Aoife D’Arcy
CEO and Co-Founder, Krisolis
Dr Brian Mac Namee
Director of Training and Co-Founder, Krisolis
With artificial intelligence becoming embedded among organisations in every sector, it’s vital that staff have the knowledge and skills to use this technology effectively.
From farming to financial services and marketing to medicine, the reality is that AI technology is changing work in almost every industry and will continue to become more embedded across organisations.
Getting organisations on board with AI development
“Many routine tasks — such as writing documents or analysing spreadsheets — now have an AI component,” says Aoife D’Arcy, CEO and Co-Founder of Krisolis, a specialist consultancy and training company that partners with organisations to provide AI skills and strategy development.
“Even businesses that have not traditionally been technology-driven are now starting to see the value in utilising AI technology. For instance, the legal profession is looking to use AI applications to search through, collate and summarise documents. Human beings will still have to check what the machines do — but the presence of AI will proliferate over the next five years.”
Therefore, whatever type of organisation you are, all your staff must be properly prepared to meet the challenges of this brave new AI world. Krisolis does this by employing a holistic approach to train, coach, mentor and support individuals, teams and entire departments. “As mentors, we’re there to guide staff — but we don’t do the work for them,” explains D’Arcy.
Customised AI training for all staff
Helping staff develop their AI skills is never a ‘one-size-fits-all’ process, insists Dr Brian Mac Namee, Director of Training and Co-Founder. Everyone’s needs are different, so a customized, roles-based training approach is always more effective.
“When a client comes to us, they’ll talk about their strategic goals,” he says. “We’ll look at the areas of their organisation where there is an opportunity to use AI, and we’ll assess the type of skills they’ll need to help them on their journey. Some of the work we do may involve demystifying AI for them — but also highlighting its limitations. Anyone new to artificial intelligence should start by figuring out what it can and can’t do.”
These are accredited courses that offer
Aoife D’Arcy
a short, sharp, step up in knowledge.
Getting the right mix of technical and soft skills
Teaching staff technical AI skills is important. Moreover, to truly get the most from AI, business teams and technical teams need to develop a range of soft skills, too, such as requirements gathering, stakeholder engagement and presenting. “When AI systems don’t work effectively, it’s often because of poor communication between business teams and technical teams,” says D’Arcy.
A balance between technical and soft skills development allows organisations to fully harness AI technology. “That’s why we hold workshops where both teams learn how to communicate with each other using a common language, so we can help ensure both skills are applied,” she adds.
Short courses are attractive options for organisations
Krisolis also offers part-time training academies as microcredentials. These 6–12 week programmes include mentoring, project work and workshops across AI-related topics. They provide in-depth learning tailored to meet specific organisational needs, ensuring staff gain practical skills and knowledge applicable to their roles.
“These are accredited courses that offer a short, sharp, step up in knowledge,” says D’Arcy. “They’re academically rigorous, convenient for organisations and useful for individuals’ lifelong learning. They also mean that people don’t have to devote years of their lives to an undergraduate or postgraduate degree to learn about AI.”
Supporting AI growth journeys
D’Arcy and Mac Namee say that one of the joys of their job is watching clients become more confident with AI tools and skills. “That part is always so fulfilling,” admits D’Arcy. “It’s always amazing to catch up and find out how they’ve been using AI to make better decisions and create better services. They might need us again when they want to build up their next wave of AI skills — but, at the very start of their journey, we’re like the soil that allows them to grow and blossom.”
