How AI Is Transforming Associations and Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a hypothetical, futuristic concept. It’s a force that’s already reshaping how associations operate, engage members and deliver learning experiences.  

At a recent event, Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic, and Jeff Salin, senior manager of learning experience at D2L, shared compelling insights into how AI is disrupting traditional models and creating new opportunities for associations to innovate. From advancing member engagement to accelerating instructional design, their message was clear: associations that embrace AI will lead the way in delivering smarter, more personalized and more impactful experiences. 

Keep reading to learn more. 

The Growing Impact of AI on Associations

AI Is Disrupting Everything—Fast

Rob didn’t mince his words: “I’ve been on a mission for a few months to scare you a little bit into making sure that you’re paying attention,” he said. “I want you to explore AI and see what it can do because in terms of changing business, it’s going to be huge.” 

The way people access information, for example, is changing. As people increasingly use AI-powered tools to answer questions directly, traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is giving way to AI optimization (AIO) and answer engine optimization (AEO) where the goal is to be cited by AI, not ranked by search engines. 

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Your Association’s Expertise Can Be Its Superpower

Despite these disruptions, Rob is optimistic about the role associations can play. Why? Because in a world where AI is increasingly recycling itself, associations remain a vital source of original, credible content. 

At the same time, you need to find a balance—sharing information and knowledge while safeguarding intellectual property and financial sustainability. “You need to provide value for AI to notice and continue to talk about you,” Rob cautioned. “But if you give away the house, you need to figure out how to make money.” This largely comes down to having a solid content strategy and being intentional about what you want to share with the world. 

For associations of all types and sizes, the big focus should be on strengthening your brand and making your association the go-to expert. “You want your members and whoever else might enjoy your content to think of your association as the authority for knowledge about your space,” said Rob. 

Use AI to Your Association’s Advantage 

Looking ahead, Rob sees a future where AI agents handle a myriad of tasks, from managing memberships to surfacing relevant content and scheduling travel. The interface between humans and software will be conversational—via chat or voice—and associations need to prepare for that shift.  

Rob urged associations to create their own AI tools using retrieval augmented generation (RAG), which provides the basis for large language models (LLMs) to securely access internal information and provide accurate, role-based answers to members. He shared an example of how Higher Logic customers can use the AI Search Assistant feature that is built into their community.  

“Here’s an example,” Rob said. “A member asks, ‘What webinars do you have coming up?’ The platform says, ‘Here are three.’ The member says, ‘Great, can you register me for the first and third?’ Two things are happening. One, AI is reading the database, and two, it’s executing on a request.” 

Rob’s message was clear: AI isn’t just a tool—it’s a transformation. Associations that use it effectively will set competitive benchmarks for their industries. 

Instructional Design in the Age of AI 

Accelerating Content Creation and Review Processes

Using AI to transform course development is something that D2L’s Learning Services team has been exploring over the last few years, using tools like custom GPTs to streamline creation while maintaining a high level of quality. 

“Before custom GPTs, we found that we were constantly tripping over ourselves,” Jeff said. “The content quality wasn’t quite there because it didn’t really understand our needs, no matter how much information we fed into a single chat. Using custom GPTs allows us to build our courses incredibly fast and achieve a higher degree of quality than we had before.” 

Although AI tools have made great strides over the past few years, they’re not yet perfect. Transcripts from video and audio files are one area where Jeff still sees AI struggle, for example. That’s why incorporating iterative, agile check-ins along the way helps teams address issues earlier and move faster without compromising quality. “You need to have that human-level of review to make sure things are accurate,” Jeff reinforces. 

Repackaging Intellectual Property in New Ways

During his presentation, Jeff delved into a particular type of content. “I continue to have conversations with our association customers about how they convert their webinars into effective online learning in cost-effective, scalable ways,” he said. “The question I always ask is, are webinars alone delivering the impact your members need to advance in their careers, not just at the start but throughout? Typically, the answer is no.” 

Whether it’s a webinar, presentation or another form of content, when creating learning using pre-existing materials, there are two important considerations Jeff recommends keeping in mind: 

• Learning needs to be an active, participatory process to have maximum impact. How can you encourage your learners to get engaged in their learning journeys? 
• Especially for adult learners, education needs to be strongly tied to clear outcomes. From the outset, ask yourself, what should learners expect to get at the end of the course?  

Improve Experiences for Members and Staff

Your members are at the heart of everything your association does. That’s why, in large part, leveraging AI is about delivering more value to them. “We want to move faster because it’s not that there’s a shortage of information; it’s that there’s a shortage of information available in meaningfully consumable ways,” Jeff says. “While we’re being efficient in this transformation, we also want to elevate the quality of content we’re delivering to our members.” 

At the same time, you also want to make sure your staff have access to tools and training that will help them drive growth for your association. It’s about not only helping them accomplish more but also enabling them to plan and implement bigger, bolder projects. “Once you start speeding up efficiency, then you can start thinking about goals like full certification programs or creating meaningful areas for communities of practice. 

Strategic Recommendations for Associations

For Association Leaders

• Publish authoritative content: Not everything needs to be public facing, but making some content public will give AI tools a chance to cite your organization.
• Develop your own AI tools: Think about the ways in which custom GPTs or AI assistants can support members in their interactions with your association. 
• Train your teams: Encourage staff to be AI trailblazers—seeking out ethical, responsible ways to use AI and exploring beneficial automation opportunities. 

For Learning Teams

• Use AI to scale content creation: With the right tools at your disposal, you can convert existing materials into engaging, interactive courses.
• Adopt agile design processes: Get comfortable with reviewing content in small, iterative steps to maintain quality while moving at speed.
• Focus on accessibility: Take steps to make sure that the content AI generates still meets established accessibility standards.  

Now Is the Time for Associations to Embrace AI

AI is becoming a powerful ally for associations looking to scale their impact, streamline operations and better serve members. By using AI strategically and ethically, associations can hone their competitive edge and become indispensable sources of knowledge and community in an increasingly digital world. 

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