AI training in person or remote: how to choose in 2026

AI Training for Business: The Complete 2026 Guide (Funding, Certification, EU AI Act)

AI training for businesses in France costs between €350 and €3,300 ex. VAT per person in 2026, with up to 100% OPCO funding for SMEs under 50 employees. Since August 2, 2026, the EU AI Act requires every company using ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot to guarantee minimum AI literacy across its teams, with sanctions up to €7.5M or 1.5% of global annual turnover. Here is how to design a truly operational, funded, and compliant program.

AI training in person or remote: how to choose in 2026

For corporate AI training in 2026, synchronous remote training wins in around 70 % of cases thanks to a cost 25 to 40 % lower and immediate practice on your own tools; in-person training remains preferable for initial onboarding, mixed-experience groups or workshops of more than twelve participants. The hybrid format, known as blended learning, stands out as the most effective compromise for longer programs.

Remote training now dominates the AI training market, but in-person still earns its place.

The French AI training market shifted in two years. Online enrollments now represent around 70 % of sessions sold by training organizations, versus barely 35 % in 2022. Three factors explain this swing: lower cost, immediate access to the tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot) directly on the learner's workstation, and the maturity of video platforms (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) that finally support collaborative practice.

This is not a passing fad. According to French CPF data, satisfaction rates for certified remote programs now exceed 90 % in 2026, almost matching in-person ratings. The French Ministry of Labour confirms that more than 60 % of training sessions taken in 2025 included at least one digital component.

That said, retiring in-person training would be a mistake. It still owns clear use cases: onboarding for low-tech-comfort audiences, team-building workshops, training with internal political stakes (an official launch of an AI program by leadership). The right reflex in 2026 is not to choose by dogma but by use case.

Before deciding, read our complete guide to corporate AI training to frame your project.

In-person training remains unbeatable on four specific dimensions.

In-person is not dead, it has specialized. Four situations make it superior to remote.

First, initial onboarding for mixed-experience teams. When you mix a senior accountant, a junior salesperson and an executive in the same room, the collective energy of a physical setting breaks psychological barriers. Naive questions flow more freely. Peer pressure keeps attention sustained for seven hours, whereas remote sessions lose focus after 3 h 30.

Second, groups larger than twelve participants. Past that threshold, synchronous remote loses interactivity: too many people to manage turn-taking, too many black screens for the trainer. In-person regains the edge, especially in a plenary half-day followed by smaller workshop groups.

Third, symbolic stakes. When the CEO wants to officially launch an AI strategy in front of executives, the group photo in person sends a signal remote will never deliver. Same goes for the public signing of an internal AI policy.

Fourth, industrial sites or fieldwork settings that are poorly equipped. A production workshop, a factory, a nursing home: if participants do not have an individual workstation available during the training, remote becomes unrealistic.

The trade-off: in-person costs 30 to 50 % more, immobilizes a full day, and cuts learners off from their real work environment.

Synchronous remote training wins on immediate practice and return on investment.

Remote training was long associated with low-quality asynchronous e-learning (recorded tutorials, quizzes, automatic certificates). That image is outdated. Modern synchronous remote training, delivered live by an experienced trainer over Zoom or Teams, is a different animal.

Its main strength sits in one word: transfer. When you learn a Claude prompt in the morning and apply it to a real client file at 2 p.m., retention soars. An in-person AI training in Paris cuts you off from your raw material (your files, your workflows, your colleagues) for two days. Remote does the opposite: you stay immersed in your environment.

Economically, the gap is large. In open-enrollment formats, a day of remote AI training generally sells for 600 to 800 € excl. VAT per person, versus 1 000 to 1 500 € excl. VAT for in-person Paris-based delivery. For on-site corporate sessions, the organization saves on trainer travel and lodging, which translates into a 15 to 25 % discount on the quote.

Remote also unlocks formats in-person cannot offer: short 2-hour sessions spaced over five weeks, replay access for 30 days, an invited expert dropping in for a single segment. These formats fit particularly well with the optimal duration for an AI training program to anchor practice over time.

Its limits: 7-hour plenary sessions are impossible to sustain (cognitive drop-off around hour 4), groups beyond twelve become hard to manage, and low-digital-literacy audiences struggle.

Blended learning combines online theory and in-person practice.

The blended (mixed) format represents around 25 % of certified programs in 2026 according to French Caisse des Dépôts statistics. Its logic: use each format for what it does best.

Typical structure for an SME AI training: a half-day in person for kickoff (onboarding, demos, team cohesion), then three or four synchronous remote sessions of 2 hours spaced one week apart for hands-on practice on real use cases, and a closing half-day in person to validate learning and launch concrete projects.

This model solves three problems at once: it keeps the symbolic power of in-person at the opening and closing, it maximizes practice through interleaved remote sessions, and it spreads learning across time, which fits the adult learning curves documented by educational research.

Blended is also well received by funders: French OPCO bodies such as Uniformation, Akto or Opco EP look favorably on programs that demonstrate lasting anchoring rather than a one-shot seminar. That makes funding approvals smoother.

Article 4 of the AI Act does not mandate a format, it requires a result.

