Navigating AI as a charity: A human-centred approach

The noise around artificial intelligence is everywhere and the overwhelm is real. It feels like we are being told it will change everything, presenting massive opportunities alongside complex ethical and environmental challenges.

As mission-driven organisations, we must explore new ways to deliver on our goals, but we also have a duty to protect our beneficiaries, our data and our values. AI tools are plausibility engines trained on datasets written by the most powerful, which can easily reproduce and reinforce harmful biases.

In this talk, I will share how we co-created a human-centred AI policy at William Joseph. We will explore practical ways to foster a culture of safe experimentation and transparency, ensuring we keep people in the loop.

How can we maintain our equity by design principles while using tools that often crush divergent thinking? We will look at how to tackle these wicked questions together.

About the speaker:

I am a director at William Joseph, where we create accessible and inclusive digital products, brands and strategies for charities and the public sector. My background is in digital leadership, helping organisations navigate complex changes with empathy and practical tools. I believe that what makes a good culture will make you good at using new technologies. If your organisation is not working well, AI will simply help you do the wrong thing faster.