Lunch & Learn Recap: The Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence

Written By Marketing

July, 2025 - At Caspian One, our Lunch & Learn sessions offer more than just a midday break. They’re a space for curiosity, collaboration, continuous learning, and the famous beige buffet. These informal, knowledge-sharing events are designed to keep our teams sharp, informed, and inspired by the fast-evolving world around us.

This month’s session, led by Freya Scammells, our AI Practice Lead, tackled one of the most transformative forces in modern business: Artificial Intelligence. This session offered a practical, jargon-free breakdown of what AI really is, how it’s already shaping our world, and what it means for the future of work.

Why AI, and Why Now?

AI is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s embedded in our daily lives. From Spotify recommendations to facial recognition on social media, AI is working behind the scenes in ways many of us don’t even realise. As Freya pointed out, “If you’re using social media, uploading photos, or even just Googling something, you’re already using AI.”

But beyond convenience, AI is reshaping industries, redefining job roles, and creating new opportunities. For those of us in professional services, understanding the fundamentals of AI is essential.

5 Key Takeaways from the Session

1. AI Is a Spectrum, and Everyone’s Already Using It

AI isn’t just ChatGPT or Copilot. It includes everything from recommendation engines (like those on TikTok or Amazon) to facial recognition, voice assistants, and even CV formatting tools. Whether you’re aware of it or not, AI is already part of your workflow, and understanding how it works gives you a competitive edge.

2. Know the Hierarchy: AI → ML → DL → GenAI

Freya broke down the often-confused terminology into a simple pyramid:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): The broad field of teaching machines to mimic human intelligence

  • Machine Learning (ML): A subset of AI where machines learn from data to make predictions

  • Deep Learning (DL): A more advanced form of ML using neural networks to mimic the human brain

  • Generative AI (GenAI): The cutting edge, where machines create new content (text, images, code) based on learned patterns

Understanding this hierarchy helps demystify job titles and technologies, especially when speaking with resources or clients.

3. AI Should Be Your Co-Pilot, Not Your Replacement

One of the session’s most important messages was about mindset. AI isn’t here to replace you, it’s here to work with you. Tools like Copilot and ChatGPT are most effective when used collaboratively. Freya emphasised the importance of challenging AI outputs, refining prompts, and using your human judgment to guide the process.

Blindly trusting AI can lead to errors, hallucinations, or generic content. But when used thoughtfully, it can dramatically improve speed, research, and creativity.

4. Emerging Roles Are Redefining the Tech Landscape

The session also explored several key AI-related job titles, including:

  • ML/AI Engineers: Build and train models using tools like Python, TensorFlow, and PyTorch

  • Data Scientists: Run experiments and extract insights from data

  • MLOps Engineers: Manage the deployment and monitoring of AI models

  • AI Researchers: Push the boundaries of what’s possible, often in academic or lab settings

  • AI Strategists: Align AI initiatives with business goals, ensuring ROI, and ethical use

These roles are becoming increasingly relevant across industries, especially in financial services, and understanding them helps us better support both clients and candidates.

5. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

AI offers incredible potential, but it also comes with risks. Data privacy, misinformation, and ethical concerns were all discussed. Freya reminded us that “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product” - a cautionary note about free AI tools and how they use your data.

That’s why enterprise-grade tools like Microsoft Copilot are being prioritised; they offer better security, compliance, and control. As AI adoption grows, so does the need for clear policies, training, and responsible use.

Want to Host Your Own Lunch & Learn?

If you’ve got a topic you’re passionate about, whether it’s AI, a tech trend, or a skill you think others could benefit from, we’d love to hear from you. Hosting a Lunch & Learn is a great way to share knowledge, build your personal brand, and contribute to our culture of learning.

Reach out to Robb Taylor-Hiscock (robb.hiscock@caspianone.co.uk) to get involved. Let’s keep this conversation going.

Follow Caspian One on LinkedIn to keep up to date with the latest industry news, practical resources, and company insights.

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