Global Sentiment Survey 2026

Into the unknown

Each year, Donald H. Taylor, a global researcher and thought leader in Learning and Development (L&D), conducts a survey mapping what the L&D profession sees as the key trends and challenges for the year ahead.

Here you can download the 2026 report presenting the survey results. This is the most significant set of findings in the thirteen years the survey has been conducted — precisely because they do not point to a specific change. Instead, the results suggest that established norms are breaking down, and it remains unclear what will replace them.

The situation is driven by a combination of factors. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) plays the largest role, but its impact is amplified by economic uncertainty, war, and global unrest.

Almost all survey results indicate that the old order is beginning to break down. Reliable patterns of behaviour that have been tracked for many years no longer function as expected. Within the L&D profession, this disruption is being felt in everyday work. AI will transform how we work and learn, but that transformation has not yet fully taken shape. At the beginning of 2026, there is therefore a clear sense that we are heading into unknown territory.

Throughout the report, you will find questions for reflection, and we hope it will inspire you to consider and discuss how you can draw your own map of this still-unknown future of learning.