
This Founder Built His AI Platform Around His Own Neurodivergent Brain (with Ross Barnes)
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If corporate teams aren't just using AI
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anymore, but actually running on it, what
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does that mean for how work gets done at every level of your organization? In this episode of Lead with AI, I sit down with Ross Barnes, founder of the Galihad Group, to unpack the shift from AI as a tool to true cognitive infrastructure. We explore how agentic AI is transforming how teams operate, assessing in real time which tasks should remain human led and which should be delegated to intelligent agents. And what does this mean for decision making, efficiency, and the future of work?
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Let's get into it. Welcome to lead with AI. I'm Dr. Tamara Nall. In each episode, we will take you behind the scenes with visionary leaders shaping the the future of AI across public and private sectors. Join us as we explore groundbreaking projects and innovations that are transforming industries and making a real impact on people's lives. Let's dive in.
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So hello everyone. How are you? And welcome back to lead with AI Dr. I'm your host, Dr. T. And I'm so excited that you come and you visit and you listen to all of our wonderful guests week after week after week. Because of your support, we have won several awards. Number one, we're honoree for the Webby Awards, which is a huge deal. We're so excited about that. We're a W3 gold award and guest in interviews category. And last year we were number one in technology on Apple podcast. Again, it's because of you and also the great guests that we have. In true to form. Yes, yes, yes. We have another wonderful guest this week. We have Ross Barnes, who is the founder of the Galahad Group. How are you, ross?
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I'm good, Dr. T. I'm good. Delighted to be here. Thanks for having me.
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Absolutely, absolutely. So, before we get into the Galahad Group, tell me about you as the founder. Who are you at your core? What are you passionate about? And how did you come to the conclusion that there was a gap in the market that Galahad could. Could feel?
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It's a great question. So at the core, I identify as incredibly human.
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Okay.
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I've recently found out that I am neurodiverse. I've got add and I'm autistic. And also my daughter has adhd. And because of that, I am committed to helping people live the most human lives they can. That is why I believe that from both a corporate and personal point of view, AI can improve cognitive infrastructure for individuals and organizations.
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Amazing. Amazing. And tell us, exactly what is the Galahad Group? What is the company and the AI?
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Yeah, we help organizations Build infrastructure into their teams that allow people to focus on the most uniquely human tasks within their organizations. So using AI as agents to support individuals and teams to make decisions and actually do things.
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Okay, got it. Now, to give us an example, talk about that Holy Smokes moment. Talk about a time where Galahad really helped a user, a customer, and it changed everything for them.
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Yes, absolutely. And the Holy Smokes moment was live on stage. I was delivering, delivering a keynote to a. To a large publisher in Europe, and we ran a competition for each of the people who are. Who are watching to talk about how agentic AI and an AI platform could help them. We judged them, we judged the use cases, and then I built it live on stage in my platform and made it work and completely solved their problem. And Holy Smokes was definitely said more than once.
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And what function was it? Was it marketing? Was it operations? Was it finance? Give us a little bit more about that.
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Yeah, in this, it was. It was marketing. So we took a marketing use case, which was about delivering the right content to the right consumer and the right voice. And we use the platform and our way of making agents to deliver it quicker, still maintain the humanity and still be safe for an organization to deploy in their organization.
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That is amazing. Particularly for publishing. Right. Publishing is, in my mind, has always been a difficult industry, but particularly now, particularly for, like, traditional publishers, et cetera, even for the large publishers.
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I think that's absolutely right. And I think what we're seeing is that. I think the way that the world of content and publishing is moving, there is so much more desire for more purely human content. And that's not only just for the humans, that's also for the LLMs, because the large language models don't want to feed on their own food. They want to find stuff that's genuinely human, so they can bring differentiation. So AI is not about replacing humanity, it's about augmenting.
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Yes, no, that. That is absolutely amazing. Now, we're very curious listeners. My guests are always asking me various questions. So my question to you is, how does Galliad work? So if we were to open up the hood and really look at the brain, how does it deliver what it delivers?
