tuned for specific industries or tasks like healthcare, law, or yes, instructional design. So instead of building your AI from scratch, you start with a super-smart base and teach it how you work.
In short:
- Foundation models = the powerhouse engine.
- Fine-tuning = customizing it for your niche.
- Generative AI tools = the user-friendly apps built on top (think: ChatGPT, Gemini, Jasper).
So when you’re using AI to brainstorm course ideas or draft learning objectives, you’re not just getting suggestions from thin air. You’re tapping into one of the most advanced technologies around, disguised as a very polite (and extremely fast) creative assistant.
Illustration of a humanoid robot lecturing to a screen (Midjourney, 2025).
The AI You’ll Actually Use
Most of what you’ll interact with as an instructional designer falls under what Google calls gen-AI-powered applications. These are tools that make AI usable like chatbots, writing assistants, voice-to-text tools, or even LMS-integrated course builders.
They help you:
- Automate: Turn repeatable tasks into one-click jobs.
- Create: Draft scripts, build storyboards, design images.
- Summarize: Condense long transcripts or research into something readable.
- Discover: Surface insights from complex data sets.
Basically, they free you up to do the strategic, creative work…the part only you can do.
Quick Reality Check: AI Isn’t Magic
AI doesn’t “think.” It doesn’t understand like we do. What it does is recognize patterns in massive amounts of data and predict what’s most likely to come next, whether that’s the next word, image, idea, or decision path.
That means it’s incredibly powerful, but still fallible. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- AI can hallucinate (aka, make stuff up).
- It’s trained up to a certain point in time (so don’t ask who won the 2024 World Series… yet).
- It still needs a human touch, especially when it comes to nuance, ethics, tone, and context.
The tech is smart. But it’s not you. And that’s actually a good thing!
Where AI Helps Instructional Designers the Most
Let’s be real: instructional designers wear a lot of hats. Project manager. Content creator. Visual storyteller. Tech wrangler. Occasional therapist during deadline week. The job’s a mix of strategy, creativity, and sheer endurance.
Lucky for us, AI is here to lighten the load.
Whether you’re writing emails, building a course, or scheduling a dozen moving pieces, there’s probably an AI tool that can speed things up (and make you look good doing it). Here’s a cheat sheet of common ID tasks and the tools that are making them faster, easier, and way less headache-inducing:
| Task | AI Tools That Help | Why It Rocks |
|---|---|---|
| Writing emails, project plans, and timelines | ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai | Fast, polished writing with tone control |
| Conducting needs assessments or analyzing feedback | ChatGPT, Jasper | Pulls patterns and insights from raw data |
| Turning SME interviews into outlines | ChatGPT, DeepL | Instantly extracts structure and key takeaways |
| Generating images & illustrations | DALL·E, Midjourney | Say goodbye to generic stock photos |
| Creating course content & scripts | Jasper, Tome, Synthesia | Builds outlines, lessons, and video scripts in record time |
| Project coordination & scheduling | TimeHero, Asana AI | Keeps your timelines tight (and your sanity intact) |
| Presentation design | Tome, Gamma | Turns messy notes into slick, client-ready decks |
| LMS & learning path automation | Disco AI | All-in-one AI-powered platform for design, delivery, and feedback |
| Plagiarism checking | Quetext, GPTZero | Helps keep your content clean, ethical, and original |
If you’re just starting out, ChatGPT, Jasper, and Disco AI are smart, versatile entry points. They cover a lot of ground and help you build a solid foundation. When you’re ready to dial up the visual magic, Midjourney and Synthesia are your go-tos for custom images and media, without needing a whole design team.
Illustration of a humanoid robot with the acronym ADDIE on its chest (Midjourney, 2025).
Enter ADDIE Supercharged with AI
Let’s break down how AI can plug into each phase of the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) and give your workflow a serious upgrade.
1. Analysis
Why dig through endless feedback forms when AI can surface what matters most? Platforms like Disco AI can crunch learner data, spot patterns, and help you prioritize what actually needs fixing.
Prompt to try:
“Analyze this learner survey data and identify the top 3 learning gaps, common pain points, and any behavioral trends that may impact course engagement. Then recommend what kind of learning interventions might best address these issues.”
Bonus: Feed in survey results, quiz performance, or forum comments to give your AI something juicy to chew on.
2. Design
Once you’ve got the data, it’s time to design. AI tools can help you write clear learning objectives, outline modules, and suggest relevant activities, all tailored to your audience.
Prompt to try:
“Based on the learning objective ‘[Insert Objective Here]’ and the target audience of [e.g., new managers in tech], create a course outline with suggested modules, key topics, and two interactive activities per section. Make it fun, relevant, and mobile-friendly.”
Optional flair: “Use a conversational tone and include opportunities for reflection and scenario-based learning.”
3. Development
Whether you’re crafting a Rise module, scripting a Storyline interaction, or prepping a narrated video, AI can take your outline and spin up first drafts, quiz questions, image prompts, even branching scenarios.
Prompt to try:
“Here’s my outline: [paste course outline]. Generate a 3-paragraph scenario-based script for Module 1 with diverse characters, realistic dialogue, and a decision point. Also suggest 2 image ideas and a quiz question.”
Need visuals: “Now give me a DALL·E prompt to generate images for this content.”
4. Implementation
AI can help you roll things out smoother by handling community engagement, troubleshooting, and dynamic personalization. Think chatbots, welcome messages, and nudges based on learner behavior.
