September Instructional Design SIG - AI as a partner in the real world of ID: Going beyond "Will it build my course?"

Hello ATD Detroit Members,

We’re excited to invite you to the Instructional Design Special Interest Group (SIG) session!

Date: Thursday, September 24th, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual (Zoom – link provided after registration)
Cost: Free for ATD Detroit and local ATD chapter members

$10 for guests/future members 

This month's Topic: AI as a partner in the real world of ID: going beyond "Will it build my course?" 

Guest presenter: Brandon Billings 

Session summary:

Most conversations about AI in learning start with "can it build my course." This session starts somewhere more useful, and more honest: the work around the course. Brandon Billings, Director of Learning Technologies for SAE Professional Development, will walk through real working sessions from the past six months, none of which required him to become a programmer. A vendor update that silently re-exposed buy buttons and dead-ended real customers. Roughly 1,200 quiz questions checked against what the courses actually taught. A platform quietly dropping learner responses, with no error to warn anybody. You will see the actual work on screen, wrong turns and dead ends included, so you can tell where the designer stays in charge and where the machine is genuinely faster. Expect a straight conversation about guardrails, and about what you are really handing over when you give an AI agent the same access you have. You should leave with at least one task worth handing off, a clearer view of the work that should stay human, and a simple question to ask before automating anything at all.

What’s a SIG?
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are small, member-driven communities focused on particular aspects of Talent Development. SIGs provide a space for members to dive deeper into shared interests, skills, and roles while building valuable connections.

For more information about the Instructional Design SIG, please contact:

• Laurie Zeller – lauriezeller365@gmail.com

• Misty Minna – Misty.minna@gmail.com

• Julie Pochik - julieapochik@gmail.com 

We hope to see you there!