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Yeah, great, great question. And I think the brain is a, is a, is a great analogy for what this Galahad products do. So what we do is we go into companies and look at the workflows that exist within their companies. And we have a proprietary framework called Ikigai, which is based on the Japanese concept of finding humanity. And what this does is it takes these workflows and breaks them down into what should be human and what should be AI. And it starts to build those workflows so that humans and AIs are working in concert and starts making decisions and wiring into platforms. So for example, for marketing into a Google Ads platform, or for example, for finance into a billing system or a rules engine. So it helps make people better. And one cool little tool we've got is. Is when I'm pitching to CEOs is I ask them for their job description and I run it through the framework automated. And then I build them a suite of agents that can sit around them and allow them to do the things that they really want to be doing as a human.
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Got it. That's amazing. And one thing that I really like about what you're talking about is the fact that there's so many people that are concerned that all these jobs will be eliminated because of AI. But with Gallia, what you're looking at is you're making sure that a human is always in the loop. And these are the tasks, these are the areas for humans, and these are the areas for AI. Thereby, humans can even become more productive and triple or quadruple their output because you've been able to segment those work activities in the right places.
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Exactly right. Exactly right. And really getting that up first when talking about our platform. This is not really about a platform, it's about helping you be better. What can.
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Yeah.
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And that. And that's why we use cognitive scaffolding as a term. And also making sure it's not just about automation. It's about helping you think differently and about being slightly non unconventional. Because AI can help us do that as well.
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Cognitive scaffolding, I love that. Now let me ask you, is the product, is it B2C? B2B. B2G for government? Who? Your ideal customer?
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Our ideal Customer is a B2C organization that is reaching out to people that also has large processes that have been defined by legacy or is a startup that is looking to build those processes without necessarily building a complicated org structure. So yeah, that's that.
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Okay, got it. Now you gave us the example of you being on stage and the audience was like, wow, holy smokes. About what Galliac could deliver. Take me to that real world magic moment. And I like to get the perspective of you as a founder. Talk to me about a time again where it just blew your mind. It's like, oh my God, did I really create this? I can't believe. Because you started by saying that you wanted to create something or you saw a gap for the human experience and making that better. So take us to that time where you were like, galliad is actually helping with the human experience and you got goosebumps.
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It's a great question. It's a great question. And I think it changes every day, I think, because the great thing about AI is there's such a low barrier to entry in terms of people can just start playing with it. But the mo. The most amazing thing I've ever seen my platform do is we have a part of our platform that it looks out for, shadow AI. So AI happening in organizations that shouldn't be happening. So people uploading things to their own chatgpt.
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Got it.
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And we've developed a system that was still in beta with, to be fair, but what it can do is it can crawl, it can insert what are called canaries into company content that you can then query ChatGPT. And if that canary appears, then you know that that data has left the building. We did that with a large FMCG client and that that meant they needed not to lock down the use of AI, but make it easier for their staff to use their own systems.
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Got it. Now I know what CG is. Consumer goods. What's fm?
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Fm. Fast moving consumer goods.
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Oh, what's an example of that?
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So cpg. An example would be. It would be Unilever. It wasn't Unilever, but an example would be Unilever.
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Okay, all right, perfect. That's great. Now, I'm glad you brought that up because, you know, I really want to talk about now, like, ethics and the ethical space with what you're doing in your platform. Have you thought about ethics? Is it ethic? Is it one of your, you know, core foundations that you've thought about? Or did something happen and it was a moment and you were like, oh, we should probably really stay on top of this. Talk to us about ethics and how you're thinking about that.
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I'm thinking about it all the time. I am a very skeptical technologist and I don't. I don't work in innovation theater. I work in what is real. And the phrase that I use the most when I'm talking to my team is just because we could doesn't mean we should. And I think that's really important, is to make sure. And that's it really. It's about maintaining that humanity. If my platform, if a client comes to me and says, I need to build this in the platform, and our framework says it is better for a Human to do it, we will not do it.
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Got it. Wow.
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And we've got, in our framework, we've got the four Hs of humanity, which are, do you need to be here? So do you need to be present? Does the process need hunger? So does it need resilience? In which case you need a human? Does it need heart, empathy? If so, you need a human. And does it need a hunch? Does it need instinct? And if those four are part of it, it's not for our platform to do.
