Grosvenor Square Speakers

The Future of AI: The Road Ahead
Ethical Considerations and Challenges
As AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data continue to advance, there is the question around the ethical implications of these technologies. If AI systems are capable of making decisions that impact people's lives, what questions are being asked about accountability and fairness? A key concern is bias—when AI systems are trained on biased data, they can perpetuate or even amplify societal biases, leading to unfair outcomes. What is AI community doing to address this?
I hope everyone involved with the development of AI, know that addressing bias is not just a technical issue. And I hope that the organizations developing AI technologies recognize this and ensure diversity within their teams, while also being transparent about the data and algorithms they use. This will be a topic for future posts, as I’m still exploring where to start. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
Explain: You would hope that AI systems are able to provide clear explanations for their decisions so that humans can understand and trust their outputs. . I’m still learning, and figuring out the right questions to ask is part of my journey.
Data privacy is another significant challenge. With the rise of Big Data, vast amounts of personal information are being collected and used to train AI models. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced to protect individuals' rights concerning their data. My question is: what else is being done globally, and what more needs to be done?
AI-Human Collaboration and the Future of Work
The future of AI is not about replacing humans but rather enhancing human capabilities and creating new opportunities. My issue with this, is I don’t know what these new opportunities are and who is producing them. Any thoughts?
I have read that AI-human collaboration will play a significant role in the workforce, which will lead to a new era where humans and machines work together seamlessly. This might sound promising, but I think it’s important for AI developers to spend more time alleviating people's concerns and explaining how this collaboration will benefit us.
We often hear statements like, “AI systems excel at repetitive and data-driven tasks, allowing humans to focus on creative and strategic aspects of their work.” This has the potential to increase productivity and foster innovation, but I wonder what this will actually look like. At the moment, it seems that many businesses are fearful of being left behind because they don’t fully understand the implications of these changes.
The elephant in the room: If AI means that it will do the jobs currently taken by humans – logically, this will mean that certain jobs will become obsolete, particularly those that are routine and manual. I have heard talk about how businesses will address this challenge. There is a lot of talk about reskilling and upskilling workers to prepare for the jobs of the future. But who will be doing the reskilling, and into which areas? If a business can replace a person with an AI tool, why invest in reskilling them rather than letting them go? This is an area that both businesses and governments need to address together. Otherwise, we risk creating a society with a significant number of unemployed people.
Democratization of AI
Of course, it is not all doom and gloom. The rise of AI, along with open-source tools, cloud computing, and accessible educational resources, means that many of us can start using AI to create and innovate without needing extensive technical expertise or large budgets.
Even though this all shows a lot of promise, my concern is that a lot of the tools we will be using are still owned by a few tech giants. Although individuals may benefit, challenging these large corporations is likely to become even harder as they grow more powerful.
Conclusion
Despite my concerns, I think the future hold a lot of promise. AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the road ahead. The speed of change is extraordinary – if Ray Kurzweil is correct and the Singularity does happen by 2049, then we all need to get involved and understand what this technology is and what it will do for us and to us.
AI is already transforming industries – just take a look at the huge Amazon warehouses and car manufacturing and the robots they have.
I look forward to learning more about how AI will enhance human capabilities and create new opportunities. However, we must remain vigilant about issues such as bias, transparency, data privacy, and job losses. Addressing these challenges is essential for ensuring that AI is developed responsibly.
The road ahead may be filled with uncertainties, but one thing is certain: AI will continue to shape our future in ways we are only beginning to imagine.

