Reducing Development Costs: Can AI Replace Expensive Course Authoring Tools?
- LMSPortals
- Aug 17
- 5 min read
Corporate learning teams and instructional designers are under increasing pressure to produce high-quality digital courses at scale. But the tools they rely on—like Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and Lectora—come with steep price tags, steep learning curves, and long development timelines.
As budgets tighten and expectations rise, teams are asking a pointed question: Can AI step in and do what these expensive authoring tools do—for less?
It’s not just a budget conversation anymore. It's a question of speed, scalability, and strategy. In this article, we unpack how AI is reshaping course development, where it stands in comparison to traditional authoring tools, and what it means for the future of learning design.
The Traditional Model: Feature-Rich, But Resource-Heavy
High Costs and Long Timelines
Traditional course authoring tools are powerful—but power comes at a price. Here’s what you're typically dealing with:
Software licenses costing $1,000+ per seat annually
Training time for instructional designers to learn complex interfaces
Development time averaging 49 hours per 1 hour of eLearning content
Dependency on other tools for design, video, voiceover, and reviews
These tools are great if you need custom interactions and branded experiences. But for standard training—compliance, onboarding, soft skills—they’re often overkill.
A Bottleneck for Scaling
Creating eLearning with traditional tools is labor-intensive. Even if you're using templates, content needs to be written, reviewed, designed, and tested. Scaling across departments, languages, or roles? That multiplies time and cost.
The Rise of AI in Course Development
What AI Tools Can Do Today
AI is no longer just a fancy spell-checker. Today’s AI tools can:
Generate course outlines and learning objectives from raw materials
Write modules, quizzes, scenarios, and summaries
Convert text into narrated video with avatars or voiceovers
Adapt content to different learning styles or reading levels
Localize content into multiple languages in minutes
Analyze learner data and recommend content improvements
These capabilities are already built into platforms like Synthesia (AI video), ElevenLabs (AI voice), and tools like ChatGPT, which can draft entire courses based on simple prompts.
AI-Powered Authoring Platforms
Startups and LMS vendors are integrating AI into their ecosystems. Tools like:
iSpring AI, which turns text into SCORM-compliant eLearning
Courseau, which builds courses from PDFs or documents
Tome, which turns ideas into presentations and training content
Lumen5, which creates explainer videos from text in seconds
They’re not full replacements for high-end authoring tools yet—but they’re closing in fast, especially for simple, repeatable training needs.
Comparing AI vs Traditional Tools
Criteria | Traditional Tools | AI Tools |
Cost | High (licenses + time) | Low (subscription or pay-per-use) |
Learning Curve | Steep | Minimal (prompt-based) |
Speed to Develop | Slow (weeks) | Fast (hours or less) |
Customization | High (fully controllable) | Medium (template- or model-based) |
Interactivity | Advanced branching, simulations | Limited (mostly linear formats) |
Scalability | Manual, resource-intensive | Automated, on-demand |
Consistency | Variable (depends on designer) | High (model-driven output) |
Localization | Manual or outsourced | Instant (multi-language AI) |
AI tools shine in speed, affordability, and scalability. Traditional tools win in custom design and rich interactivity. But not every course needs bells and whistles. For many teams, "good enough"—done fast and cheap—is the right answer.
Real-World Use Cases: Where AI Already Wins
Regulatory content doesn’t change much, but needs constant updating. AI can refresh content, generate quizzes, and localize it instantly—no designers required.
2. Onboarding
From company overviews to tool walkthroughs, AI can generate the bulk of onboarding content and adapt it to different roles. Add a few brand assets, and you’re live in hours.
3. Soft Skills Modules
Need quick courses on topics like time management, communication, or DEI? AI can produce clean, well-structured learning materials with minimal input.
4. Knowledge Conversion
Have documentation, PDFs, or SME-written content? AI can convert it into eLearning modules, complete with quiz questions and summaries.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
Still Needs Human Oversight
AI can generate content, but it doesn’t understand nuance, tone, or context the way a trained ID does. You'll still need a human to:
Check for factual accuracy
Ensure alignment with business goals
Add branding and voice
Improve flow and engagement
Limited Interactivity
Branching scenarios, simulations, and gamified elements aren’t AI’s strong suit (yet). Traditional tools are still better for those advanced learning experiences.
Data Privacy and IP Concerns
Using AI with proprietary or confidential data can raise red flags. Always check where data is processed, stored, and whether it’s being used to train models.
The Cost Equation: A Simple Thought Experiment
Let’s say you need 10 one-hour eLearning modules.
Method | Time | Cost (avg) |
Traditional Authoring | 490 hours | $25,000+ (tools + labor) |
AI-Powered Creation | ~40 hours | <$2,000 (tools + QA) |
You’re saving over 80% in time and 90% in cost. Even if the AI output needs some cleanup, the margin is hard to ignore.
Strategic Implications: What This Means for L&D Teams
From Designers to Orchestrators
Instructional designers aren’t going away—but their roles are evolving. Instead of spending hours formatting slides or coding interactions, they’ll focus on:
Prompt engineering and AI tool mastery
Content strategy and learning design
Quality assurance and storytelling
Learner experience and engagement
The value shifts from production to orchestration.
Democratization of Content Creation
AI tools open the door for SMEs, HR teams, and even employees to generate learning content without needing a designer. That could decentralize training development—and that’s both a risk and an opportunity.
Need for New Standards
With AI content flooding the ecosystem, organizations will need tighter standards for quality, voice, branding, and instructional effectiveness. Just because content is fast and cheap doesn’t mean it’s good.
So… Can AI Replace Authoring Tools?
The short answer: In many cases, yes—especially where speed and cost are top priorities.
AI isn’t a full replacement for high-end course authoring tools yet. But for:
Simple training
Constantly updated content
Small teams or limited budgets
…it’s already outperforming traditional methods on several fronts.
The smart play? Use AI where it makes sense. Save the big guns for courses that truly
need deep customization and interactivity.
Summary: The New Learning Stack Is Leaner
The course development stack is evolving. AI isn’t just a layer on top—it’s becoming the engine underneath. Forward-thinking L&D teams are rethinking their workflows, reallocating their budgets, and embracing a more agile, AI-powered approach.
If your team is still clinging to expensive authoring tools for every course, ask yourself: Are we building for impact—or just for tradition?
Now’s the time to build faster, smarter, and cheaper.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages
Comments