AI is changing how people learn at work.
As more routine tasks become automated, employees may have fewer opportunities to develop judgment through everyday experience.
For years, people learned by observing experienced colleagues, working through ambiguity, seeing how decisions were made and gradually building their own professional instincts.
As an HR leader, I believe this makes mentoring increasingly important.Mentoring can give people access to the thinking behind decisions. Experienced leaders can explain how they assess risks, navigate difficult conversations, prioritise competing demands and respond when there is no obvious answer.
It also means mentoring needs to become part of everyday work, rather than something that happens only through formal programmes.
This connects closely with the work I am developing through TM HR Study Abroad, where I support students and young professionals as they prepare for their education and career journeys. Learning how to approach unfamiliar situations, build confidence and understand different working environments can shape development well before someone reaches a leadership role.
AI may accelerate how we work. The development of judgment still requires experience, guidance and people to learn from.