Gemma Caulwell - How Ark are helping teachers with AI

The Micro and Macro of AI

For a long time I’ve been worried that the charity sector would get left behind in the AI race - which is why I was delighted to spot so many leaders from our sector in the AI 100 - the definitive list of the 100 people most influential in AI in the UK, including (amongst others),Terry Makewell from RNID, Kit Powney from Tearfund, and Trevor Gordon from Save the Children - who we had on the podcast in episode 9.

Somehow or other, I also made the list.

Whilst, I’m delighted to have been recognised as being influential in the (UK) world of AI, I’m less sure how influential I actually am.

Over the past year I’ve spoken to a lot of people involved in AI from all angles, and I’ve seen things seem to split into two fairly distinct universes. The first, is people involved in adoption, building agents, managing rollouts, and finding innovative ways to use new products. These wonderful people have their heads down in an AI implementation. They are discovering that AI projects have some similarities to other digital technology or organisational change projects - there are timelines, benefits, risks and costs; there are boards to guide and make decisions; there are adoption specialists to match the people and process to the use of the technology; there are even procurement guidelines and data policies to keep things safe. Of course, there are some differences - projects need to be much more agile to handle the fast pace of change, end-user involvement is even more critical than ever, and an engaged and informed stake-holder group and leadership team isn’t optional. This is all fantastic, and brings me joy when I see projects like this (today’s podcast with Gemma from Ark is a perfect example). People like myself can rationalise all of this and help charities succeed using knowledge and experience from previous work.

But there is another universe. The universe of unbelievably rapid change, eye-watering investment, and new AI products appearing and evolving faster than imaginable. The universe where people talk about S curves ever-accelerating and not flattening, blood-baths of white-collar jobs, a need for universal basic income, and mass societal change.

And all of this could happen anywhere between 18months and five years from now, depending on who is talking about it.

Micro and macro. On a micro-level, it’s brilliant, it’s progress, it’s technology moving on, it’s rational. We can measure benefits and produce business cases. It’s the tool that makes your life easier.

On a macro-level, as Stephanie Antonian argued in the previous episode of this podcast, it’s all about belief. The concepts are so far from our own set of experiences, and previous understanding of the world that there are very few people - except the smartest, most well-informed and probably employed in a senior role in the industry - who can apply any rationale to it. The rest of us are stuck with believing or not believing.

Which brings me to the AI100. The judges have done a really good job of trying to bring some people from the second universe into the list (they don’t all live in San Francisco) - although most are from the first universe (partly because there are lots of the first type, and very few of the second type).

And the thing is, to a certain extent, I do feel quite influential in the first universe. But this feels a little bit like an indoor firework being setoff on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Years Eve. The potential range of impacts of AGI, ranging from mass-unemployment, to changes to how we’ve governed, to wealth consolidation, to new inventions, and science and medical breakthroughs would dwarf everything else in any century, but if you plot it out as happening within a decade, then it is in the realms of dystopian science fiction.

The first universe is practical, is happening now for many people, and can be navigated with some rational thought. The second universe is almost so unknowable, so unpredictable, that it seems pointless trying to speculate on where it’s going. I’m honest enough to admit that I struggle to keep up with the second universe - let alone understand the positive contribution I can give to influencing it. If you understand that second universe - I’d love to chat, please get in touch… it can be over a drink and doesn’t need to be a podcast episode!

Oh, and if after reading all of that, you’re still reading at this point, please do feel free to vote for me in the AI 100 - at https://awards.digileaders.com/AI100-Vote If I get a few votes, I might avoid being in position 100 on the list.

Podcast - Season 3, Episode 7 - How Ark are helping teachers with AI

I’m constantly curious about the sectors that are pushing ahead with AI, and those that are proceeding more slowly.  In this weeks episode, we here from Gemma Caulwell at Ark, about how they are pushing ahead with a variety of AI pilots. Gemma discusses the results from trials of AI software for marking student’s essays in English and History. What is really exciting about this, is the potential it has for both speeding up marking, whilst also freeing-up teacher time to enable them to spend more time with students.

Gemma gives a great insight into the successes they’ve had with AI - but most importantly, outlines the critical success factors they have found for moving ahead and succeeding with AI projects.

Stay Tuned for more insights in future episodes

If you’re new to the podcast - then definitely take a look back at some cracking episodes in the previous two seasons. Whilst there is a storyline flowing through the episodes, they work in any order, so don’t feel obliged to listen to them chronologically.

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If you’re keen for me to feature something going on in your charity, NFP or similar, please get in touch - and do comment on anything in here, or in the podcast that you like.

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About our host and guests

Gemma Caulwell, Digital Innovation and Strategy Senior Manager at Ark

Gemma is a leading expert on all things AI for the trust. Before pivoting to work in the world of education, she worked in consulting for seven years, primarily working with big tech clients, working with the major platform players on their strategy and operations.

Stuart McSkimming, Podcast Host

Stuart is a thought-leader in AI for charities and not-for-profits, and recognised in the 2025 AI100 list of the top 100 people shaping the future of AI in the UK. He is the founder of the sector-specific Technology & AI consultancy, Virtue Chain . He has over twenty years’ experience in NFP/Charity leadership roles, predominantly in the technology/digital and transformation space. He is an expert in getting the most from teams and focusing organisations on strategic goals to get the most from Technology & Digital. He is passionate about organisations focusing on inclusion and finding ways to attract a diverse mix of top talent into their teams. He has worked as a CIO for two organisations – Shelter and Royal British Legion, and also a variety of roles elsewhere. Stuart is extensively networked in the not-for-profit sector both in the UK, and internationally, and is the Vice Chair of top membership organisation, Charity IT Leaders. Stuart enjoys regular public speaking, and also has been known to do stand-up comedy gigs occasionally.

Virtue Chain builds the link between enthusiastic and talented technology teams, and organisation strategic goals. By focusing on people, strategy, governance and decision-making structures, Virtue Chain can help your charity get the right leadership approach across AI, Technology, Digital, Data,  and transformation. We use maturity models, and partnering approaches to help trustees, CEO’s and exec leaders see the potential for technology in their organisation, and understand where to start in turning ideas into action.

Get in contact with [email protected] if you’d like to chat. Typically the conversation starts from either a trustee, CEO or CTO level.

In case its not obvious, views expressed are Stuart’s own view, and don’t represent those of any organisations he is working with or mentions