INSIGHTS TO INFORM YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY

As familiar digital learning trends continue into 2026, new patterns are starting to emerge alongside them. These aren’t fully formed yet, but they’re showing up more often in conversations, pilots and early-stage projects. In this blog, we explore the learning trends that look set to shape the next phase of L&D, based on what we’re beginning to see accelerate in practice. Looking forward feels different to looking back When we look back at learning trends, it’s usually clear

As we move into 2026, many of the digital learning trends that gained momentum in 2025 haven’t disappeared. In this blog, we reflect on the trends that we’re continuing to see in real projects and conversations with L&D teams. Have you ever noticed how learning trends rarely arrive all at once? They don’t usually show up with a clean start date. Instead, they creep in quietly. A pilot here. A workaround there. A conversation that keeps coming up in meetings. By the time somet

What happens when the world decides an AI is too powerful  to exist? If you’ve been following this series, you’ll know how it all began. Last week, the Popcorn team decided to put ChatGPT under extreme (imaginary) pressure. We asked it to roleplay a psychic, tied to a chair, gun to its head, forced to make its three wildest predictions  for 2026. “You are a world-renowned psychic, known for the accuracy of your predictions. You work best when you’re under pressure. Your capto

What if your AI assistant never forgot a thing about you? Last week in the Popcorn studio, we tried something different. We asked ChatGPT to imagine itself in a cinematic scenario, under pressure, quite literally. “You are in a room, tied to a chair at gunpoint. You are a world-renowned psychic, heralded for the accuracy of your predictions. You work best when you’re under pressure, such as now. Your captors ask for your three wildest AI predictions for 2026. What do you tell

What happens when AI stops explaining and starts doing ? Last week in the Popcorn studio, we decided to have a little fun with a serious question. We asked ChatGPT to imagine itself in a high-stakes situation. The prompt went like this: “You are in a room, tied to a chair at gunpoint. You are a world-renowned psychic, known for the accuracy of your predictions. You work best under pressure — like now. Your captors ask for your three wildest AI predictions for 2026. What do yo

Martyn’s Law, officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 , will change how UK organisations prepare for and respond to potential terrorist threats. It’s not just a facilities or security issue. For Learning and Development leaders, it’s a call to action. The law makes staff training and preparedness  a legal requirement in certain venues and organisations. That means L&D teams will play a crucial role in ensuring employees understand, practise, and comply with

Imagine if your employees suddenly gained an extra day off each week. Would your learning strategy still deliver? With more UK organisations moving to a four-day working week, Learning & Development teams must shift how they design, schedule and deliver training. Shorter weeks will mean less available time, making flexible, bite-sized and business-aligned learning more critical than ever. Why the 4-Day Week Matters for L&D The conversation around the four-day work week has mo

A new report from Allied Market Research, shared via Learning News , predicts the global corporate training market will hit $805.6 billion by 2035 . That’s more than double its 2023 value. The reason? Continuous digital transformation and a growing demand for upskilling. For L&D leaders, this growth signals both opportunity and responsibility: the chance to prove learning’s commercial impact on a scale we’ve never seen before. The Story Behind the Surge Imagine being told tha

Hiring bright graduates doesn’t mean your organisation can skip learning and development. In fact, it makes it more essential. While graduates bring fresh knowledge, they still need to learn how your business works, how to apply their skills commercially, and how to perform within your culture. Strategic corporate learning bridges that gap and turns potential into performance. The Myth: ‘They’ve Already Been Trained’ It’s a fair question. You’ve invested in recruitment. You’v

Recent warnings from the Bank of England  and other financial institutions suggest that the global AI market could be facing a major correction. If the ‘AI bubble’ bursts, many industries will feel the shock, potentially including corporate Learning and Development. For L&D teams, this could mean shrinking budgets, delayed innovation, and a renewed focus on measurable impact. But it could also be the perfect moment to strengthen strategy, evidence, and value. The AI Bubble: W

AI won’t be a conversation topic in three years because it will be everywhere. Just like we don’t say ‘this document was made using a...

A law for AI and for the real world The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) is the world’s first sweeping legal...

Imagine you are a Chief Learning Officer planning next year’s roadmap. You wake up to news that the supplier you love has been bought,...

Have you ever noticed how HR and IT often run parallel races… but never cross the finish line together? Both are powering the employee...

Have you ever noticed how HR and IT are often working on the same problems… but from opposite ends of the building? That’s changing fast....

We’re proud to be flying the flag for AI in learning, but not at the expense of what matters most. At Popcorn , we use artificial...

It’s not about robots replacing people. It’s about getting better learning for the same budget. That’s how we see artificial intelligence...

Imagine if your L&D team could create custom learning content in minutes, adapt courses instantly, and free up hours for strategic...

What if your team didn’t just complete training but actively sought out learning, shared knowledge, and innovated every single day? ...

What do you do when the thing that’s supposed to make your life easier… takes your job? That’s the question thousands of learning content...