Something About AI

Alastair McDermott - HumanSpark.ai
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Something About AI is about what happens when AI meets real work. I’m Alastair McDermott, founder of HumanSpark AI. I work with businesses on AI, and I build with it myself. Practical insights from using AI in the real world. I spend a lot of my time helping people work out where AI is genuinely useful, where it creates new problems, and what happens when a promising experiment meets the reality of an everyday workplace. This is not an AI news show. In Something About AI, I share what I’m learning from building and using AI systems in my own business, alongside conversations with business leaders and practitioners who are putting AI to work in theirs. We’ll look at what is worth automating, where human judgement still matters, how AI changes the way people work, and how you can tell whether something is actually working rather than simply looking impressive in a demo. Some episodes are solo pieces. Some are interviews. Some start with a mistake, a failed experiment, or a question I haven’t quite answered yet. I’m interested in what holds up in the real world. And my philosophy is simple: technology should help humans. Radical, right? Fewer late nights. Not fewer humans.

  1. 12/05/2024

    The Dark Side of AI: Ethical Landmines Every Business Leader Needs to Know

    You can train an AI on data containing no bias at all and still end up with a biased system. Understanding why is the difference between a working deployment and a reputational problem. Alastair McDermott talks to AI ethics specialist Tom Murphy about the failures that do not announce themselves. Recorded December 2024. They get into: - What "alignment" actually means, stripped of the science fiction - Proxies: how postcodes, titles and car colours smuggle protected traits back in - How to test your own system for subgroup bias, concretely - The trolley problem, four hundred data scientists, and what they could not agree on - The cancer drug distribution dilemma, which nobody in the episode resolves Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

  2. 11/28/2024

    Why Your AI Strategy Is Too Complicated (And How to Fix It)

    Most failed AI projects are not too timid. They are far too ambitious. Alastair McDermott talks to Michael Zipursky, CEO and co-founder of Consulting Success, who has advised organisations from startups to billion-dollar corporations across more than seventy-five industries, about why simple beats sophisticated almost every time. Recorded November 2024. They get into: - The "big solution" trap, and why five use cases at once produces none - Build or buy, and the question nobody asks before signing - What happened when an AI sales tool was pitched to him, and the brand risk underneath it - Using AI to find your own use cases, rather than guessing at them - Why he thinks subject-matter expertise gets more valuable, not less Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

  3. 11/22/2024

    Why AI Adoption Starts With Your Business Model

    Most AI pilots die at the end of the pilot. The reason is usually not the technology. Alastair McDermott talks to Patrick Ward, who spent twelve years at Microsoft shaping their global approach to IoT and AI and now lectures at UCD Smurfit Business School, about why proofs of concept so rarely become anything. Recorded November 2024. They get into: - The three fundamental truths that decide whether a pilot scales - Why ten people in one company will give you ten different value propositions - Bolt-on or rethink: the question that has to be answered before the build - The talent gap his research found, which was not the one anybody expected - Twenty real use cases produced by ten developers in a single morning Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

  4. 11/19/2024

    Why This Business Owner Says AI Will Change Everything

    A twenty-person manufacturer cut its customer response time by seventy-five per cent. No AI department, no consultants, no budget for either. Alastair McDermott talks to Ethan Wadsworth, director of sales and marketing at Discreet Heat, the company behind ThermoSkirt, about what small-company AI adoption actually looks like when it works. Recorded November 2024. They get into: - Why a twenty-person firm employs a full-time software developer - How a hundred thousand Instagram followers competes with a million-pound budget - The prompt he gives people who do not know where to start: write down five things you are bad at - Cutting a lab's data entry by ninety per cent, and what those people do now - Why he thinks the scarcity of knowledge was the whole economy, and what replaces it Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

  5. 10/30/2024

    The Smart Way to Automate: How to Implement AI That Actually Works For Your Business with Heidi Araya

