I’ve been struggling to post retrospectives this year \u2013 they are pretty time consuming to write. But, you may have noticed the volume of content on the blog increasing lately. That’s because I finally have a workflow with ChatGPT prompts that help me draft content quickly, in my own style. (I even subscribe to ChatGPT now, and regular readers will know how I try to keep my subscription count down.) Don’t worry – it’s still human-edited (and there are parts of the web that ChatGPT can’t read – like my LinkedIn, Instagram and even parts of this blog) so it should still be authentic. It’s just less time-consuming to write \u2013 and hopefully better for you to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve been continuing to fiddle with my smart home setup. This month\u2019s project was replacing the ageing (and now unsupported) Volvo On Call integration<\/a> in Home Assistant with the much better maintained HA Volvo Cars<\/a> HACS integration. It works brilliantly \u2013 once you\u2019ve jumped through the hoops to register for an API key via Volvo’s developer portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And no, that doesn\u2019t mean I can now summon my car like KITT in Knight Rider \u2013 but I can check I locked it up and warm it up remotely. Which is almost as good. (As an aside, I saw KITT last month at the DTX conference in Manchester.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the subject of cars, I\u2019ve been reflecting on how much modern cars depend on software \u2013 regardless of whether they\u2019re petrol, diesel or electric. The EV vs. ICE debate often centres on simplicity and mechanics (less moving parts in an EV), but from my experience, the real pain points lie in the digital layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take my own (Volvo V60, 2019 model year). Mechanically it\u2019s fine and it’s an absolute luxury compared with the older cars that my wife and sons drive, but I\u2019ve seen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right now, it’s back at the body shop (at their cost, thankfully) for corrosion issues on a supposedly premium marque. My next car will likely be electric \u2013 but it won\u2019t be the drivetrain that convinces me. It’ll be the software experience. Or, more realistically, the lack of bad software. Though, based on Jonathan Phillips’ experience, new car software contains alarming typos in the UI<\/a>, which indicates a lack of testing…<\/p>\n\n\n\n This update isn’t meant to be about AI – but it seems it is – because it’s become such a big part of my digital life now. And, increasingly, it’s something I spend more time discussing with my clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI isn\u2019t new. We\u2019ve had robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning, data science and advanced analytics for years. I even studied neural networks at Poly’ in the early 1990s. But it\u2019s generative<\/em> AI that\u2019s caught everyone\u2019s imagination \u2013 and their budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Episode 239 of the WB-40 podcast (AI Leadership)<\/a>, I listened to Matt Cockbill talk about how it\u2019s prompting a useful shift in how we think about technology. Less about \u201cuse cases\u201d and more about \u201cvalue cases\u201d \u2013 how tech can improve outcomes, streamline services, and actually help achieve what the organisation set out to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rush to digitise during COVID saw huge amounts of spending \u2013 enabling remote working or entrenching what was already there (hello, VDI). But now it feels like the purse strings are tightening, and some of that \u201cwhy are we doing this again?\u201d thinking is creeping back in. Just buying licences and rolling out tools is easy. Changing the way people work and deliver value? That\u2019s the real work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve also been experimenting with creating an AI-powered food coach<\/a> to help me figure out what to eat, plan ahead, and avoid living off chocolate Hobnobs and toasted pitta. Still early days \u2013 but the idea of using an assistant to help nudge me towards healthier, simpler food is growing on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t read much fiction \u2013 I\u2019m more likely to be found trawling through a magazine or scrolling on my phone \u2013 but Matt Haig\u2019s “The Midnight Library“<\/em><\/a> really got me. OK, so technically, I didn’t read<\/em> it – it was an impulse purchase to use some credits before cancelling my Audible account – but it was a great listen<\/em>. Beautifully read by Carey Mulligan<\/a>, it\u2019s one of those rare books that manages to be both dark and uplifting. Some reviews suggest that not everyone feels the same way – and my reading it at a time of grief and loss may have had an impact – but I found it to be one of my best reads in a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without spoiling anything, the idea of a liminal space between life and death \u2013 where you can explore the infinite versions of yourself \u2013 is quietly brilliant. Highly recommended. So much so that I bought another copy (dead tree edition) for my wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s been a lively month over on LinkedIn<\/a>, with my posts ranging from AI hype to the quirks of Gen-Z slang (and a fair dose of Node4 promotion). These are just a few of the highlights \u2013 follow me to get the full experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few snaps from my Insta’ feed…<\/p>\n\n\n\nSoftware-defined vehicles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Thinking about the impact of generative AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Meal planning\u2026 with a side of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Reading: The Midnight Library<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On LinkedIn this month…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I waded into the announcement from Jony Ive and Sam Altman with, let\u2019s say, a healthy dose of scepticism. A $6.5bn \u201csomething\u201d was teased with a bland video and a promo image that felt more 80s album cover than product launch. It may be big. But right now? Vapourware<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
I chipped in on the debate about AI-written content and the apparent overuse of em dashes (\u2014) \u2013often flagged as an \u201cAI tell\u201d \u2013 usually by people who a) don’t understand English grammar or b) where LLMs learned to write. (I am aware that I incorrectly use en dashes in these posts, because people seem to find them less “offensive”.) But what if the em dash is trolling us?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
One of the lighter moments came with a post about Gen-Z\/Gen-Alpha slang. As a Gen-Xer with young adult kids, I found a \u201ctranslator\u201d of sorts \u2013 and it triggered a few conversations about how language evolves. No promises I\u2019ll be dropping “rizz” into meetings just yet. Have a look<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Following a pub chat with Phil Kermeen, I shared a few thoughts on whether being polite to AI makes a difference. TL;DR: it does. Here’s the post<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Finally, there have been lots of posts around the Node4 2025 Mid-Market Report<\/a>. It was a big effort from a lot of people, including me, and I’m really proud of what we’ve produced. It\u2019s packed with insights, based on bespoke research of over 600 IT and Business leaders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nPhotos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n