Network Meet-up: How might you use AI?

New AI Training and Resources from Good Things and Accenture

At our recent meet-up discussing AI with hubs, Product and Service Delivery Manager, Mary Booth, shared some top insights from our recent research on AI and digital inclusion, along with the new hub training and resources we have developed in partnership with Accenture.

1. Training
2. Resource Collection

Key Takeaways from hubs

• Stuart from MK Citizens Advice really impressed everyone with the variety of AI tools they're using to support job seekers.
• Although some are already using AI for many tasks, most attendees said they were in an "exploring" stage.
• Upskilling was a big need, so great that we have our training offer! One hub suggested funding to give hubs time to train and upskill themselves too.
• Several attendees shared concerns about AI deepening the digital divide both for digitally excluded people and small charities who can't keep up with what larger organisations are able to do.
• Barriers to using AI other than skills and training included: restrictions at an organisation level, particularly in the public sector, lack of AI policy and guidance, resistance to change, etc.
• Appetite to learn about how they can use AI to save time, improve fundraising, automate processes, etc., and interest in the research and resources Mary Booth shared.
• Several said that they weren't using AI but had taken lots of ideas to try from our speaker

What are hubs using AI for now?

• Many use generative AI to review and improve things they have written, from reports to blogs.
• Supporting their fundraising, e.g. generating ideas for a funding application, but often as either a way to generate initial ideas or for proofreading. Human input and creativity is critical.
• Analyse their data. Several attendees had inputted data from spreadsheets into tools like Copilot in order to quickly analyse it. One attendee said that you needed to make sure that the AI tool understood what the data is and what you want to do with it before they do the task.
• Learning content. A number of attendees had used AI as a starting point to create learning content for teaching digital skills. E.g. to generate examples of Scam emails, or to create top tips for digital photography. 
• Other AI uses included creating automations to streamline their processes.
• Supporting people who are looking for jobs by:
• Creating / improving CVs and cover letters
• Interview practice

Barriers to Using AI

• People don’t have the time / and or permission to learn about AI and practice using it in their work.
• Organisations limit their teams to certain tools and are cautious about how employees might use AI.
• Cost to using certain tools mean that people might be limited to some of the less ethical tools.

Concerns about AI

• Inaccuracies, e.g. in hallucinations on Chat GPT or Google search summaries.
• Too much trust in AI and the information it produces.
• Overuse of tools like Chat GPT for any question.
• Plagiarism 
• Concerns about the environmental impact.

What do hubs want AI to do for them?

• Simplify the way they demonstrate impact for fundraising.
• Make digital more accessible for people with disabilities.

What tools are hubs using?

• Yoodli: https://yoodli.ai/ for practicing interview skills with jobseekers
• Generative AI tools
  • Open AI Chat GPT for generating content and reviewing work
  • Google Gemini for similar
  • Microsoft Copilot used by local authorities
  • Claude AI - a privacy led generative AI tool
• Otter AI and Talk Notes for note taking
• Perplexity for answering questions because it provides citations and sources