    Are you drowning in AI hype but still waiting to see real, tangible results for your business? You're not alone. In this episode of Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans, host Alastair McDermott sits down with Heidi Araya, a process improvement consultant with over 25 years of experience driving multi-million dollar improvements through AI automation. This insightful conversation cuts through the noise to reveal how businesses are using AI in the real world to save time, increase profitability, and gain competitive advantage. Through practical examples and case studies, Heidi shares her expertise on finding genuine value in AI implementation. Key topics include: Why many businesses struggle to find value in AI implementationsHow to identify the right AI use cases for your businessReal-world examples of successful AI automationThe future of AI in sales and customer servicePractical approaches to AI implementation without eliminating jobs Tune in to discover how you can move beyond the hype and start implementing AI solutions that deliver real results for your business. Key Insights Many businesses struggle with AI because they focus on the tool first instead of identifying their specific business challengesRecording meetings and calls can provide valuable data for AI processing, though privacy considerations need to be addressedAI automation should focus on enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing workersSmaller businesses may be better positioned to implement AI while maintaining jobs, as they need diverse skill setsThe capabilities of AI are rapidly evolving, requiring regular reassessment and experimentation Strategies Start by identifying pain points: "What makes you groan when you wake up?"Use AI for automating repetitive tasks while maintaining human touch for important interactionsImplement proof of concepts before making large investments in AI solutionsConsider privacy implications when selecting AI tools and platformsRecord and analyze sales calls to improve performance and understanding of client needs Topics include: AI implementation, process improvement, business automation, sales automation, customer service, ai strategy, small business, practical ai applications, business transformation Speakers: Heidi Araya Host: Alastair McDermott Quotes "So first of all, I ask them, what makes you groan? You wake up in the morning, you're ready to start your day, what makes you groan?" - Heidi Araya, 3:08, Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans "It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow or even next year, but three years from now, they will wish that they had taken more action and kept on the forefront of it." - Heidi Araya, 29:33, Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans 🎙️+📺 SHOW: Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans is about turning AI into real productivity gains - for you and for your team. Hosted by Alastair McDermott of HumanSpark, it is for business leaders who want to work smarter and faster with AI, and then scale those wins across their team and their organisation. Join me to learn how AI can help you automate repetitive tasks, boost productivity, and create a more enjoyable workplace for your team. 📲 | FOLLOW on YouTube: Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans  🎓 COACHING: Explore opportunities to work with me: AI Thought Leadership Coaching 👑 BOOKS: Discover more by searching "Alastair McDermott" on Amazon 💻 - WEBSITE: https://humanspark.ai

