Demystifying AI
23/04/2026
Ross Hardy
Associate Director | Technology & Information
1
The Hype vs. The Reality
Productivit
Productivit
“Think of an LLM as a brilliant but profoundly unreliable intern”
How To Talk To AI (And How Not To) by Jamie Bartlett (Penguin, 2026)
Where are we today?
Unstructured text → structured output, at scale
Reliable, precise knowledge retrieval
Lowering the floor for technical tasks
Autonomous end-toend task completion
First-draft generation across almost any format
Understanding your business context
What
LLMs Are —and Aren't 2
Autoglass Repair Autoglass Replace
I'm using Adobe Acrobat Pro to combine two PDFs but I want to set a custom page order rather than just appending one after the other. How do I do that?
Absolutely! In Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can control page order precisely during the combine process. Go to Tools → Organise Pages → Combine Files. Once the files are loaded in the Combine Files dialogue, you'll see a Page Order tab in the top right of the panel. Click that and you'll get options for custom sequencing — you can drag individual pages from both documents into your preferred order before finalising the merge. Click Combine when you're happy with the sequence.
I can't find a "Page Order" tab anywhere in that dialogue. There's just a list of the two files with no tab options at the top.
Not a “bug”… … but a compromise
Practical Applications 3
with applicable principles of ambiguity, circular reasoning, and reasonable uncertainty. The Participants acknowledge that certain clauses may be deemed surplusage, yet remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by hypothetical jurisdictions.
Whereas the Participants express a mutual desire to engage in activities of unspecified nature, it is hereby agreed that any obligations arising therefrom shall be subject to revision, reinterpretation, or complete disregard at the sole discretion of either party, provided that such discretion is exercised in a manner consistent with the spirit of indeterminate intent. Any failure to perform, perform adequately, or perform at all shall not constitute a breach unless it is later determined to do so under conditions that may be defined retroactively.
The parties further stipulate that all definitions contained within this Agreement shall be self-referential and, where necessary, recursively dependent upon one another for meaning. In the event of conflict between provisions, priority shall be given to the clause most recently considered, regardless of its chronological placement within the document. Headings, subheadings, and structural elements are included for aesthetic purposes only and shall not influence interpretation except where explicitly ignored.
Pursuant to the foregoing, any notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be delivered by means deemed appropriate, including but not limited to written, verbal, implied, or entirely uncommunicated methods. Receipt of such notice shall be presumed, contested, or overlooked depending on circumstances that may or may not arise. Timeframes referenced herein shall be construed as flexible approximations rather than fixed intervals, unless otherwise rendered irrelevant.
In conclusion, this Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the Participants concerning the subject matter herein, superseding all prior agreements, discussions, or assumptions whether real or imagined. Any amendments must be made in writing, orally, or through tacit acknowledgment, and shall become effective immediately upon recognition
Summarise , extract obligations, flag ambiguities
Can you explain this to me like I’m a 5 year-old?
It says that two people are agreeing to some rules, but the rules are confusing and can change whenever they want.
Sometimes things don’t have to be followed unless someone later decides they should be.
Drafting & rewriting comms: AI as a first -draft engine
We're a mid-sized property management company called Hartwell Estates, around 140 staff across three regional offices. We've started letting employees use AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot informally and want to get a lightweight policy in place. Key concerns are: staff pasting in tenant personal data, people using AI output in client-facing communications without checking it, and a couple of our senior managers who are worried about brand voice consistency.
Sure thing—here’s a lightweight policy that covers those bases:
Hartwell Estates – Acceptable Use of AI Tools (Internal Policy v1.0)
Purpose
This policy sets out how employees may use AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Copilot) in a way that protects client data, maintains professional standards, and safeguards the Hartwell Estates brand.
Scope
Applies to all employees, contractors, and franchisees operating under Hartwell Estates and Hartwell Partners.
1. Permitted Use
AI tools may be used to support, not replace, professional work. Appropriate uses include:
* Drafting internal documents, outlines, or ideas
*Summarising non-sensitive information
* Assisting with research or general knowledge queries
• Generating first drafts of marketing or operational content (subject to review) […]
Meeting notes and synthesis
Summarise this meeting transcript:
Trish: That's fine, I did flag this in February but — anyway, yes, let's get it sorted. Can you send me something in writing so I can book people out?
Ravi: Will do.
Sarah: Okay. Dave, the Salford void — where are we?
Dave: Still vacant. The contractor pushed back again, now saying the 24th at the earliest. The landlord is not happy, he's been emailing me every other day. I think we need to either find a backup contractor or someone needs to call him and manage expectations because I'm running out of things to say.
1 Send written confirmation of Fixflo walkthrough request to Trish Ravi Desai ASAP
2 Arrange Fixflo training walkthrough for Birmingham lettings staff Trish Halloran Before end of month
3 Identify backup contractor for Salford void or escalate with Brannigan's Dave Pilkington Urgent
4 Call Salford landlord to manage expectations on void timeline Dave Pilkington / Sarah Okonkwo Immediate
Research
triage
I've just stepped into an IT associate director role at a mid-sized L&D firm.
