Bloomberg Businessweek — “Udemy Banks on Artificial Intelligence to Power Online Learning”

Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec
Guest: Hugo Sarazin, CEO of Udemy
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the transformation of Udemy, a major online learning platform, as it pivots toward an “AI-powered skills acceleration platform.” Host Carol Massar and co-host Tim Stenovec interview Udemy CEO Hugo Sarazin about how artificial intelligence is being used to reshape workforce training, the company’s expanding enterprise business, global demand for AI skills, and the evolving needs of individual learners and companies. The conversation also touches on the human side of workplace development and the future of online learning in a rapidly changing job market.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Influence of AI on Online Learning

[02:22]

• Udemy is moving from being a traditional online course distributor (asynchronous learning, one-size-fits-all) to a platform leveraging AI for “continuous” and “personalized” learning.
• Hugo Sarazin: “With AI, we have the opportunity to change the game… I can learn and assess what you know and adapt the course in a way that, you know, focuses on the area where you need help.”
• Personalized learning adapts to the learner’s current skillset, identifies weak points, and reinforces learning through targeted labs and AI-generated roleplays.
• This shift aims to accelerate “reskilling of the workforce moving forward.”

Trends and Insights from Enterprise Customers

[04:25]

• Udemy serves over 17,000 enterprise customers globally.
• There’s explosive growth in demand for AI courses: “Every minute, eight people enroll in AI classes.”
• At the same time, there’s a 40% rise in demand for adaptive “human skills” (creative thinking, collaboration, communication), reflecting the dual need for technical and soft skills in the workplace.
  • Sarazin: “As much as the technical skills are important, enterprises are looking for the human side and keep the human aspect of moving forward.”
• Companies are figuring out the best way to adopt AI and are relying on Udemy’s data and course offerings to guide internal training.

State of the Business & Market Forces

[06:03]

• Global presence: 60% of Udemy’s business is outside North America.
• Growth has stabilized post-pandemic, but remains “robust”; current economic “uncertainty” has led to a “wait and see” approach among some customers.
• Ongoing “catch up and a rush to bring in the reskilling” as companies realize technology investments require skilled workers to be effective.
• Cites a World Economic Forum prediction: 92 million workers in developed countries will need AI-driven reskilling over the next five years.

The Shift from Consumer to Enterprise Revenue

[07:00]

• Udemy’s revenue mix has shifted from “largely consumer” (2019–2020) to “dramatic” enterprise growth—now about 63% enterprise revenue.
• The consumer segment is still important; recent graduates and job-seekers use Udemy as a “finishing school,” taking targeted courses and building project portfolios.
• Udemy is moving away from single-course purchases to a subscription model, aiming to become a platform where learners can “continuously learn and set career goals”—including partnerships with hiring platforms like Indeed.

AI’s Role in Course Design & Creation

[08:38]

• AI is used internally to personalize the learner experience and also to empower instructors.
• AI streamlines the creation process: assists with curriculum development, generates examples and images, and allows instructors to spend more time on critical thinking and student engagement.
  • Sarazin: “We’re making all of that super easy so that the instructor can spend their time where…they’re applying their critical thinking, they’re finding analogies, they’re finding ways to engage the students in better ways.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hugo Sarazin [02:53]:
  “With AI, we have the opportunity to change the game. And I think we’re making a pretty big pivot to continuous learning, personalized learning.”

• Tim Stenovec [02:13]:
  “Listen, if anything we learned in Covid though, the importance of, you know, kids being around other kids, being around teachers and people is socializing and socialization super, super important.”

• Hugo Sarazin [04:49]:
  “We’re spending a lot of time learning from our customer. We’re a learning platform. We love to learn.”

• Hugo Sarazin [07:26]:
  “Maybe in the last few years we haven’t invested sufficiently [in consumer]. . . Right now, as you know, the job markets, the new graduates are struggling to find jobs. They may not have been prepared for what this economy is requiring and they turn to platforms like Udemy.”

• Hugo Sarazin [08:46]:
  “We have an instructor team that is finding ways to automate and streamline the process so that you can create the curriculum, you can create examples, you can generate images if that’s what you needed.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:32] Opening and context: AI’s growing role in education (reference to Duolingo & Luis Von Ahn)
• [02:22] Introduction of Hugo Sarazin, Udemy CEO
• [02:53] Sarazin explains Udemy’s vision for AI-powered personalized learning
• [04:25] Discussing enterprise customer learnings and demand trends
• [06:03] The post-pandemic global business environment and reskilling imperative
• [07:00] Revenue mix and the shift toward enterprise customers
• [08:38] How Udemy utilizes AI in course design and instructor tools

Conclusion

In this episode, Hugo Sarazin underscores Udemy’s commitment to leveraging AI to enable more adaptive, personalized, and effective skill-building for individuals and companies. Demand for both technical AI-related skills and adaptive human skills is surging. As the platform pivots toward subscription-based, enterprise-focused offerings, Udemy aims to prepare the workforce for the ongoing technological revolution—empowering both learners and instructors while maintaining a balance between automation and the “human side” of learning.