Session Details

EXPOA109: "We Tried All the AI. Here's What Actually Moved the Needle." (featuring School of Rock)

November 4, 2026 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Every L&D leader right now is fielding some version of the same question: so, what are you actually doing with AI? In this candid Q&A, Sam Dresser, Chief Innovation Officer at School of Rock, shares the unfiltered reality of building an AI-powered learning function across 300+ locations — what they've adopted, what they've set aside, and the philosophy guiding every decision.

With a lean team of three, School of Rock has made collaborative learning the backbone of their strategy: decentralizing content creation to SMEs, using AI to surface insights from learners at scale, and building tools like Perfect Pitch — an AI-powered sales training simulator vibe coded by Sam himself, despite not knowing how to write a single line of code.

The conversation also explores a bigger question Sam frames as L&D's defining challenge in an AI world: the difference between sharing knowledge — which AI does just fine — and sharing wisdom, which is still entirely human. It closes with a look at the business impact: what measurable outcomes emerge when L&D stops chasing completion rates and starts operating like a performance driver.

During this session, you will learn:

  • A practical AI decision-making framework — how School of Rock decides when to adopt a new AI capability, when to wait, and what questions to ask before going live.
  • Real-world AI use cases from a global L&D team — from building AI-powered sales training tools via vibe coding to translation features that slashed support tickets across a multilingual workforce.
  • How to make collaborative learning your AI multiplier — why a small L&D team with the right SME network can outperform a larger team going it alone, and the practical 360Learning features School of Rock uses to make it work.
  • The language to connect AI adoption to business impact — how to move the conversation with senior stakeholders from "cool tool" to "strategic lever."
  • Confidence to move from pilot to practice — including what not to prioritize yet, so you focus your energy where it actually counts.
Topic/Track: AI & AutomationLevel: Intermediate/AdvancedFormat: LIVE from DevLearn Expo Stage Session (30 Min.)