Work in 2026: 7 Key Trends Where VR and AI Reshape the Training Landscape

Several strong signals converge:

• According to a global study by the IBM Institute for Business Value (“Augmented Work for an Automated, AI-Driven World”, 2023), leaders estimate that around 40% of their workforce will need to be reskilled over the next three years due to AI and automation.

• The Future of Jobs Report 2023 from the World Economic Forum indicates that six workers out of ten will need training before 2027, and that 44% of employees’ skills will be disrupted over the next five years.

• On the immersive learning side, PwC’s report “The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Soft Skills Training in the Enterprise” (2020) shows that learners in VR can be up to four times faster to train, and up to 275% more confident in applying their skills after the training compared to traditional classroom + e-learning formats.

In this context, 2026 is shaping up to be a turning point: AI, VR and, more broadly, immersive technologies are moving beyond the status of “innovation gadgets” to become a central infrastructure of skills strategy.

Here are 7 structuring trends to follow – and leverage – to build a credible roadmap.

From AI gadget to AI as a work and learning teammate

Since 2023–2024, most companies have tested generative AI (chatbots, copilots, assistants integrated into office tools, etc.). But many have done so without a structured training framework: “wild” use by employees, fear of making mistakes, compliance risks.

Yet the latest reports converge on one point:

• IBM (“Augmented Work for an Automated, AI-Driven World”, 2023) shows that leaders are betting more on upskilling employees than on massive job cuts: AI is seen more as an augmentation lever than a substitution.

• The OECD, in its Employment Outlook 2023 – “Skill needs and policies in the age of artificial intelligence” chapter, insists on the need to invest in basic AI skills (understanding, usage, critical thinking) well beyond purely technical profiles.

In 2026, this shift translates into:

• AI becoming a permanent teammate: integrated into business software, LMS platforms, and virtual reality simulators.

• The generalisation of “AI literacy” pathways for all job families: operators, technicians, managers, support functions.

Impact on immersive training:

• AI-powered virtual characters capable of dialoguing with the learner, adapting their vocabulary and level of expectations to their profile (beginner, intermediate, expert).

• Individualised feedback generated from learning traces (errors, hesitations, reaction times) within the VR simulation, without overloading the trainer’s workload.

• Conversation agents integrated into VR modules that can remind a safety instruction, explain a procedure, or propose an additional scenario via a simple voice interaction.

The challenge is no longer to “try AI”, but to orchestrate it intelligently: defining what belongs to the teacher or trainer, and what can be entrusted to AI to personalise and scale up pedagogical value.

Immersive training becomes the standard for industrial and technical jobs 

For a long time, VR was seen as an R&D playground. That is no longer the case.

Several studies now structure the debate:

• PwC’s “The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Soft Skills Training in the Enterprise” (2020) report shows that managers trained in VR:

  • train up to four times faster than those trained in classroom settings,

  • are 275% more confident in applying their skills,

  • remain more engaged and focused during training.

• Recent meta-analyses on VR in vocational training (for example, “Virtual Reality for Safety Training: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis”, Scorgie et al., 2023–2024) confirm that VR improves risk understanding, retention and real-world performance, particularly in construction, logistics and fire safety.

• On the market side, analysts (for example Mordor Intelligence, “Immersive Training Market”, 2025) estimate that the global immersive training market already represents over $14 billion in 2025, with projections around $36–37 billion by 2030, i.e. an annual growth rate above 20%.

Concretely, in industry, logistics, construction, energy or agri-food, this translates into:

• Comprehensive catalogues of job simulators (order picking, equipment operation, working at height, electricity, viticulture, chemistry, etc.) integrated into skills development plans.

• VR being used not only to “show the gesture”, but to make people practise, repeat and correct, without immobilising machines or blocking a production line.

• “Augmented” trainers who design hybrid pathways: classroom briefing, VR simulation, group debrief, then transfer to the field.

In 2026, an industrial company that still limits itself to a classroom + PowerPoint + 2D e-learning mix for high-risk jobs will gradually be seen as lagging behind professional standards.

Zero-accident objective: safety training happens in virtual first

Workplace safety issues (accidents, occupational diseases, serious risks) remain central, and VR is increasingly taking a key role there.

• The systematic review “Virtual Reality for Safety Training: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis” (Scorgie et al., 2023) highlights that VR-based training makes it possible to:

  • immerse learners in high-risk scenarios that are impossible to reproduce in classroom settings,

  • increase awareness of dangers,

  • improve performance in real-life tests.

• Other work (for example, Pribadi et al., 2024, “Analysis of the effectiveness and user experience of occupational safety training with virtual reality”) suggests that safety training programmes incorporating VR can significantly reduce serious and fatal incidents, by improving both retention and reflexes.

The 2026 trend is the generalisation of “Safety by Design” programmes built around immersive tools:

• In logistics, simulating falling loads, collisions, traffic errors with industrial vehicles.

• In construction, working on falls from height, lockout/tagout errors, co-activity on worksites.

