AI is ready to tell you what to learn next. The question is, should you listen? Professional development might feel productive but there is a chance it is procrastination in disguise. From an early age, we enter a school system guided by a curriculum designed by experts; however, it leaves little room for us to develop self-direction or take ownership of our own learning. We then move into our professional careers and attend webinars, complete modules, and add badges to our profiles. In a sector under constant pressure to stay current, it is easy to get swept up, yet we rarely stop to ask why. LMS AI is developing in the direction of suggesting what training we should be taking. Self-directed learning is a process we learn through osmosis. We sign up for training when opportunities arise that interest us or when we are required to take it, but we rarely step back to see if this training is moving us in the direction that we want to move in.
This talk will look at whether we are moving in the direction we want to go in, or if we are being taken by the current of learning trends in a direction that might not be where we want to go.

We explore this through the lens of Heutagogy, learner-determined learning, which foregrounds agency in deciding what, when, and even whether to engage. We will explore what it means to choose not only what to learn, but when to say no. In line with the conference’s theme, we invite reflection on the maturity of our response to AI in education. Are we leading the change, or being led without realising it?