EP25: Demystify, Upskill, Empower: Human-Centred AI with BitesizedGenius

From Technology Enthusiast to AI Entrepreneur

Shimron's interest in technology began long before the current wave of generative AI. Growing up, he was drawn to video games, animation and coding, experimenting with tools such as Adobe Flash and developing an interest in creating interactive digital experiences.

Coming from a single-parent, lower socioeconomic background, however, opportunities to pursue technology were limited. Later, while in care and facing a challenging environment, technology became an important positive outlet. Developing skills in game design, coding and animation provided a way to stay focused on learning and away from negative influences.

He went on to study game design at university, developing not only technical skills in programming, animation and 3D modelling, but also an understanding of entrepreneurship, project management and product development.

Although he ultimately did not enter the games industry, the experience laid the foundations for a career in digital transformation.

Bringing Technology Experience into the Civil Service

Shimron spent seven years in the civil service, working across digital transformation programmes and technology-related projects.

His experience included supporting work connected to the Post Office Horizon scandal, as well as projects examining global supply-chain risks using data science and AI. These projects involved identifying potential threats ranging from supply-chain disruption and forced labour to sanctions-related risks.

Despite working in government, Shimron retained his interest in entrepreneurship and technology. The rapid development of AI provided an opportunity to bring these two interests together.

He saw a particular need around the digital skills gap. While many people were still developing basic digital skills, AI was rapidly becoming an important part of the workplace. For Shimron, the question was increasingly how organisations could ensure their employees were not left behind.

Turning Technical AI into Practical Skills

This challenge became the foundation for BitesizedGenius, which Shimron launched initially as a side project before leaving the civil service to focus on it full-time.

The business provides AI training and consultancy for non-technical audiences, alongside the development of AI agents and automated workflows using tools such as Copilot Studio.

The focus is deliberately practical. Rather than overwhelming people with technical terminology, Shimon aims to explain what AI tools do, how they work and, crucially, how they can be applied to everyday work.

The name BitesizeGenius reflects this approach. The original idea was to create short, accessible videos and online courses that gave people useful information without requiring them to sit through lengthy technical explanations.

The objective is not to turn everyone into an AI engineer. Instead, it is to give people enough understanding and confidence to become effective users of the technology.

The Human Barrier to AI Adoption

For Shimron, one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption is not necessarily the technology itself. It is people's confidence in using it.

Organisations can make decisions at leadership level to adopt new AI tools, but that does not automatically mean employees will use them effectively. People may be concerned about job losses, uncertain about how AI affects their roles or simply unfamiliar with the technology.

This creates a change-management challenge.

Shimron argues that adoption needs to begin with the fundamentals: what AI is, what different tools can do and how people can use them. From there, organisations can start exploring more advanced applications.

A major part of this process is demonstrating value. Employees are far more likely to adopt technology when they can see how it makes their own work easier or more effective.

Moving Beyond the Basics

Once people have established a foundation of AI literacy, there is scope to move towards more sophisticated applications.

Shimron works with organisations to identify potential use cases across areas such as marketing, legal work, research and customer service. Subject-matter experts can then help identify repetitive processes that could be supported or automated through AI agents and workflows.

This approach puts organisational knowledge before the technology. Rather than starting with a tool and asking what it can do, organisations can start with a problem and explore whether AI is an appropriate solution.

This is particularly important as AI tools become increasingly accessible.

The Limits of "Vibe Coding"

The growing popularity of "vibe coding" illustrates why digital literacy remains important even as technology becomes easier to use.

AI can now generate code and applications from relatively simple instructions, but Shimron argues that users still need enough foundational knowledge to evaluate what the technology produces.

Understanding concepts such as variables, data types and basic programming logic can help people identify errors, understand why something is not working and determine whether an AI-generated solution is actually fit for purpose.

The same principle extends beyond coding. As AI generates increasing amounts of information, people need the knowledge and critical thinking skills to assess whether an output is accurate, biased or incomplete.

Greater AI capability therefore does not necessarily make human knowledge less important. In many cases, it makes the ability to evaluate AI outputs even more important.