The Future of AI: Big Data
Big Data: The Fuel for Machine Learning
Disclosure: As I continue to write these articles, I am using ChatGPT to help. However, I often find that it presents information in a way that assumes I already understand the terms, which I sometimes don’t. To help others who may feel the same, I’ll add explanations of key concepts throughout this article.
If Machine Learning is the engine of AI, Big Data is the fuel that keeps it running. Big Data refers to the vast amounts of ‘structured’ and ‘unstructured’ data, generated by a variety of sources.
Structured Data refers to data that is organized in a format such as in rows and columns, the type you can find in a database or spreadsheet. As it is organised, i.e. structured, it should be easy to categorize and to search for information.
Unstructured Data is the opposite, it is information that is not organised. This type of data is more challenging to process and analyse because it doesn't fit neatly into tables – so a group of documents or photos which do not fit into a structured type of database, will require different techniques to extract useful information.
So, it would appear, that the more data that is available, the better Machine Learning models can learn and improve their accuracy. I guess that having lots of data would be a key factor in the development of AI.
Big Data allows for the training of more complex and precise Machine Learning models, enabling AI to make predictions that are useful along with recommendations, and actions in various domains.
We know, for example that business collect our data when we click on a webpage, then they analyse it to get a better understanding of consumer behaviour leading them to target us with personal adverts and improvements in their products and services.
While businesses may improve their products and services, we as consumers are often targeted with personalized ads, many of which, I am sure we don’t always want.
The Benefits and Concerns of Big Data
In healthcare, the use of Big Data has apparently, the potential to transform patient care. How? Well, the larger the number of electronic health records that can be analyses the more AI can provide personalized treatment plans. With this data the hope is that AI will be able to predict disease outbreaks and help healthcare professionals in diagnosing complex conditions. I wonder if AI could have predicted COVID, or indeed whether is actually did and governments took too long to react to the information and then take action?
In the world of finance, Big Data is already in use in a number of way from fraud detection to risk management and data-driven investment decisions. Well, I do hope financial institutions are managing to stay ahead of criminals, who, let’s face it have access to the same AI – fingers crossed.
I’ve not come across one yet, but there are apparently, AI-powered financial advisors that use Big Data to provide personalized financial advice. While I haven’t encountered one personally, I can see this becoming a common service in the near future. This is an area worth exploring further.
In the world of retail, companies collect data from various sources to predict trends, manage inventory, and offer personalized recommendations. How much of this truly benefits the customer, though? That's something worth questioning
I am enjoying the use of AI, but I am using it in a limited way and with things moving so fast, how do I know what is being done for my benefit and not just for profit?
Challenges of Big Data
Data Volume: While Big Data has its advantages, managing, storing, and analysing large amounts of data requires significant computational power. You may have heard of AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure—these companies are building larger data centres to handle this massive data. But where does the power come from to keep these data centres running?
Data Security: With all the information being collected, data privacy and security are major concerns. We are constantly asked for personal information, whether it's filling out forms or making purchases. Is all this data really needed to enhance our experience? I doubt it. Governments and organizations are taking steps to protect privacy, such as through the GDPR framework, but it remains an ongoing issue.
Data Quality (GIGO—Garbage In, Garbage Out): For Machine Learning models to be effective, the data they are trained on must be accurate, complete, and relevant. Poor-quality data leads to poor model performance and unreliable results. Data cleaning and preprocessing are critical, requiring substantial effort and expertise. Perhaps this growing need for data analysis will create new job opportunities, which could be a positive outcome.
Conclusion
Despite the challenges, the potential of Big Data to fuel Machine Learning and drive innovation is immense. The integration of Big Data and Machine Learning is reshaping industries and creating new possibilities for solving problems and making decisions. By addressing the challenges of managing large datasets, ensuring data privacy, and maintaining data quality, we can fully harness the power of Big Data to advance AI and create transformative solutions that benefit society.
If I come across as cynical, it's largely because I don’t fully understand what's happening in the AI space. I hope that by continuing to explore AI, its benefits will become clearer, and safeguards will become more rigorous. We shall see.