Article 4 of European Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), which entered into application on 2 February 2025, requires providers and deployers of AI systems to guarantee a sufficient level of AI literacy among their staff and anyone using AI on their behalf. National market surveillance authorities begin actively enforcing compliance on 2 August 2026.

Read the text carefully: it mentions neither in-person, nor remote, nor minimum duration, nor mandated curriculum. It sets a results-based obligation (real literacy) taking into account technical level, experience, training and the usage context of the persons concerned.

Practical consequence: the format you choose has no impact on compliance, provided you can demonstrate that your team has mastered the basics. What authorities will look at: documented evidence (program, attestations, attendance sheets, teaching materials), the relevance of the content compared to the tools actually used, and the effective level of the people trained.

A fully remote program, well documented, holds up just as well as an in-person seminar before the AI Office. Conversely, two days of in-person training without follow-up or traceability provides no compliance guarantee.

Comparison table: in-person, remote and blended learning.

Five questions to decide between in-person and remote.

Before signing a quote, ask yourself these five questions in order.

1. What is the real starting level of your teams on AI? If you start from scratch with low-digital profiles, begin in person. If half the team has already tried ChatGPT, remote works painlessly.
2. How many sites are your employees spread across? Single-site: in-person remains viable. Multi-site in Île-de-France or beyond: remote cuts the bill by half and the logistics by three.
3. What group size? Above twelve people, switch to in-person or hybrid. Below, remote is optimal.
4. What total duration are you targeting? For a short onboarding module (1 day), in-person fits best. For a 5 to 7 day program spread over two months, hybrid will be more effective.
5. What budget per person? Below 800 € excl. VAT per day, remote is the only realistic option. Above, you have the choice.

If you are still hesitating, compare corporate AI training prices for 2026 by format and revisit why training your teams on AI in 2026 is decisive.

How GrowthPerf supports SMEs and nonprofits across all three formats.

GrowthPerf is a Qualiopi-certified training organization specializing in generative AI, no-code and automation for SMEs and nonprofits in the Paris region. Our programs are eligible for French OPCO funding and FNE-Formation co-financing.

We offer all three formats with a simple logic: adapt the program to your context, not the other way around. Our remote sessions run groups of 4 to 10 participants per half-day to preserve interactivity. Our in-person sessions in Paris or on your premises favor custom design over off-the-shelf catalogs. Our hybrid programs combine in-person kickoff, short remote sessions and an in-person closing, with a 30-day post-training follow-up to anchor usage.

On AI Act compliance, we systematically provide the required supporting documents: detailed program, attendance sheets, teaching materials, named attestations with content and competencies validated.

Request a free 30-minute audit to frame the format best suited to your context and obtain a personalized quote. Our AI training for business page details our catalog programs; for a tailored program built around your stakes, contact us directly.

Frequently asked questions

Is remote training really as effective as in-person for AI?

For groups smaller than twelve people, in sessions of 3 h to 3 h 30 maximum per day, led by an experienced trainer over video: yes, synchronous remote is just as effective in 80 % of cases. Beyond twelve participants, on full 7-hour days or for low-tech audiences, in-person regains the edge.

What is the difference between synchronous remote and asynchronous e-learning?

Synchronous remote is delivered live by a trainer on Zoom or Teams at a fixed time, with interaction and Q&A. Asynchronous e-learning consists of recorded videos and quizzes the learner follows at their own pace, without a live trainer. For AI, synchronous is significantly superior to asynchronous alone, because supervised practice makes the difference.

Can remote AI training be funded by French OPCO bodies?

Yes, without restriction. All French OPCO bodies (Uniformation, Akto, Opco EP, Opco 2i, Atlas, etc.) fund in-person and remote equally, provided the training organization is Qualiopi-certified and the training respects the formal requirements (program, agreement, attendance sheets, attestation).

How much does a day of remote AI training cost?

Plan on 600 to 800 € excl. VAT per person per day for open-enrollment formats, and 1 800 to 3 500 € excl. VAT per day for a full group in corporate on-site formats. Compare with 1 000 to 1 500 € excl. VAT for Paris in-person open-enrollment, and 2 500 to 5 000 € excl. VAT for corporate in-person delivery.

Is remote training compliant with Article 4 of the AI Act?

Yes, Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 imposes no specific format. It requires a sufficient level of AI literacy among the people using AI. A well-traced remote program (curriculum, attestation, attendance sheets) is as valid as in-person for demonstrating compliance before 2 August 2026.

Can we mix several formats inside the same training?

Yes, that is precisely the logic of blended learning. A common pattern: half-day in person for kickoff, three or four synchronous remote sessions of 2 hours spaced one week apart for practice, half-day in person for closing. This format represents around 25 % of certified programs in 2026.

What happens after 2 August 2026 if I have not trained anyone?

From 2 August 2026, national market surveillance authorities can verify Article 4 AI Act compliance. Penalties are not specifically quantified for this obligation, but the complete absence of a documented AI training plan constitutes a breach of employer obligations. The risk is heightened for companies using high-risk AI systems (HR, scoring, healthcare).

To dive deeper, read our complete guide to corporate AI training, which details the regulatory framework, funding pathways and program formats suited to each company profile.