Prompt to try:
“Write a chatbot script that can help learners troubleshoot login issues, guide them to their first lesson, and answer common FAQs in a friendly tone. Include fallback options if it can’t answer something.”
Bonus engagement booster: “Now generate a welcome message from the instructor that feels personal, motivating, and aligned with the course tone.”
5. Evaluation
AI goes way beyond grading: it can detect patterns in performance, flag disengaged learners, and recommend improvements. Some tools can even auto-suggest content updates based on feedback.
Prompt to try:
“Analyze the following learner assessment results [paste data]. Identify struggling learners, suggest interventions, and recommend how to improve the course content based on performance trends. Also suggest one follow-up survey question for deeper insight.”
Need a quiz check? “Review these 5 multiple-choice questions and flag any issues with clarity, difficulty, or bias.”
Illustration of a human hand shaking a robot hand (Midjourney, 2025).
Still Worried AI Will Replace You?
Let’s be real. This question comes up in every webinar, Slack chat, and middle-of-the-night spiral. Here’s the truth: AI isn’t here to replace instructional designers. It’s here to replace the boring parts of our job.
Instead of spending hours formatting documents or cutting out 0.5 seconds of awkward voiceover, you get to focus on strategy, creativity, and connection. In fact (Google survey, 2025):
- 85% of IDs aren’t worried about AI replacing them.
- 79% are excited about how it’s helping them grow.
- 44% say AI is helping them boost income and take on more projects.
That’s not job-stealing. That’s job-leveling-up.
Top Tools to Start Using Today
There are a lot of AI tools out there, but not all of them are built with learning designers in mind. So, I’ve pulled together a curated list based on what these tools actually help you do: write faster, design better, build smarter, and automate the repetitive stuff no one really wants to do anyway.
Just Getting Started?
If you’re dipping your toes into AI for the first time, start with the essentials:
- ChatGPT for writing anything from objectives to scripts.
- Grammarly to polish your content and sound like the pro you are.
- DALL·E or Midjourney for generating visual assets.
- ElevenLabs for high-quality, natural-sounding voiceovers in multiple languages.
- Synthesia for fast, scalable instructional videos.
Once you’ve got those down, layer in tools like Gamma, Riverside, or Jasper to level up your presentations, media, and content creation workflow.
AI for Content Creation
| Tool | What It Does | Why It Rocks |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Generates course outlines, learning objectives, and assessment strategies | The Swiss Army knife of AI writing |
| Claude | Similar to ChatGPT; great for long-form course design help | Handles nuanced instructional content well |
| Jasper | Crafts course descriptions, tone-consistent emails, and web copy | Ideal for polished, client-facing content |
| Liner AI | Summarizes and curates research from multiple sources | Perfect for the research-heavy part of your workflow |
| Perplexity | Retrieves instructional design theory, best practices, and citations | Think of it as an AI-powered research assistant |
AI for Multimedia Development
| Tool | What It Does | Why It Rocks |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesia | Creates videos with AI-generated presenters in multiple languages | You can make learning videos without hiring actors or editors |
| Riverside | Transcribes and edits audio/video with multilingual support | Great for podcast-style courses and text-based editing |
| ElevenLabs | Generates lifelike, multilingual voiceovers from text | High-quality narration with realistic tone and pacing—perfect for eLearning |
| Descript | Text-based audio/video editor with screen recording | Ideal for fast edits and cleanups without re-recording |
| Pictory | Turns your text, images, and scripts into videos | A quick way to make video content from static materials |
| CapCut | Generates short videos and reels from prompts | Perfect for microlearning or promotional content |
AI for Visual & Slide Design
| Tool | What It Does | Why It Rocks |
|---|---|---|
| Midjourney / DALL·E | Generates unique images from text prompts | Ditch stock photos forever |
| Tome | Creates slide decks with smart visuals and layout | AI-powered slides that actually look good |
| Gamma | Transforms outlines into clean, professional presentations | Instant design polish without a designer on staff |
Other Helpful Tools
| Tool | What It Does | Why It Rocks |
|---|---|---|
| Grammarly | Improves clarity and tone | Ensures your course content sounds sharp and professional |
| NotebookLM | Summarizes and organizes your research docs | Free research assistant, powered by Google |
| Zapier / N | Automate repetitive tasks like scripting or subtitle generation | Your new favorite time-saving assistant |
| TimeHero | Project planning with predictive AI | Keeps your course builds on track (and your head above water) |
| Disco AI | Full LMS-style design + delivery + analytics in one | Designed to support every phase of the ADDIE model |
What’s Next for AI + Instructional Design?
Imagine this:
- Real-time feedback built into a VR headset that nudges learners mid-simulation.
- Personalized courses that adapt as users speak, learn, and interact…no clicks required.
- Learners who “talk back” to AI tutors, ask their own questions, and carve out custom learning paths on the fly.
This isn’t a pitch for a sci-fi series. It’s happening now: in prototypes, pilot programs, and edge-of-the-industry tools that are just starting to roll out.
The future of instructional design isn’t about being replaced by AI. It’s about working with AI to build learning experiences that are more responsive, more inclusive, and a whole lot cooler than anything we could’ve built alone.
So whether you’re Team Star Trek, Team Iron Man, or Team “Just Let Me Finish This Module Without Crying,” AI is here to help you work smarter, stress less, and bring your wildest instructional ideas to life.
Need help building AI into your workflow or training strategy? Don’t hesitate to reach out. 🤖
This is fantastic! Thanks for recommending all these tools