The Future of AI: I ask ChatGPT Question

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for many years, it is only since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, that many of us really started to hear about it. As I researched this article, I asked ChatGPT about AI and why awareness of it has grown so much since its launch. It told me that:
“AI is rapidly emerging as one of the most transformative technologies of our time.”
This kind of language sounds impressive, but it's often used in a way that assumes we all just understand what it means.
Well I don’t and when I heard the term, “transformative technologies”, I had to stop, think about it and then look it up. I understood the words individually, but I couldn't grasp their meaning in this context.
I have been using ChatGPT for some time to ask questions about all sorts of subjects, from Toastmasters, playing the guitar to how to study for the Management of Portfolios exams and I even asked it about the future. When I wanted to understand what “transformative technologies” meant, here’s how ChatGPT explained it:
“Transformative technologies are innovations that significantly alter industries, markets, or the broader societal landscape. They often bring about profound changes in how we live, work, and interact, fundamentally reshaping existing systems and creating new opportunities.”
Sounds interesting, right? but I wanted to understand more, so I asked for practical examples and this is what ChatGPT gave me:
“Practical examples of transformative technologies include:
1. Internet: The advent of the internet fundamentally changed how we communicate, access information, and conduct business, reshaping industries like media, education, and retail.
2. Smartphones: Devices like the iPhone transformed communication, entertainment, and work, enabling new industries like app development and mobile services.
3. Electric Cars: Tesla's innovations in electric vehicles and battery technology are transforming the automotive industry towards a more sustainable future.
4. Artificial Intelligence: AI, through applications like voice assistants (Siri, Alexa), and recommendation systems (Netflix, Amazon), is revolutionizing sectors such as customer service, healthcare, and entertainment.”
Think about it: just how quickly did smartphones become an essential part of our lives? That's the kind of impact AI is having – one minute it was not there and now it is everywhere.
The point I am making, is this is part of my goal to explore AI, starting with ChatGPT to see what it can and cannot do. Over time, I want to find out just how much it remembers and just what it remembers about me. I believe that the more I find out the better.
What has your experience of using AI been? Do you use it, if so how and in what context and if not, why not?

Have you tried using AI yourself? Maybe ChatGPT, Siri, or Alexa? If you use it, what sort of things do you use it for? And If you don’t use it, why not? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.
In my next post, I start looking behind the scenes to see if I can get an idea of what makes AI work. I’ll take a look at Machine Learning and Big Data – the tools behind ChatGPT

On this day, 22 October 1924, Ralph Smedley started the first official Toastmasters club at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California US.

Leading in Difficult Circumstances - Help Rebuild a Toastmasters Club

In this post, I am asking for your help. I am a long-standing member of Toastmasters International, a global organization dedicated to improving public speaking and leadership skills. In the coming months, I will be working to help rebuild a Toastmasters club that has been losing members for some time. If things are not addressed, there's every likelihood that things will go from bad to worse.
I have put together an initial short plan to address this issue (see below). While I believe I've covered most potential challenges, I know there will always be things I may have missed, and this is where you come in.
You do not need to be a Toastmasters member to help—here’s how you can contribute:
1. Read through my project plan below.
2. Write down any things you feel could go wrong with my plan or that I may have missed.
3. Post your thoughts and possible solutions in the comments.
The plan will be presented to a group of Toastmasters as a speech. Below is the outline:
Title: Leading in Difficult Circumstances - Help Rebuild a Toastmasters Club
When things go right, leadership is easy. But when things don’t go according to plan, we must adapt and handle difficult situations. This applies to any plan we make—whether at work, such as managing a project or leading a team, or in our personal lives, like buying a new house or going on holiday. Even the best plans can be hit by unexpected obstacles, and that's what this speech is about—a plan to help save a Toastmasters club that is in trouble.
Context of the Plan I am working with a Toastmasters club in another district that has been losing members. The club currently has 12 members, and without intervention, membership will likely continue to decline. My goal is to stabilize and grow the club's membership while keeping existing members engaged.
Project Objectives
1. Stabilize membership at 12 members for the next 12 months while working to grow the club.
Secondary Objectives
• Attract at least 2 new members over the next 4 months through targeted campaigns.
• Improve member engagement and retention by enhancing club dynamics and ways of working.
• Increase club visibility through community outreach efforts.
Project Plan
1. Preparation Phase (Weeks 1-2)
• Work with club members, Area, and Division Directors to offer support.
• Set up a working team meeting to brainstorm ways to increase membership and improve engagement.
• Plan an Open House event and coordinate with other clubs for support.
2. Planning Phase (Weeks 3-4)
• Develop a detailed program for the Open House and other outreach activities.
• Ask members to help organize invitations.
• Implement communication and marketing strategies, including social media.
3. Ex*****on Phase (Weeks 5-6)
• Finalize logistics for the Open House event.
• Ask members to manage guest attendance and prepare marketing materials.
• Meet to ensure everyone understands their roles.
4. Closing Phase (Weeks 7-8)
• Follow up with potential members after the Open House.
• Evaluate the success of the membership drive and determine next steps.
• Gather feedback from members and guests.
• Send thank-you notes and follow-up messages to interested guests.
The Expected Result If successful, this plan will not only bring in new members but also re-energize the existing membership. This is the initial plan to get things started, with more to come as we progress.
Thank you for reading this far. I would be grateful if you could now:
1. Identify anything that you feel could go wrong or anything I may have missed.
2. Post your suggestions and possible solutions in the comments.
Maintaining a healthy, vibrant Toastmasters club is not easy, but the benefits of a well-organized club are clear. Let's work together to create positive change!
I'd love to hear your experiences: Have you attended or run poorly managed meetings? What changes made the biggest difference for you? Please share your insights and tips in the comments below.