• In chemistry or laboratories, recreating contamination scenarios, mis-handling, storage incidents.

AI plays an increasing role here:

• By generating dynamic scenario variations (weather, mistakes by virtual colleagues, customer behaviour, etc.).

• By producing behavioural performance reports: reaction times, PPE compliance, ability to raise the alarm, communication within the team.

Some insurers and safety bodies are beginning to recognise immersive training as a credible risk reduction lever, which could eventually influence coverage and pricing criteria.

From “degree-first” companies to “skills-first” companies: VR as proof of competence 

Another deep shift is underway on the labour market: the move towards skills-first strategies.

• The OECD, in its “Bridging Talent Shortages in Tech” (2024) report, emphasises the role of skills-first approaches to recruit, train and promote based on demonstrated competencies rather than degrees.

• The Future of Jobs Report 2023 (World Economic Forum) highlights that the most in-demand skills by 2027 will be analytical thinking, creative thinking, and the ability to work with AI and data.

• On the employers’ side, analyses such as “Skills-First Hiring in 2025” (GSDC, 2024–2025) or the “Micro-Credentials Impact Report” (Coursera, 2024–2025) show:

  • a fast adoption of skills-based recruitment,

  • the rise of micro-credentials and badges to validate skills.

Immersive training fits perfectly into this logic:

• Each VR session generates rich learning traces: actions taken, errors, reaction times, choices in a decision tree, team behaviour, compliance with procedures.

• These data points can be linked to micro-credentials aligned with occupational standards: for example, “mastery of electrical lockout/tagout procedures”, “complex order preparation with zero error”, “compliance with safety rules for working at height”, etc.

• Academic reports on the links between learning analytics and immersive environments (e.g. Tao et al., 2025, “Learning analytics in immersive virtual learning environments: a systematic literature review”, or Lampropoulos et al., 2025, “Learning Analytics and Educational Data Mining in AR/VR Environments”) confirm VR’s potential to track and analyse skills in detail.

In 2026, the most advanced players no longer just “do VR”: they design VR + micro-credential pathways co-signed with partners (training organisations, sectoral bodies, universities, regions, etc.) that become defensible proofs of competence in a CV, portfolio or job platform.

Learning with real data: immersive analytics and large-scale personalisation

Traditional digital learning introduced the first indicators (completion rates, quiz scores). But virtual reality changes the scale.

Recent work on learning analytics in immersive environments (Tao et al., 2025; Lampropoulos et al., 2025) shows that:

• We no longer stop at a final score: we analyse the learning trajectory (explorations, interactions, time spent, difficulty zones).

• VR environments make it possible to combine behavioural, spatial, cognitive and social data: how the learner moves, who they go to first, how they handle conflicting instructions, etc.

• These data can feed adaptive pathways: the system automatically proposes a more complex scenario, a more guided one, or one focused on a specific weak point.

For organisations, this opens three concrete levers:

1. Pedagogical steering
   Trainers have access to dashboards allowing them to identify:

   • the weakest skills in a given cohort,

   • the scenarios that produce the most transfer on the job,

   • profiles that need individual support.

2. Large-scale personalisation
   By combining AI and analytics, we can offer:

   • different pathways for two employees in the same role but with different histories,

   • scenario variants based on level (beginner / intermediate / expert),

   • automatic recommendations of complementary modules (safety, communication, management).

3. Measuring training ROI
   By cross-referencing VR data with operational indicators, companies are starting to:

   • link VR scores to accident reduction,

   • measure the impact of simulations on productivity (fewer errors, less scrap, less lost time),

   • make the effects on service quality more objective (for example in customer relations or logistics).

Researchers insist, however, on the need to define a clear ethical framework for these uses: transparency on the data collected, explicitly defined purposes, dialogue with employee representatives. Where some see a risk of surveillance, the most mature organisations turn these data into a support tool, not a sanction tool.

Hybrid work 3.0: virtual campuses to train, collaborate and onboard 

Far from disappearing, hybrid work is here to stay.

• Gallup and other global remote work surveys show that most employees in “remote-capable” jobs prefer a hybrid model rather than a full-time return to the office. Analyses from 2024–2025 indicate that around 60% of these employees favour a hybrid model, around 30% a fully remote model, and less than 10% a full return to the office.

• Recent studies (such as 2025 syntheses on mental health and hybrid work) suggest that well-designed hybrid models improve work-life balance, particularly for some groups (women, parents, carers).

However, classic tools (video calls, email, messaging) hit their limits when it comes to:

• Creating a sense of belonging for distributed teams;

• Onboarding and training new hires spread across multiple countries;

• Training for practical jobs remotely.

Immersive collaboration and training platforms bring a whole new level of realism:

• Persistent “virtual campuses” where teams, trainers, clients and partners can meet in meeting rooms, workshops, worksites or warehouses.

• Sessions where some participants are on-site, others in VR, but all share the same simulated environment: site visit, problem-solving workshop, safety training.

