How Does Techlash Impact Organisational Skills Strategies in 2026?

In 2013, the term ‘techlash’ was coined by The Economist, to describe society’s rising hostility towards tech, in response to a shift in public sentiment towards Silicon Valley giants and their growing power. Though it didn’t quite take shape as expected by some at the time, the idea lingered for years to follow. In 2018, the term made Oxford Dictionary’s shortlist for word of the year, and now, in 2026, many people believe that techlash is back on the rise. 

Whilst it’s important to positively embrace AI, a forward-thinking leader also addresses scepticism.

Why is Techlash Back?

Social media has long been home to misinformation and disinformation to some extent; but with recent developments in AI technology, this has increased at an exponential rate, ultimately leading to the resurgence of techlash.

The rapid rise of ‘fake news’ — spreading articles, tweets, and memes based on ‘alternative facts’ — has grown immensely. 

In more recent years, it has arguably worsened through the emergence of countless AI scandals, one of which includes the popularisation of a, later to be discovered, AI-generated band ‘The Velvet Sundown’.  The band, self-described as a “synthetic music project guided by creative human direction”, sparked outrage and concern globally regarding the lack of transparency and consent surrounding AI use in the creative sector, as well as governments’ roles in regulating it. 

As many trends operate in cycles, it is perhaps unsurprising that tech disillusionment has resurfaced, particularly towards AI.

But what does online misinformation mean for our culture and subsequently our workplace? Distrust, disillusionment, and outrage towards technology are a few words that arguably describe the current societal outlook. 

How Does Techlash Impact Learning Design?

Techlash embodies more than a fear of machines; it symbolises a broader societal pivot towards values such as agency, accountability, and empathy, as well as a return to human-centred learning.

Overarching learning trends we’ve noticed include:

• In-person learning
• Mentoring
• Soft skills development 

Let’s revisit some foundational thinkers to get a better understanding of what human-centred learning actually means:

Maria Montessori

Developed the ‘following the child’ approach, whereby learning is tailored to the individual’s psychology, physical traits, and social behaviour. It is an observation-based teaching method founded on the idea that learners shouldn’t be mindlessly fed content in the same way, but that education should be tailored to each individual’s personality.

George Siemens

Created the theory of connectivism, which argues that building collections of connections is more powerful than internalising masses of knowledge. He believed that it was important for individuals to develop relationships with knowledge centres (e.g., books, the internet, AI) than to memorise knowledge itself. 

Howard Gardener

Believed that intelligence is not a stagnant, fixed trait (as IQ tests suggest). Instead, it is a person’s biophysical potential to process information that can be activated in the correct cultural setting. Measuring performance, he believed, should look different for each person.

How to Adapt Your Skills Strategy For 2026

Developing your organisation’s skills strategy means considering your team’s needs, as well as the wider culture we’re living in. It can’t be one or the other, it must be both. So, for 2026/7 skills strategies to make an impact, they must be adapted towards attitudes of techlash across all generations.

As a result of the rise of techlash, skills that are becoming increasingly important in 2026, include:

• Radical empathy: The ability to read a room and motivate different personalities at a high level.
• Curation: The ability to select concise, relevant methodologies and readings.
• Vulnerability: Particularly among leaders, openly acknowledging challenges and admitting when they don’t have all the answers is increasingly valued as a sign of authenticity.
• Pattern spotting: Acting as a ‘sensemaker’ by identifying meaning within patterns and connecting learning data to tangible business outcomes.
• Mentorship: A human-oriented learning approach centred on relationships between individuals. It fosters belonging, emotional support, and the transfer of institutional wisdom. 
• Individuality: Giving learners autonomy to shape their own career paths and choose projects aligned with their personal values. This means viewing organisations as fluid pools of talent with unique, overlapping skillsets rather than rigid job descriptions. 

Human-centred design is what we’ve been doing for 100 years. If you’re interested in speaking to one of our consultants about how to bring this approach to your organisation, get in touch. 

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Cegos Team

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