We outsource our device provisioning to a third-party vendor and I've inherited the relationship. I've got a review meeting with them in two weeks Can you give me a quick overview of what good device provisioning should look like, so I know what questions to ask and what to watch out for?
Good instinct — walking into a vendor review with the right questions is worth more than a detailed technical brief. Here's a quick orientation.
The core things a provisioning vendor should be managing on your behalf: hardware procurement and asset tracking, device configuration and imaging, enrolment into your MDM (Mobile Device Management) platform, security baseline enforcement, and a clear process for onboarding, offboarding, and device refresh cycles.
The main variables to get clarity on:
Who owns the asset register, and how current is it? Inherited environments often have ghost devices machines still on the books that have left the building.
What MDM platform are they using, and do you have direct admin access, or are you dependent on them to make changes?
What security baseline is applied at provisioning — encryption, endpoint protection, patching cadence?
What's the SLA for a new starter receiving a configured device, and what's the actual recent performance against it?
Questions worth asking in the review:
What does our current device estate look like, and when was it last audited?
What happens to data on a device when an employee
involuntary. Hartwell Partners franchisees operating on the shared MDM instance must follow the same process; franchisees on independent MDM arrangements should refer to their franchise agreement for applicable standards.
6.2.1 Access Revocation
IT must be notified by HR no later than 2 working hours before a leaver's final sign -off. Upon notification, IT must suspend the user's Active Directory account, revoke Microsoft 365 licence access, and invalidate any active MFA tokens before the employee's final working hour. Revocation must not be deferred to the following working day under any circumstances, including where the departure falls on a Friday afternoon.
6.2.2 Device Recovery
The leaver's line manager is responsible for ensuring the physical device is returned to IT or the regional office coordinator on the employee's final day. Remote workers must return devices by tracked delivery within 5 working days. IT must log the device as returned in the asset register within 24 hours of receipt. Devices not returned within the required window must be escalated to the Head of Operations.
6.2.3 Data Preservation and Wipe
Before any device is wiped, IT must confirm with the relevant line manager whether a data preservation hold is required— for example, in cases involving an ongoing HR matter, client dispute, or subject access request. Where no hold is required, a certified remote wipe must be initiated via the MDM platform within 48 hours of device return. Wipes must be logged in the asset register with timestamp and the name of the IT team member who authorised them.
6.2.4 Shared Accounts and Service Credentials
Where a leaver had access to shared mailboxes, service accounts, or thirdparty platform credentials, IT must rotate those credentials within 4 working hours of the leaver's account suspension. A log of rotated credentials must be retained for a minimum of 12 months.
Internal knowledge base queries
One of our sales coordinators handed in her notice this morning. Her last day is Friday. It's already 4pm on Wednesday is there anything time-sensitive I need to deal with before Friday, or can I handle the offboarding properly next week once things are less hectic?
There are several time-sensitive requirements in section 6.2 that can't be deferred to next week. Most urgently, under section 6.2.1, IT must receive notification from HR at least 2 working hours before her final sign-off — at that point you'll need to suspend her Active Directory account, revoke Microsoft 365 access, and invalidate her MFA tokens before her final working hour on Friday. That cannot be pushed.
Code assistance & scripting
Write a Google Script which at 18:00 on Thursday 23 April 2026 adds the user ross@cegos.uk to the devices.admin@cegos.uk group and provide instructions on how to install it
Use Google Apps Script with the Admin SDK Directory API. The script will add a user to a Google Group at a scheduled time.
Getting Better Outputs 4
Roleplay & persona prompting
My draft for a board briefing on private AI deployment reads like an IT report — accurate but it won't land with a nontechnical audience who care about liability, not infrastructure. Take the role of a management consultant presenting technology risk to a non-technical board, and rewrite the opening paragraph with that framing.
"Currently, staff are using public AI tools including ChatGPT and Copilot informally. These process inputs on third-party infrastructure with varying data handling terms. There is no visibility of what data is being submitted, by whom, or how frequently."
Hartwell Estates is currently exposed to a category of operational risk that most competitors have not yet addressed. Staff are routinely submitting internal information to third-party AI platforms under terms that offer limited data protection guarantees and no audit trail — meaning sensitive data may already be leaving the organisation's control without leadership's knowledge.
This is no longer a technology decision — it is a governance one. A private deployment would close the visibility gap and put Hartwell Estates in a defensible position should a data incident occur. Deferring the decision is itself a choice, with an increasing risk profile as AI adoption accelerates.
Think out loud (chain -of -thought)
A tenant's fixed-term AST ended on 14 February. They didn't sign a renewal and haven't moved out. The landlord wants to know if he can change the locks next week. Before you answer, think through the legal position step by step.
Step 1: What happens when a fixed-term AST expires without a renewal?
In England, the tenancy doesn't simply end — it automatically becomes a periodic tenancy (typically month-to-month), and the tenant retains full legal occupancy rights.
Step 2: Can the landlord change the locks unilaterally?
No. Changing the locks without a court order is illegal eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, regardless of whether the fixed term has ended.
Step 3: What is the correct route?
