Torras.ai

In this episode, we interview John Stroud, the CEO at AI Guides, who shares insights on AI application strategy, storytelling, and the future of AI. Watch the video below to learn about the successful implementation of AI in organizations and how AI Guides is helping businesses navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Transcript

Jordi: Today, we have a very special guest, John Stroud. He's the CEO of AI Guides, specializing in AI application strategy and storytelling. With over six years leading AI Guides, John ensures businesses successfully implement AI. Previously, he was Vice President of Corporate Affairs at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, or CATSA for short, for over 15 years, managing strategy, legal, risk, HR, privacy, and communications. John, thank you so much for being here.

John: It's my pleasure, Jordi. Absolutely.

Jordi: AI Guides is devoted to ensuring the successful use of AI in organizations. Could you explain to us how you accomplish that?

John: Sure. AI Guides is a partnership between myself and my co-founder, Jen Schellinck. We help organizations set a clear strategy from the beginning. This involves defining their vision, refining use cases, assessing their data and IT infrastructure, and creating a strategic roadmap. This approach ensures they can proceed with confidence and connect with the right partners for implementation.

Jordi: The last 1.5 years have been crazy for AI. How do you see your customers reacting to this level of innovation?

John: It's a mix of fear and optimism. Many customers start with limited experience, struggling to see practical applications of new AI technologies like ChatGPT. However, the integration of tools like Microsoft Copilot has made it easier for companies to adopt AI securely and effectively.

Jordi: What's the most successful implementation of AI that you have seen? Could you give some details?

John: One of my favorites is a project with an HR recruitment agency. AI helped predict vacancies and match candidates faster by analyzing unstructured data. This reduced the search time from ten weeks and improved the quality of candidate matching, making it a huge value in the market.

Jordi: You also do storytelling. Tell me, how does that fit in with AI?

John: Storytelling is a change management tool. Technical teams often struggle to communicate the value of their AI projects. By framing their work in a story format, they can better persuade and gain support from non-technical stakeholders. It’s about making technical concepts accessible and emotionally engaging.

Jordi: How do you think AI will shape the future?

John: AI will become more affordable and effective over time. As AI agents become more capable, people will need to adapt to managing these agents to ensure ethical and efficient work. The current advancements are not the final breakthrough; continuous improvements are expected.

Jordi: How can our audience contact AI Guides?

John: The easiest way is to connect with me onLinkedIn or visit AIguides.co to book an appointment. I'd be very happy to chat.

Jordi: Thank you, John, for sharing your insights. For the audience, you can reach out to John on LinkedIn or visit AIguides.co. See you in the next episode of Torras AI. Have a great day!