By Kate Allen, CEO of Ategi
There is a lot of nervousness about AI (artificial intelligence) and that is often blamed for its slow uptake in the third sector, but I don’t think it is all about fear, I think it is largely because as chief execs we rarely get the time to think about all the tasks that are on our to-do list, let alone think about something we don’t have time to learn!
Yet AI is one of those things that, once you start learning and using it, it really does save time.
I might be starting from a luckier position than a lot of third sector senior leaders as before my 20+ years in not for profit and social care I worked in tech and IT. But before you think, ah…. ‘well you will be ok then’… Let me say that information tech has moved on a lot in those years and any historic knowledge is well and truly out of date!
We have all been living with AI for ages, with Netflix recommendations based on programmes we’ve already watched, Amazon making purchase suggestions, face recognition at airports and cars with automatic lane assistance, should we move without indicating!
But how can it be useful in leadership?
Our AI tool of choice is Copilot (other brands are available). It’s a Microsoft product so is designed to integrate well with our other MS Office applications and there are practical ways that AI is useful in my day-to-day role ‘quick wins’. Rather than dither with a paragraph in a governance report that I’m just not comfortable reads well… I’ll ask my AI tool to make some re-write suggestions.
No longer opening document after document looking for a piece of data, I ask AI to interrogate a number of files at once looking for that missing number. I don’t even need to tell it which files or where they are! In a matter of moments it will search our entire Sharepoint folder.
Because it is so good at interrogating data quickly, I can use AI to support clarity and rigour, particularly in governance and strategic work. A virtual AI assistant attends our governance meetings and assists with drafting board and committee minutes, summarising complex discussions, and capturing actions accurately. These tools do not replace human oversight; they strengthen it. The administrative burden is reduced, turnaround is faster (and my board happier).
For me, this is not about efficiency for its own sake. It is about respecting people’s time, improving the quality of organisational memory, and ensuring that important decisions and actions are clearly recorded and followed through.
Many people worry that using AI will be seen as cutting corners or lacking competence. Thoughtful, ethical use of AI is a leadership strength, not a weakness. Leading by example and being open about where AI has been used, focusing conversations on quality rather than process I want to normalise its use across the charity.
This approach has helped shift AI from something people feel they should hide into something we can discuss, learn from, and improve together. It is not cheating! We share ‘top tech tips’ at our monthly senior team meetings to make learning fun (did you know in Outlook if you press the windows key on your keyboard and the full stop you bring up the emoji content box? You’re welcome 😊)
However, because we work with people who may be vulnerable, ethical boundaries matter deeply which is why alongside encouraging its use, we need to understand the risks and know how to remain GDPR compliant. We do not use web-based AI tools for work involving organisational or personal data. This is not about risk aversion; it is about trust — with staff, trustees, partners, and the people we support.
AI has also helped increase our strategic capacity. For example, by supporting the drafting of complex funding and programme narratives for grant applications. This allows us to spend more time shaping direction, testing assumptions, and building relationships.
Crucially, AI does not make decisions for us. It helps us think better, faster, and more clearly, and then leadership judgement takes over.
As a leader, I see it as my responsibility to ensure we embrace new tools to remain future-fit. AI isn’t coming; it is here, and unless we, as leaders, embrace it, we run the risk of the third sector’s reputation being considered stale (and did I mention how much time it can save?).
My aim is to model a form of AI leadership that is calm, reflective, and values‑driven: curious rather than fearful, but always grounded in responsibility.