Impact of AI:Explored

In this episode of Impact of AI: Explored, Gerjon and James talk with Rob Fawcett (The Human CTO) about the “boring but necessary” side of AI: governance, assurance and compliance. Rob explains why most organizations already have the skills from GDPR, ISO and data protection work – they just forget that AI is another governance problem, not a completely new universe.

Topics we cover are the EU AI Act, the upcoming UK AI bill, and the real tension between moving fast with AI and staying compliant. Rob breaks down the three modes he sees in companies today: policy and forget, the waiting game, and speed vs compliance. He also argues IT – especially the service desk – is one of the most underused assets in AI governance.

We dive into agentic AI (agents talking to agents with no human in the loop), data classification and anonymization, and who’s ultimately responsible when AI agents go wrong – vendors or the business. Rob introduces the ARIA framework (AI Readiness, Impact, Assurance), which scores and prioritizes AI use cases so you don’t just make bad processes faster, and explains how even small teams can start with something as simple as a spreadsheet inventory of all AI tools in use.

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Welcome to the Impact of AI: Explored podcast. In this episode 
James and Gerjon sit down with Dave Brear, Citrix Account Technology Strategist (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davebrear/) to unpack the idea of an “AI second brain” and why chain of cognition matters in a world of instant AI-generated content. 
They talk about “AI slop” and what separates truly valuable, story-driven content from meaning-shaped noise, even when AI is involved. Dave shares his origin story with note-taking, Zettelkasten, and Obsidian, and how he accidentally built the perfect foundation for an AI-augmented thinking system. We then explore how he connects this personal knowledge vault to AI as a thinking partner, the implications for EUC and enterprise user profiles, and the risks around ownership, shadow AI, and companies potentially “bottling” employees’ cognition. Finally, Dave gives practical advice for knowledge workers who want to start their own second brain from a blank slate, and why reading How to Take Smart Notes might change how you think forever.
Interesting links:
The book Dave refers to: https://www.soenkeahrens.de/en/takesmartnotes
more information: https://davebrear.ai
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Anxious about AI change? In this episode, Stephen Gresty - Coaching & Training Consultant MSc (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephengrestyroiltd/) joins James live from the Hello AI Collective Summit to explore how leaders can bring people with them instead of leaving them behind. We dig into why purpose matters more than tools, how to keep work meaningful when “AI is coming for my job” is on everyone’s mind, and why AI should amplify humans rather than replace them. Stephen shares his MORSE philosophy from applied positive psychology (mindset, optimism, resilience, strengths, empathy), talks psychological safety, and warns about the real risk of “dumbing down” if we outsource our thinking to machines.
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This episode with Phil Hobden Head of Customer Advocacy at Sage explores the realistic applications and limitations of AI in business, emphasizing the importance of good data, human oversight, and strategic integration. Phil shares insights on AI's role as a co-pilot, the necessity of foundational data, and the future of AI-driven efficiency.
AI as a tool not a cure-all
Importance of good data and governance
AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement
Challenges of siloed AI systems
Human oversight and strategic use of AI

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What happens when you put a CTO from professional football in a room and ask them to be honest about AI?
Joe Darkins, CTO of Burnley Football Club, joins the show for a grounded, no-hype conversation about what it actually takes to deploy AI responsibly inside an organisation.
We cover a lot of ground. Joe breaks down why aligning AI to real business problems matters more than chasing the latest capability, how the CISO role is evolving as AI adoption accelerates, and what agentic AI looks like in a football club context. It's more complex than you might think.
We also get into the harder questions. Who is accountable when AI gets it wrong? How do you build sandboxed environments that prevent misuse? And why are local models becoming a serious conversation for organisations that care about data privacy and environmental impact?
If you're navigating AI adoption inside your organisation, this one is worth your time.
Topics covered:
Aligning AI initiatives to actual business problems
The CISO's expanding role in AI governance
Agentic AI in sport and what it signals for other sectors
AI accountability and risk management
Local models, data privacy, and sustainability

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