The landlord must serve a valid Section 21 notice and, if the tenant doesn't vacate, apply to the court for a possession order.
Answer: The landlord cannot change the locks next week under any circumstances. Doing so would expose him to a criminal offence and a civil claim from the tenant.
Asking for confidence scores and caveats
What are the current notice periods a landlord must give to regain possession of a residential property in England? For each point, give me a confidence score out of 10 and flag anything you're uncertain about.
Section 21 (no-fault possession) — 2 months' notice
Confidence: 6/10. This was correct as of my training data but Section 21 has been subject to ongoing reform under the Renters Reform Bill. I cannot confirm whether this has since changed. Verify against current government guidance before relying on it.
Section 8 (breach of tenancy, e.g. rent arrears) — minimum 2 weeks, up to 2 months depending on ground
Confidence: 7/10. The ground-by-ground notice periods were stable at the time of my training, but some grounds were amended during the COVID period and may have been amended again. The specific ground being relied on matters significantly here.
Giving context, not just commands
Write me an email to send to tenants about upcoming fire safety inspections.
Write me an email to send to tenants about upcoming fire safety inspections. Our tone is friendly and plain-English — our tenants range from young professionals to elderly long-term residents and we've had complaints before about communications feeling cold. Inspections are booked for the week of 5 May, each visit takes about 20 minutes, and we'll be checking detectors and communal extinguishers only — no access to personal belongings. We've had a couple of tenants refuse access last year which created a compliance problem, so the email needs to convey that access is a legal requirement without sounding threatening.
Hi [Name], we'll be carrying out our annual fire safety inspection at your property during the week of 5 May. The visit takes around 20 minutes and covers smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and any communal fire extinguishers — we won't need access to any personal belongings or storage. We do need to ask for your cooperation on this one: fire safety inspections are a legal requirement under our obligations as your landlord, so we're unable to skip any properties. If the dates don't work for you, please reply and we'll do our best to find an alternative slot.
Someone from the Hartwell team will be in touch shortly to confirm your specific appointment time.
Iterative refinement
Write a short description of Hartwell Estates' property management services for our website homepage.
Hartwell Estates is a leading property management company offering comprehensive lettings and management services across the UK. With a dedicated team of professionals, we provide landlords with everything they need to let and manage their properties with confidence...
Iterative refinement
Write a short description of Hartwell Estates' property management services for our website homepage.
Hartwell Estates is a leading property management company offering comprehensive lettings and management services across the UK. With a dedicated team of professionals, we provide landlords with everything they need to let and manage their properties with confidence...
That sounds like every other property management company. We're specifically strong in the Midlands and North West, we're known for being straightforward to deal with, and we don't want to claim we're "leading" anything — it sounds like empty marketing. Try again.
Managing property in the Midlands and North West since [year], Hartwell Estates handles the detail so landlords don't have to. No jargon, no unnecessary complexity — just straightforward lettings and management from a team that knows its patch...
Iterative refinement
Write a short description of Hartwell Estates' property management services for our website homepage.
Hartwell Estates is a leading property management company offering comprehensive lettings and management services across the UK. With a dedicated team of professionals, we provide landlords with everything they need to let and manage their properties with confidence...
Better. Can you give me three alternative versions of that last sentence — one more formal for the corporate landlords we work with, one that leans into the local knowledge angle, and one that's a bit warmer for the private landlords who just have one or two properties?
That sounds like every other property management company. We're specifically strong in the Midlands and North West, we're known for being straightforward to deal with, and we don't want to claim we're "leading" anything — it sounds like empty marketing. Try again.
Managing property in the Midlands and North West since [year], Hartwell Estates handles the detail so landlords don't have to. No jargon, no unnecessary complexity — just straightforward lettings and management from a team that knows its patch...
Negative prompting
Write a short paragraph we can use in our landlord welcome pack explaining what Hartwell Estates does.
At Hartwell Estates, we're passionate about delivering best-in-class property management solutions. Our dedicated team of experts leverage their extensive industry knowledge to provide a seamless, end-toend experience, ensuring your investment is in safe hands...
Negative prompting
Write a short paragraph we can use in our landlord welcome pack explaining what Hartwell Estates does.
At Hartwell Estates, we're passionate about delivering best-in-class property management solutions. Our dedicated team of experts leverage their extensive industry knowledge to provide a seamless, end-toend experience, ensuring your investment is in safe hands...
Do that again but don't use the words passionate, seamless, dedicated, best-inclass, leverage, or expert. Don't use rhetorical questions. Don't open with "At Hartwell Estates." And don't make any claims we can't back up.
Hartwell Estates handles the day-to-day management of your property so you don't have to. From tenant queries and maintenance coordination to inspections and renewals, we keep things moving and keep you informed — without the jargon.
The Risks 5
“Deskilling”
Data Privacy
The Verification Burden
Bias & Audit Trail
Our Expertise 6
White Papers by Cegos
Our workshop micro apps use LLMs to help participants surface insights, spot connections, and make sense of their own experiences in real time
Delegates get analysis and reflection that's responsive to what they've actually said and done during the session