So, are your team meetings productive, or are they, just a waste of time? Here are some questions and answers which i have heard been asked and answered over the years.
Q: Has the Exec team meeting invite been sent to all participants for the meeting next Monday? Remember, it should have gone out yesterday
A: No, who was supposed to do it?
Q: Has the agenda for the next Exec board meeting been finalized?
A: Well, now - the Agenda - you know, it's loose - they like to go with the flow.
Q: And does each person know how long they have to speak?
A: Well, not really - see, it depends - the SRO (Senior Resource Officer) normally runs the meeting and can spend the majority of the time talking...it's a fluid structure.
Q: Does anyone take notes or minutes?
A: Sometimes, but not often - most people know what's going on, so no need.
Q: Are any actions captured and followed up?
A: Yeah, sometimes, but again - what's the point, no one has the time to answer the actions.
Does any of this sound familiar? I have come across these questions and answers across many businesses during my time as Project Manager; Team leader and PMO lead. And when I ask people if they like meeting being run like this, I often hear them say: - 'that meeting was a waste of time'; 'it was all talk and nothing gets done.'
And when I ask if they would like things to change, they invariably reply - 'yes, of course...anything would be better than this.' And when I ask them what they would like to change, the answer is usually, 'everything,' but when pressed, they usually expect someone else to take care of the change and not them...
Before I present some suggestions of how I have helped improve the running of meetings, I'd like to hear from you - what is your experience of running meetings? Maybe you belong to a group where meetings are always well run - if so, let me know what you do so that we can pass on your learnings.
My experience has shown me over the past 25 years, that while there are teams that are very good at running meetings, many are not, and many would like help, but don't know where to look or who to ask.
So, perhaps members across Facebook can help and if we can get some answers in a checklist format that would be easy to follow...that could be good for business and all of us. I look forward to hearing your suggestions. I will post my suggestions in another post.
Post 3/100
Category: PMO

01- The Power of Excellent Communication: Speak, Listen, Earn More
One of the most critical skills in both public and team settings is the ability to clearly express yourself. Whether you're presenting to a group, leading a team meeting, or speaking one-on-one, effective communication can be the difference between success and confusion. I think many of us have had the experience of a meeting where there was a lot of talk, but nothing was decided….It happens all to often.
For me, the journey to mastering this skill has been through Toastmasters International. Over the past 22 years, I've developed my speaking and leadership skills, and this experience has helped me immensely in professional settings—from doing well in job interviews, to effectively running all sort of meetings – from presenting to senior leaders to working with third parties and team members.
These experiences taught me that public speaking is not just about addressing large audiences—it's about listening, empathizing, and leading effectively in all types of communication. It’s also about feedback – both positive and negative – and I’ve had my share of negative feedback, I can tell you and while it is not nice, nor easy to hear, I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to help me learn and grow.
Over the coming weeks, I am going to share my experience in the areas that have shaped me over the years: including:
1. Project Management
2. Public speaking and being a member of Toastmasters international
3. Becoming an expert in Microsoft Office, particularly using Excel and OneNote
4. IT Trainer
5. Being a Mentor
6. Running a PMO
7. Team Leadership
8. ChatGPT and the future according to AI
9. The Singularity
10. How to succeed by doing things – a little and often

I do hope you will find something of interest – I look forward to hearing your comments
At the end of each post, I’ll leave an action which you may like to take on – here’s the first one:
Action 1:
If you find speaking in public scary, intimidating or just something to be avoided – check out https://www.toastmasters.org/ - it might be just what you are looking for.