Something about Ai is probably already on your mind — your teenager's homework, your job, your business, or just a general unease you can't quite name. You don't need to understand the technology to deserve a proper conversation about it. You just need someone who'll give you a straight answer without trying to sell you something. That's what this is.
So what can I actually help with?The big questions
The public conversation about Ai tends to be either breathlessly excited or quietly terrifying. Neither is particularly useful. Here's where most people actually want to start.
A lot of parents have found themselves looking at their child's homework and wondering. Did they write this, or did a machine? What are the schools saying about it, and what should I be saying at home? These are genuinely tricky questions, and there's no script for them yet.
The headlines would have you believe your job is already being done by a machine. For most people, the reality is more nuanced than that, and often considerably less alarming. It's worth understanding what's actually changing in your field rather than relying on whatever made for the most dramatic story that week.
There's genuine time to be saved with these tools if you know how to use them well. The problem most small business owners run into is that the output sounds generic — polished, but somehow not quite them. Getting that balance right, and knowing when to step back and trust your own voice, is something we can work through together.
Fake voices, manipulated videos, messages carefully designed to look like they're from someone you trust — this is already happening, and it's getting harder to spot. Knowing what to look for makes a real difference, and there are practical steps you can take to protect yourself and the people around you.
A lot of people are surprised by how useful these tools are for the kind of writing that feels daunting: a formal complaint, a letter to a solicitor, a professional email you've been putting off, a long document you need to make sense of quickly. One session is often enough to change how you approach all of it.
You've heard a lot about these tools but haven't actually sat down with one yet, and you're not sure how to start without feeling out of your depth. That's a perfectly reasonable place to be — most people are there. Starting with the right guide makes it considerably less daunting than doing it alone.
Beneath the practical questions, there's something larger that many people sense but struggle to articulate. What does it mean when machines can write, reason and create? What are we gaining, and what might we be quietly giving up? These questions deserve a proper forum rather than a hot take. I run an open group for exactly this — unhurried, thoughtful conversation about where all of this is actually taking us.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Technology experience is irrelevant here. What matters is whether any of this feels familiar.
About Me
I've spent 25 years working at the frontier of Ai — not writing about it from the sidelines, but actually doing it. Building systems, advising organisations, writing books on the subject, and lecturing at some of the UK's leading universities. I've watched this technology develop from the inside, which gives me a fairly clear view of both what it can genuinely do and where the hype outstrips the reality.
It's also given me a clear view of how badly it tends to get explained to most people. What happens in research labs and boardrooms is a long way from what lands in a school newsletter or a newspaper headline, and that gap has always struck me as a problem worth trying to fix. Most of the fear and confusion I see isn't about Ai itself — it's about the absence of anyone giving people a straight, honest account of it.
You can find my full professional background on LinkedIn. Ai & You is my attempt to do something about that closer to home. I'd rather spend time sitting down with parents, workers and small business owners in my own community than advising another corporate board. There's no consultancy rate here, no jargon and no attempt to impress anyone. Just an honest conversation with someone who knows this field well and wants to be genuinely useful.
How it works
Two ways to work with me, depending on what suits you best.
£40 per hour
A personal session tailored entirely to what's on your mind — no fixed agenda, no prior knowledge needed. We work through your questions at your pace, whether that's understanding a specific tool, talking through a concern about your job or your kids, or just getting a clearer picture of what Ai actually is and isn't. Sessions are available in person or online, whichever suits you.
Organised by interest
When enough people in the area want to explore the same questions, I'll put together a group session. These are more curated conversations than one-to-ones — guided discussions around ethics, different perspectives, and shared experiences of living alongside Ai. Think of it less as a class and more as a room full of thoughtful people working things out together. If you'd like to be included when the next one forms, just get in touch.
Currently offering sessions in and around SE24, South London. Online sessions are available to anyone.
Get in touch
Whether something specific is on your mind or you're not quite sure where to start, drop me a message. I read everything personally and reply within a day or two.