Our inaugural guest is Stephen Bartlett who is an accomplished technologist, CTO at the interior designer tool Programa, and founder of Precise - a product used by consultancies to showcase the profiles of their team members

Stephen was an early adopter of AI. Shortly after its release in 2020, he incorporated GPT-3 into Precise. By incorporating this capability, he helped solve the “blank page” problem consultants faced when needing to write text to describe their skills and experience. For some of us it is hard to remember, but before ChatGPT came along, it was still a novel concept to have AI generate human-like text on demand.

As Programa's CTO, Stephen leads his team in utilising cutting-edge AI tools to streamline software development and enhance their product's value. For instance, they use GitHub Copilot for AI-assisted coding and Midjourney to generate design concepts and marketing materials. The team also explores open-source alternatives like Stable Diffusion for image generation, while leveraging ChatGPT for document creation and general assistance. By embracing these technologies, Stephen is fostering an innovative environment that not only improves the efficiency of their software development process but also enhances Programa's workflow tool for interior designers and architects.

Stephen's positive approach to AI emphasises education and awareness. He invests in his team to ensure they understand available tools and their applications, reflecting his proactive stance on the integration of AI into daily workflow.

Where to find and connect with Stephen:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/srbartlett/

Preceise (https://precise.io/) - Precise : Profiles and Portfolios for consulting teams

Programa (https://programa.design/) - Programa : Workflow tool for interior designers & architects

Tools mentioned during the conversation:
GitHub Copilot (https://github.com/features/copilot) - AI-powered code completion tool
Rewind AI (https://www.rewind.ai/) - Productivity tool for recording and indexing computer activity
Midjourney (https://www.midjourney.com/) - AI image generation tool
Stable Diffusion (https://stability.ai/stable-diffusion) - Open-source AI image generation tool
ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) - AI language model for document creation and general assistance
Raycast (https://www.raycast.com/) - AI-enhanced spotlight tool for Mac
Superwhisper (https://www.superwhisper.com/) - Voice-to-text dictation tool
Linear (https://linear.app/) - Product management tool

Timestamps
00:14 Introduction of Stephen Bartlett
02:02 Early adoption of GPT-3 into the Precise
05:23 Discussion on paid vs free AI tools
05:53 Use of Midjourney and importance of open-source alternatives
07:59 Introduction to Rewind AI productivity tool
10:30 Explanation of GitHub Copilot for coding
13:08 Impact of AI tools on team dynamics in software development
16:06 Use of ChatGPT for document creation and assistance
18:00 Overview of Programa, workflow tool for interior designers
20:19 Current capabilities of AI in design and image generation
22:26 Challenges in integrating AI tools into user workflows
23:39 Importance of education in preparing for AI in the workplace
26:28 Discussion on human aspects of work AI can't replace
30:31 Recommendations for additional AI tools
31:53 Conclusion and wrap-up

AI Chronicles - S1E01 - Stephen Bartlett

In this episode of Hot Takes, Peter Thomas talks to RMIT's Professor Chris Speed about regenerative futures. 

Moving beyond traditional sustainability, regenerative futures focuses on not just minimizing harm but actively repairing and strengthening systems. 

Chris talks about careers, organizations, and economies that leave positive impacts on people, communities, and ecosystems, how to teach and implement regenerative principles, the importance of collaboration, the paradigm shift from isolated value chains to interconnected value constellations, and educational models that foster interdisciplinary collaboration and life-wide learning.

To learn more about RMIT FORWARD, and our 50+ global ecosystem of world-class Industry Fellows who we assemble into fluid teams to work as strategic partners with organisations to ensure they have the right help when they need it, head to https://rmit-forward.org



Hot Takes: Beyond Sustainability – What Does a Regenerative Future Look Like?

In this episode of RMIT University FORWARD Hot Takes, Peter Thomas talks to RMIT Industry Fellows Serafina Maiorano, global leadership strategist and founder of Our Global Table, and Stowe Boyd, work ecologist and founder of Work Futures, about what happens when the centre of opportunity for skilled work shifts—not just away from traditional industries, but away from the West entirely. 

For decades, high-value jobs in sectors like engineering, tech, and finance were concentrated in cities like Sydney, Boston, and London. But that’s changing. Companies aren’t just outsourcing anymore: they’re building their workforces where the talent already is - in  places like India, where over a million engineers graduate each year.

In the last few years, tech giants have expanded their presence in Indian cities because of access to skilled talent at scale, which many Western countries are struggling to provide. Meanwhile, immigration policies have tightened, making it increasingly difficult for foreign professionals to relocate to the West. Are we witnessing a global inversion of opportunity? Could it soon make more sense for young professionals to study and work in Bangalore, not Boston?