• Immersive onboarding pathways: visiting several plants or logistics platforms, discovering key jobs, interacting with manager avatars – all accessible from any country.

Studies on XR technology adoption in the workplace (Pro AV / XR sector reports 2024–2025, such as AVIXA analyses or AV/IT specialist reports) highlight that:

• Investments in immersive technologies are driven by the need to improve remote collaboration and employee engagement.

• The most cited enterprise use cases are training, project collaboration and remote site visits.

In 2026, the most advanced companies will treat these virtual campuses as a digital twin of their work environment: a space where they train, collaborate, recruit and communicate.

Green skills, talent shortages: immersive training at the service of a just transition

The last major trend: the interplay between ecological transition, skills shortages and immersive training.

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Training Foundation (ETF) have published several key reports, such as “Skills for a greener future: A global view” (ILO, 2019) and “Skills for the green transition” (ETF, 2023–2024). They converge on the idea that:

  • the transition to low-carbon economies will create millions of jobs,

  • but only if training systems manage to deliver the green skills required (eco-construction, energy efficiency, sustainable resource management, etc.).

• The ILO’s work on “Just Transition” reminds us that workers from declining sectors will have to be supported towards new jobs, while limiting social damage as much as possible.

In this context, immersive training has several unique strengths:

1. Simulating complex green environments

   • Energy retrofit worksites, solar farms, wind turbines, sorting or recycling platforms can be reproduced with a high level of realism.

   • Learners can be exposed to extreme scenarios (heatwaves, water shortages, harsh weather) without risk to their health.

2. Accelerating reskilling

   • Workers from declining sectors can discover and practise new jobs in VR, without having to travel physically or mobilise expensive equipment.

   • Simulators help speed up the acquisition of new gestures while leaving time to test appetite for a new job before making a heavier commitment.

3. Reducing the carbon footprint of training

   • Fewer trips, less material consumed during exercises, shared use of VR equipment: studies on the sustainability of training schemes show a strong potential to reduce the environmental impact of upskilling pathways.

We are already seeing co-funded programmes emerging (governments, regions, development agencies, international donors) aimed at equipping training centres and vocational campuses with immersive simulators dedicated to green sectors. This dynamic is likely to accelerate between 2026 and 2030, in step with climate plans and the rise of shortage occupations.

In 2026, training stops being a cost centre

What these seven trends have in common is not the technology itself, but how it reshapes the value chain of skills:

• AI becomes a meta-pedagogical tool: it supports, personalises, measures and documents, but does not replace either subject-matter expertise or human relationships.

• Virtual reality and, more broadly, immersive technologies become a training standard for operational, technical and high-risk jobs: safer, faster, more engaging, more measurable.

• Skills-first approaches, micro-credentials and learning analytics turn training into a strategic infrastructure directly connected to:

  • recruitment,

  • internal mobility,

  • operational performance,

  • and environmental and social transition.

For 2026, the real question for companies, training organisations, sector bodies and regions is no longer:

“Should we invest in AI or VR?”

But rather:

“How do we intelligently integrate AI and immersive technologies into our skills strategy, to secure our talent, our operations and our social and environmental impact?”

Those who choose to professionalise these topics – relying on robust simulators, well-designed hybrid pathways and strong partnerships – will gain a lasting advantage in their market… and in the future of work.

FAQ – VR, AI and the Future of Work in 2026

1. Is virtual reality still a gadget for training?
No. Studies show it speeds up learning and improves retention, especially for technical and high-risk jobs. It only becomes a gadget when used as a one-off, without a proper instructional design or clear link to job-related skills.

2. Will AI replace trainers?
No. AI automates part of the feedback, personalises learning paths and helps analyse data. But trainers remain essential for meaning, pedagogy, human support and group dynamics.

3. How long does it take to get ROI on a VR project?
It depends on volumes and use cases, but ROI usually comes from three levers: fewer trips, fewer errors/accidents, faster upskilling. When VR is integrated into key learning paths, payback can happen within a few years, sometimes sooner.

4. Should we already integrate generative AI into VR modules?
Yes – provided it’s well framed: to animate virtual characters, generate personalised feedback or adapt scenarios. The priorities are data security, content validation and clear pedagogical value, not the “wow” effect.

5. How do we bring trainers on board with a VR/AI project?
By involving them from the very beginning: co-designing scenarios, training them on the tools, giving them access to simple dashboards and a clear message: the tech is there to support them, not replace them.

6. Isn’t VR reserved for large companies only?
Not anymore. You can mutualise (training centres, sector bodies, territories), use existing content, invest in standalone headsets and look for co-funding. The key issue is the usage model, not just the budget.

7. Where should we start if we’re at zero?
Pick 1 to 3 priority use cases (safety, shortage jobs, critical gestures), test a well-designed pilot, measure a few simple indicators (time, errors, satisfaction) and, if the results are positive, progressively scale and integrate it into your training pathways.

To keep learning, it’s this way!