A Beginner's Guide to AI
Why Most Companies Create Their Own AI Bottleneck - Says Ross Barnes
02 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main AI adoption problem companies face?
the sooner you don't start adopting and learning, you will become the bottleneck. You will become not only someone that can't do it, but someone that is an active problem in an organization.
Chapter 2: Why is AI adoption more than just a technology challenge?
And the amount of shadow AI that exists within organizations is terrifying. And that's because you're trying to restrict people. You're shifting the bottleneck and compounding the bottleneck into another part of your organization. Someone asking me, should I use ChatGPT or should I use Claude? What that demonstrates to me is that you don't know how to use either of them very well.
We always blame the technology. We never blame the operator.
Yeah, we have Ross Barnes today, founder and CEO of Galahad Consulting, and he's definitely the guy to talk about how to adapt AI and what the problems in firms are and how to mitigate them, how good leadership can do that.
Chapter 3: How does shadow AI create risks within organizations?
And he actually has a great tool for that, this Ikigai tool that can help leaders to focus on the most important thing,
of AI also the theory behind it yeah I don't want to talk too much about it we let Ross talk about it yeah welcome to another episode of the beginner's guide to AI it's Dietmar from Argo Berlin at the microphone don't forget to get to beginnersguide.nl to never miss one of those episodes Also go to AI for the 99%.
Just type it in your podcasting app or in YouTube and you'll find the other podcast that's for small and medium-sized enterprises giving tips and tricks about AI. But before I talk too much here, let's just jump right into the interview. Yeah, Ross, I can say a lot about you, but the best thing is you say something about yourself. But first of all, Ross, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely buzzing to be here. I'm really looking forward to an exciting conversation.
Chapter 4: What is the IKIG AI framework and how does it work?
I'm Ross Varnes. I founded a company called Galahad Group. We are an AI consultancy enabling and platform build company. And I've had that company now for two and a half years, working with some large, large clients across Europe and globally.
And before that, I was the global CTO of a agency within the WPP communications group for 13 years, where I helped scale that business to over a billion pounds turnover. Hopefully I'll be able to do that again.
That would be great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sounds like good numbers.
Chapter 5: Why is human-in-the-loop AI essential for responsible adoption?
What did get you into AI? Why did you choose a topic? I read in your, it's like a similar history to mine. You did some search engine stuff and so you were really early in the business there. But what's about AI and you?
I think I've got an inquisitive mind and I think I like to teach myself things rather than be talk things. And that's why I got into search engines and SEO so early before there were guidelines and big platforms. And although there are big platforms in AI,
Chapter 6: How do young AI-native founders influence company structures?
There are certain things that people don't know how to do yet. People are finding out. And I enjoy finding out.
Chapter 7: What are the dangers of confusing activity with real progress in AI?
It really sparks curiosity. And when I was a CTO at my old agency, we deep dived into AI. And it became clear that those that dive in now are going to be those that compound their knowledge against those that aren't.
No, this is really a thing. It started with 2001 or whatever when your book came out. Google was already there changing the business, but not like this. Everything changed.
Chapter 8: How can leadership curiosity drive effective AI implementation?
It was new. At this point, I don't know if they already dominated the market, but it was really a thing. And so this new thing with AI, I love it. And you go in now and you consult people on how to adapt AI, is it? Yes. Completely.
I mean, I think if we go back to the Google, the Google domination, the Google domination was the domination of a discrete vertical, wasn't it? Content discovery. It was very, very powerful, but AI impacts everything. And I think that's why we've got this fundamental shift. But I think the lens on the conversation is wrong.
When I go and talk to companies and individuals and train and build and things, We always tend to focus on the ability of the technology, whereas really we should be focusing on the humanity and the adoption and the ability of the operator. Because someone asking me, should I use ChatGPT or should I use Claude?
What that demonstrates to me is that you don't know how to use either of them very well. You just need to use one of them really well. And then we can have that conversation because you need to be better as a human. So it's almost not about the tools. It is about bringing people and organizations along for the ride. Does that make sense?
Totally, totally. I just yesterday had the same question in a webinar I had and I was like, yeah, what should I say? The people were focusing on the technology, but they should get their business right. Yeah. And you talk about this gap that exists and at a certain point with AI adoption in firms. I think you had a great term for it. I have to look it up. That you have an innovation theater.
Yeah.
Yes, I'm a builder and an industrialist by heart, not a techie technologist. And what I want to see is impact. And I think when you see people on stage talking about AI and talking about the frontiers, it's like, that's all good. But half of the people in the world have never used chat GPT. Let's get them doing that. Because what happens is the people who are at the frontiers
will be greatly improved, made more efficient if they help raise the floor, because then we can all have a level discussion. So I don't want to be talking about the next model that's going to destroy a particular industry. I want to be talking about how can we make your industry, the work you do, more efficient and more effective.
I mean, this is a thing from the, yeah, how is daily work with AI? You go into firms and what do you see as problems there?
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