Industry 5.0 and the Role of AI in Corporate Learning & Development (L&D)
Abstract
Industry 5.0, articulated by the European Commission (2021), reframes industrial transformation around human centric, resilient, and sustainable systems in which people and intelligent technologies collaborate. This paper examines how this paradigm reshapes corporate Learning and Development (L&D) and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enabling continuous workforce capability development. Drawing on an integrative review of policy, academic, and industry research, four findings emerge:
1. Rapid skill disruption, with approximately 39% of core skills projected to change by 2030.
2. A persistent technology workforce readiness gap, as organizations adopt AI faster than they upskill employees.
3. Improved outcomes when AI‑enabled learning is implemented through human‑centric leadership and social learning.
4. The growing strategic importance of uniquely human capabilities such as creativity, judgment, and leadership.
The paper proposes an AI‑augmented L&D capability framework aligned with Industry 5.0, emphasizing dynamic skills intelligence, experiential learning, responsible AI governance, and multi‑level impact measurement. The findings suggest that repositioning L&D as a strategic capability‑building function is essential for sustainable human-AI collaboration.
References
1. Adecco Group. (2025). Leading in the age of AI: Expectations versus reality – 2025 Business Leaders Survey (Press release). Zurich: Adecco Group.
2. Brković, M., & Čulibrk, J. (2023). Industry 5.0 and the Skills Gap: Strategies for Developing a Future-Ready Workforce. In Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Industrial Systems (ICIS) (pp. 215–223). Novi Sad, Serbia: University of Novi Sad.
3. Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training). (2024). Workforce Skills for Industry 5.0 (Presentation by C. Warhurst, Human-Centred Digital Transitions workshop). Thessaloniki, Greece: Cedefop.
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/cedefop_2024_warhurst.pdf
4. Deloitte. (2024). Workplace Skills Survey 2024 (Press release, October 21, 2024). New York, NY: Deloitte US.
5. Deloitte & The Manufacturing Institute. (2021). Creating Pathways for Tomorrow’s Workforce Today: Beyond Reskilling in Manufacturing (Research report). Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute.
6. European Commission. (2021). Industry 5.0 – Towards a Sustainable, Human-Centric and Resilient European Industry (Policy brief). Brussels: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission.
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/468a892a-6a64-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1
7. Qualtrics. (2026). The Future of Work: Automation and the Skills Gap (EmployeeXM Insights Report, May 2026). Provo, UT: Qualtrics.
https://www.qualtrics.com/articles/employee-experience/the-future-of-work/
8. World Manufacturing Foundation. (2024). World Manufacturing Report 2024: New Perspectives for the Future of Manufacturing (Outlook 2030). Terni, Italy: World Manufacturing Foundation.
9. Worldmetrics. (2025). Upskilling and Reskilling in the Job Industry Statistics – 2025 Report. Retrieved from Worldmetrics website: https://worldmetrics.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-job-industry-statistics/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Articles published in the Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Studies (JAMS) are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), unless otherwise stated. Authors retain copyright of their work and grant JAMS the right of first publication.
