#898: Augmentation, Enhancement, or Replacement? Classifying Generative AI Use in Workforce Development Practice

This study examines how frontline workforce development practitioners use GenAI. A survey of 181 practitioners from seven organizations revealed use cases concentrated in learning and instruction (40%), communication and design (39%), and research and analysis (36%). A typology classifying use cases as augmentation (32%), enhancement (26%), replacement (23%), or unspecified (18%) shows that a majority reflect augmentation or enhancement. These results can inform practical guidelines that optimize human-AI collaboration while minimizing replacement of critical thinking.