How Small Teams are doing with AI Adoption
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AI adoption is all over the map. Here's what that means for small teams
I've had a lot of conversations with charities about AI lately, and the range is huge. Some are building automations, internal tools and even apps without a tech team. Others haven't yet agreed whether staff can use ChatGPT at all.
My hunch is that small businesses look much the same. Small team, no IT department, and usually one curious person leading the charge while everyone else watches on.
It comes back to judgment, not just capability
It's never been easier to build things without a tech team or tech experience. That opens up real possibility for small organisations.
But it keeps making me ask one question: what happens when something breaks?
Not all AI use is equal
The way I think about it, there are two kinds of use.
Lower-risk uses: websites, prototypes, internal tools and simple automations. AI is brilliant here. Experiment, learn fast and enjoy the time you get back.
Higher-risk uses: operational systems, service delivery platforms and anything that directly affects the people you serve. For a charity, that might be a tool sitting behind support for someone sleeping rough. For a small business, it might be your bookings, your payments or your customer data. These need clear ownership, support and accountability.
So the real decisions are when to build, when to buy, and who owns a system once it's running. That's where good governance comes in: simple, proportionate guardrails that let you say yes to the first kind with confidence and get the second kind right.
Why our first Learning Lab is open to both
That gap isn't really about sector. It's about size. Small charities and small businesses face the same questions with the same limited time, so our first tekFoundation Learning Lab is open to both.
On Tuesday 10 November, Gaurav Chauhan, founder of Stipple AI and former Head of Generative AI at NAB, will lead a practical, jargon-free morning on AI governance built for small teams. It's grounded in current Australian guidance from the National AI Centre, the OAIC and the ACNC, and you'll learn:
- How to tell low-risk everyday uses from the ones that need a bit more care
- A simple traffic-light guide your team will actually remember
- The handful of short documents that give a small organisation real clarity
- Smart questions to ask before signing up to any AI tool
- A realistic 30-day plan to get started, plus the questions your board will want answered
When: Tuesday 10 November, 8:30 to 10am
Where: Tank Stream Suites, Martin Place, Sydney
Can't make it in person? Every ticket includes the recording.
A morning well spent
You don't need a compliance team to use AI well. You need a few simple habits and a team that feels confident using them. Come along and leave with a plan you can put to work the same week.
Joni Fleischer is Co-founder and Director of tekFoundation, a Sydney-based nonprofit that strengthens charities with the digital capability to do more good, by connecting them with skilled tech volunteers and corporate partners.