To learn more about RMIT FORWARD, and our 50+ global ecosystem of world-class Industry Fellows who we assemble into fluid teams to work as strategic partners with organisations to ensure they have the right help when they need it, head to https://rmit-forward.org

Hot Takes: The Future of Global Talent and The Shifting Geography of Work

In this episode of Hot Takes, host Peter Thomas, director of RMIT FORWARD, is joined by digital sociologist and ethicist Lisa Talia Moretti and Andrew Spence, author of the Work 3 Substack newsletter, to talk about the integration of AI into daily workflows and the implications for work culture and productivity.  The conversation delves into whether AI is supporting or reshaping the workforce,  the relevance of traditional notions of productivity and qualifications, accountability in a human-AI hybrid workforce, the need for the intentional redesign of workplaces to adapt to AI. 

Hot Takes: Meet your AI Co-worker

Design fiction invites us to prototype the future - not through predictions, but through artefacts and provocations. It helps organisations rehearse what could be, challenge their assumptions, and expand the boundaries of what they think is possible. And it’s showing up in real places: in policy labs, boardrooms, learning environments, and innovation teams.

Peter Thomas talks to Patrick Pittman, writer, editor, and researcher with deep experience crafting speculative narratives, cultural strategy, and tactical media for brands, cities and creative organisations; and Su Lim, global managing director and master planner of experience-led transformation with a focus on shaping future-ready environments, to talk about how design fiction goes beyond traditional scenario planning by using artifacts to prototype plausible futures and how it can aid in complex decision-making processes. 

Hot Takes: How design Fiction is Shaping Strategy Today

In this episode of Hot Takes, Peter Thomas discusses AI assistants and their impact on human attention with RMIT FORWARD Industry Fellows Sam Spurlin, an organization design strategist from The Ready, and Aaron McEwan, a workplace futurist at Gartner. We tak about the benefits and potential pitfalls of AI assistants, from enhancing focus during meetings to the risk of increased cognitive overload from poorly implemented tools. We discuss why Bring Your Own AI (BYOAI) might change the adoption and value of AI  in the workplace.

To learn more about RMIT University FORWARD, and our 50+ global ecosystem of world-class Industry Fellows who we assemble into fluid teams to work as strategic partners with organisations to ensure they have the right help when they need it, head to https://rmit-forward.org

Hot Takes: Zoom Fatigue Was Just the Start – What’s the Long-Term Impact of AI Assistants?

In this episode of Hot Takes, Peter Thomas from RMIT Forward, discusses the intricacies of trust in distributed work. The conversation features insights from FORWARD Fellows Jerry Michalski, founder of Open Global Mind, and Matt Collier, an innovation leader in leadership strategy and transformation. 

They explore how trust, traditionally built through proximity and visibility in the workplace, needs to be re-envisioned in distributed teams. The discussion covers the role of leadership, the inadequacies of current collaboration tools, the nuances of designing for trust, and the importance of small daily actions and authentic interactions in building a trust-based work environment.

To learn more about RMIT University FORWARD, and our 50+ global ecosystem of world-class Industry Fellows who we assemble into fluid teams to work as strategic partners with organisations to ensure they have the right help when they need it, head to https://rmit-forward.org

Hot Takes: The Future of Trust in Distributed Work

In this episode of Hot Takes, Peter Thomas from RMIT Forward leads a discussion on the challenges and solutions in scaling reskilling programs. He is joined by experts Josie Gibson, founder of Catalyst; Alex Young, Head of Innovation at Lifeblood; and Mish Eastman, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Vocational Education at RMIT University.  They explore earn and learn models, the necessity for policy and funding changes, and the role of ethical considerations in adapting to new technologies like AI.  The conversation also emphasizes the need for a collaborative approach involving government, industry, and educational institutions to create effective and sustainable reskilling environments.

To learn more about RMIT FORWARD, and our 50+ global ecosystem of world-class Industry Fellows who we assemble into fluid teams to work as strategic partners with organisations to ensure they have the right help when they need it, head to 

https://rmit-forward.org



Hot Takes: Reskilling at Scale

We’re in a world where five-year plans don’t last five months, market dynamics shift overnight and AI rewrites the rules weekly. 

Traditional strategy-making is cracking under pressure. The question isn’t whether we need strategy, but how to make it resilient, dynamic, and alive. What if strategy wasn’t a static document, but an ongoing practice of adaptation, sensemaking, and navigation?

I’m joined by RMIT FORWARD Fellows Marc Chataigner,  strategist and service designer with 20 years of international experience, and Peter Creeden , global supply chain leader maritime logistics specialist, to talk about what nimble, flexible strategy might look like, why it’s important to align strategy, what happens when there are human and non-human actors working together - and what sailing can teach us about strategy.

.
00:58 Navigating Complexity in Global Supply Chains
02:31 The Evolving Definition of Strategy
04:20 Adapting Corporate Strategy to Modern Challenges
07:35 Strategic Failures 


For the full video and show notes, head here: https://vimeo.com/1105696515


To learn more about RMIT University FORWARD, and our 50+ global ecosystem of world-class Industry Fellows who we assemble into fluid teams to work as strategic partners with organisations to ensure they have the right help when they need it, head to https://rmit-forward.org

Hot Takes - is strategy dead?

FORWARD is RMIT University's Centre for Future Skills and Workforce Transformation.

AI Chronicles - S1E01 - Stephen Bartlett

RMIT FORWARD

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