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Jim van Hulst has worked in several leadership functions at EY, ING Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, and Johnson Controls International. His positions have included Director Talent Management, Global Head Professional Development, and Global Learning Technology Leader. Jim has an MSc. in Learning Technology from the University of Sheffield and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Arnhem/Nijmegen. He also holds a diploma in Business Management and Leadership from the Rotterdam School of Management. He completed his MBA in 2020 from MSM, The Netherlands. He is a frequently asked speaker and author of numerous articles. Jim founded Jignite recently in 2021.

AI Means the Sky Is Not Your Limit Anymore

Introduction

We are entering a new era where the boundaries between professional roles are fading. In the past, a consultant focused on strategy, a trainer focused on learning, and an L&D professional built program. Coding, design, or data were skills you left to specialists. Skills like stakeholder management or learning agility were seen as long-term developmental journeys. With the rise of artificial intelligence, these borders are dissolving. AI lowers barriers and unlocks capabilities that once required years of training or practice. Suddenly, one professional can reach into multiple fields at once.

This is not about replacing experts. It is about expanding your own reach and becoming a T-shaped or even M-shaped professional. You still have your core expertise, but AI allows you to branch out horizontally into coding, design, storytelling, analysis, and even soft skills such as agility or communication. In other words: with AI, the sky is not your limit anymore.

Examples on how AI expands roles and skills.

Example 1: Coding without being a programmer

Writing code once demanded years of training. Now AI can generate working scripts or prototypes in seconds. With Articulate Rise’s new Code Block (beta), you can use AI to insert HTML, CSS, or JavaScript and create richer, more interactive learning. A trainer or L&D professional can now directly enhance the learner’s experience.

  • Examples of tools: ChatGPT (Code Interpreter or Advanced Data Analysis), GitHub Copilot, Rise Code Block (beta).

Example 2: Graphic design at your fingertips
Strong visuals bring messages to life, but design was once the domain of specialists. Today AI makes professional images and layouts accessible to everyone. For consultants and trainers this means presentations, e-learning, and reports can become visually compelling without outsourcing.

  1. Examples of tools: MidJourney, DALL·E, Canva Magic Tools.

Example 3: Data analysis and insight
Where data used to be the territory of statisticians, AI now makes it approachable for everyone. It can clean, analyze, and visualize complex information, giving consultants and managers in digital transformation immediate insights. This makes advice more evidence-based and decisions faster.

  • Examples of tools: ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis, Google Gemini, Tableau with AI.

Example 4: Smarter presentation development.

Presentations remain at the heart of consulting and training yet creating them can be time-consuming. AI tools can now generate entire decks with structure, visuals, and story flow. You provide the ideas, and the AI delivers a draft to refine. That means more focus on engagement and less on formatting.

  • Examples of tools: Beautiful.ai, Tome AI, Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint.

Example 5: Project management and communication.

Managing complexity is easier with AI. It can create task lists, track progress, and generate meeting notes automatically. For consultants and interim managers this saves valuable time and shifts attention to people, strategy, and results.

  • Examples of tools: Otter.ai, Notion AI, ClickUp AI.

Example 6: Accelerating difficult-to-learn skills.

Beyond hard skills, AI also supports the growth of softer, often harder-to-master capabilities. Learning agility can be enhanced by simulating real-world scenarios or providing instant feedback. Stakeholder management can be practiced with AI role-plays, exploring different perspectives before a real meeting. Even critical thinking can be trained by using AI to challenge your assumptions, generate counterarguments, and surface hidden biases. These skills usually take years to develop, but AI gives professionals a safe space to practice and refine them faster.

  • Examples of tools: Claude for simulated dialogues, AI-powered coaching platforms, adaptive learning tools like Docebo or LearnAmp.

From T-shaped to limitless

What emerges from all this is a new professional identity. The consultant, trainer, or L&D professional no longer works only within the walls of one specialty. With AI, you extend upward into the horizon of possibility. You remain anchored in your deep expertise, the vertical line of the T, but your horizontal reach is now wider than ever, sometimes spanning multiple depths and creating an M-shape. And above it all lies the sky. Not as a ceiling, but as a wide-open space of opportunities. AI enables you to connect disciplines, bridge knowledge, and even accelerate the development of complex soft skills.

With AI, the sky truly is not your limit anymore.

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