Learning Through Real-World Demonstration

Shimron's training is designed around this principle of practical learning.

One example involved a local business owner who designs fans. By demonstrating how ChatGPT could be used to develop specifications, create costing plans and explore content ideas, Shimron was able to show possibilities that the business owner had not previously considered.

These demonstrations can change people's perception of AI. Rather than seeing it as an abstract or complicated technology, they begin to understand how it could fit into their own work.

For Shimron, that moment of discovery is an important part of building digital confidence.

AI and the Charity Sector

The charity sector is one area where Shimron sees significant potential, but also some of the biggest constraints.

Charities often have fewer resources to invest in technology and staff development than private-sector organisations. At the same time, they face substantial administrative, compliance and fundraising requirements.

AI could help charities improve efficiency in areas such as fundraising, compliance research and document drafting, allowing employees to spend less time on administrative processes and more time delivering services.

Shimron also highlighted the potential for AI-powered chatbots to provide support outside normal working hours. For example, someone seeking help with homelessness could potentially interact with a chatbot and receive relevant information and resources even when staff are unavailable.

The opportunity is therefore not simply to reduce costs, but to make limited resources go further.

Supporting People Through Digital Transformation

Shimron's interest in AI adoption is also connected to his wider work with people who have experienced disadvantage, including young people with care experience.

He sees technology as having a role in sectors where outdated systems and limited digital access can reinforce existing inequalities. The prison system, for example, can involve legacy technology and limited opportunities for people to develop the digital skills they will need after release.

This gives digital transformation a broader social dimension. Ensuring people can access and understand technology is increasingly connected to their ability to participate fully in society.

AI as a Tool for More Personalised Education

Looking ahead, one of Shimron's strongest interests is the potential for AI to transform education, particularly for students with different learning needs.

He sees the possibility of AI acting as a kind of 24-hour personalised tutor: helping students identify precisely where they are struggling, adapting explanations to their individual needs and providing tailored examples.

Rather than every student receiving the same explanation, AI could potentially help create more personalised learning experiences.

For Shimron, this could be particularly powerful in addressing educational inequalities, giving students who may not have access to additional tutoring or support another way to fill gaps in their knowledge.

However, he also recognises a significant tension. If students simply use AI to complete their work, they risk outsourcing the thinking that education is supposed to develop.

The challenge is therefore not simply how to use AI in education, but how to learn with AI without allowing AI to replace learning.

AI, Inequality and the Future of Work

Shimron sees AI as having the potential to create new opportunities and reduce some existing inequalities, but he does not underestimate the disruption involved.

He compares the current transformation to the Industrial Revolution, recognising that technological change can create significant shocks to employment and the way people work before its longer-term benefits become visible.

AI could reshape industries, create new roles and change how people earn a living. But managing that transition responsibly will require education, reskilling and a focus on ensuring people can participate in the emerging economy.

For Shimron, the goal should not simply be greater efficiency. It should be using technology to create better opportunities for people.

Technology We Can Shape

The conversation ultimately returns to the question of responsibility.

There is widespread anxiety around AI becoming uncontrollable or replacing humans entirely. Shimron argues that it is important to remember that AI is a technology created by people. Society therefore retains significant influence over how it is developed, deployed and regulated.

The challenge is finding the balance between the benefits organisations can gain from becoming more efficient and the wider social consequences of technological change.

This makes responsible AI a question not just for technologists, but for governments, businesses and society as a whole.

Building Confidence for an AI-Enabled Future

BitesizeGenius sits at the intersection of AI adoption and digital literacy: helping organisations move from simply experimenting with AI towards understanding where it can genuinely create value.

For Shimron, that journey starts with the basics. People need to understand the technology before they can confidently use it, evaluate it or build with it.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in education, employment and public services, this foundation of human knowledge will become increasingly important.

The opportunity is not to make everyone an AI expert, but to ensure that everyone has enough understanding to participate in an AI-enabled society — and to make sure that the benefits of the technology reach the people who stand to gain the most from it.