  6. 08/09/2024

    AI for SMEs: How to Thrive in the New Business Landscape

    Is your business ready for the AI revolution, or are you still stuck in the dark ages? In this eye-opening episode of Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans, host Alastair McDermott sits down with AI implementation expert Eric Bye to examine how businesses of all sizes can use AI. Eric shares his wealth of experience in helping companies navigate the complex landscape of AI integration, offering practical advice on how to get started, avoid common pitfalls, and maximize the benefits of this fantastic technology. From identifying key workflows to addressing data privacy concerns, this episode is packed with actionable insights for business leaders looking to stay ahead of the curve. Some of the valuable topics discussed include: How to identify AI opportunities within your existing business processesThe importance of benchmarking and quantifying AI improvementsStrategies for overcoming employee resistance to AI implementationThe future of AI in business, including voice interaction and automation Whether you're an AI skeptic or an early adopter, this episode will challenge your assumptions and provide a clear roadmap for using artificial intelligence in your business. Tune in now to ensure you're not left behind in the AI revolution! Topic: ai implementation, business processes, workflow optimization, data privacy, employee training, ai adoption, technology integration, business efficiency, automation, digital transformation Speakers: Guest: Eric Bye. Host: Alastair McDermott. Key Insights: AI implementation should focus on augmenting and transforming jobs rather than replacing themBusinesses should start by mapping out their workflows and identifying areas where AI can add valueData privacy and security are crucial considerations when implementing AI solutionsMany businesses are informally using AI through personal accounts, which poses risksAI can improve both efficiency and the quality of outputs in various business processesThe future of AI in business includes more automation and proactive task managementExperimenting with AI tools is key to understanding their capabilities and limitations Arguments: AI implementation requires a collaborative approach to overcome employee skepticism and resistanceEnterprise-level AI solutions may be too complex and expensive for many SMEsThe current state of AI agents is still too clunky for widespread business adoptionWaiting for "perfect" AI solutions may cause businesses to fall behind competitors Conclusions: Businesses should start experimenting with AI now to build a foundation for future advancementsA balance must be struck between using AI capabilities and maintaining data privacyAI implementation should be tailored to each business's specific needs and risk profileOngoing education and training are essential for successful AI adoption in businesses Quotes: Eric Bye, [17:29]: "If you ask an employee to create a presentation for, say, a pitch, there's a lot of there's something there's hundreds of 1000s of words or tokens that are unsaid, when you ask them to create that they understand your relationship with the client, they understand the history, they're probably see seed on a whole bunch of emails, they understand what's worked, and what hasn't in the past." - Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans Eric Bye, [36:45]: "There's tons of opportunity today. And I think some people would like to wait until they they see it as perfect. But it's just different technology that operates differently, which makes people feel a little bit uncomfortable." - Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans Find Eric at https://erictronai.com Find Alastair at

  7. 08/08/2024

    How to Actually Use AI to Drive Business Growth

    One company bought twenty thousand AI licences and could not show a return on any of them. Where does the money actually come from? Alastair McDermott talks to Alvaro Melendez, founder of Krant Creativity and Technology, about the gap between an impressive demo and a measurable result. Recorded August 2024. They get into: - Why handing someone a licence and walking away guarantees nothing happens - The reframe that changes what people do with it: you did not buy a tool, you hired twenty thousand employees - Which tasks actually paid off, and which flattered to deceive - Why an AI council has to be internal, and what happens when it is not - What he will not hand to AI at all, and where the human stays in the loop Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

  8. 07/18/2024

    The Human Side of AI: Why Your Brain Fights Change - with Melina Palmer

    Your team is not being difficult about AI. Their brains are doing exactly what brains are built to do. Alastair McDermott talks to behavioural economist Melina Palmer, author of three books on how people actually make decisions, about why AI rollouts meet resistance that has nothing to do with the technology. Recorded July 2024. They get into: - The 35,000 decisions a day your brain is trying to avoid making - Why how you announce a change matters more than what you are announcing - A two-word email that ruined a working relationship, and the two minutes that would have fixed it - How to introduce AI to a team without triggering the fear you are trying to avoid - Why low-stakes competition and social proof move people that instruction cannot Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

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About

Something About AI is about what happens when AI meets real work. I’m Alastair McDermott, founder of HumanSpark AI. I work with businesses on AI, and I build with it myself. Practical insights from using AI in the real world. I spend a lot of my time helping people work out where AI is genuinely useful, where it creates new problems, and what happens when a promising experiment meets the reality of an everyday workplace. This is not an AI news show. In Something About AI, I share what I’m learning from building and using AI systems in my own business, alongside conversations with business leaders and practitioners who are putting AI to work in theirs. We’ll look at what is worth automating, where human judgement still matters, how AI changes the way people work, and how you can tell whether something is actually working rather than simply looking impressive in a demo. Some episodes are solo pieces. Some are interviews. Some start with a mistake, a failed experiment, or a question I haven’t quite answered yet. I’m interested in what holds up in the real world. And my philosophy is simple: technology should help humans. Radical, right? Fewer late nights. Not fewer humans.

Information

  • Creator
    Alastair McDermott - HumanSpark.ai
  • Years Active
    2024
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023-2026 HumanSpark AI Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Something About AI