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That is amazing. So give me the four again. Hunger, heart, hunch, and here, here, here. Oh, yeah, that's actually one of my favorite ones. Yes, I love that. And I think that for our listeners, it's important for them to understand that, that you have core values and it has driven and it constantly drives everything you're doing. And actually, I love it because, you know, some people have core values in there. You could totally replace any company. Right. It could be the leading edge, it could be reliable Coca Cola, it could be any company. But with yours, it's very clear that the four ages start with humanity and the heart and the things that you actually introduced at the very beginning. So I just wanted to call that out and how important it is and how thoughtful that was. And I actually feel. Feel that in my spirit, when you went through it, it wasn't just some random core values, you know.
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Thank you, Dr. T. That's very, very kind of you.
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Yeah. And I tell people it's so important to have and define your core values in the beginning. You know, I would say employee one, meaning you as a founder, but definitely employee two, whomever that is. Right, right. Because there will be those moments, particularly if you're working in industries like we do, where you will be presented with some ethical question. And guess what? It'll be one of your employees, not you. And you want to make sure that they're going to make the right decision in that split second that they have.
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Absolutely. And I think what's even more powerful about that, Dr. C, is it is much more with. With AI and the way that we can build with what's coming out with Claude Code and things like that, it is very easy to make a bad decision, and it is even easier to make that bad decision quickly. So making sure people are making the right decision is. Yeah. Is paramount.
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Awesome. So talk to us about the big future for Galliad. Where do you see it in five years and where. Tell to us about where and how it will make an impact to the world.
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I'M not going to say that we're all going to be listening to classical music and being on holiday all the time, but I think it will make people happier. I think where this really came from is me. I was in a very big corporate job. I was global CTO of one of the largest agencies in the world. And when I discovered my neurodiversity, I began to be very clear that the world was not built for me and the way that I thought. So I have tried to build. I first built the operating system of Galahad around me to work for me and with me. And now that's made me happier and healthier. And that is what I want to make us at work and at home, using AI to make us doing the things that we really want to do, the human things, the things that make
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us better AI for good. Now, this is a little bit off script, so I'm going to ask this. If you feel comfortable, great. If not, then let me know. So you found out that you were neurodivergent as an adult, like pretty much in your career as cto, et cetera. Were. There was this always a feeling up until that point, number one. And then number two, what was the point where you realized that you needed to be kind of like, you know, go and formally diagnose, if you will. Because we do have so many CEOs that are also neurodivergent. Some know, some don't know. And I love the fact that you're taking your journey and your story and you're saying this. I'm much happier now. Like, this was. This is my story. This who, this is who I am. Look, I've created this wonderful company around this gift, if you will. That is how I was created. And so I'm always wondering that because I actually, even as a CEO now, and I know turned 50 last year, for me, I'm getting to a point where there's like emotional overload, if you will.
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Yeah.
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And. And I've never had that before, or maybe I did and it was suppressed. And so I'm at a point now where I'm thinking about things differently. I'm not over committing myself to organizations and to all these different things. And I'm really trying to take care of Self and Tamara and protect myself emotionally.
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I think that's really, really insightful, Dr. T. I think I didn't realize that I was unhappy, I think. And I mean, I don't mean unhappy in a. In a. I mean more unhappy isn't a deep dissatisfaction. But didn't realize it was the thing. And I felt that emotional overload at least a couple of times a year. And it hurts. It really hurts. And I spoke to a psychotherapist, and I've had therapy before, but they said, look, you should go and see if you've got adhd. And I was like, okay, I will. And I got formally diagnosed. And, you know, I work really hard on Galahad. Really, really hard. But I also work really hard, really hard on myself.
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Yes.
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Because I think that's, you know, not necessarily going to the gym, but going to, you know, the gym of the mind. I've done a lot of work on understanding how I think and also how I communicate to other people and also helping other people communicate with me.
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Yeah.
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Because the more we know each other, the more we can know other people. The more we know ourselves, the more we can know other people.
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Yes, sir. Right. Yeah. And I think that you actually show up as a better person to your family, to your employees, to your friends if you kind of have that introspective. I have so many people in my network that are just running, running, running, driving, driving, driving, and not taking care of themselves. Now I need to do the emotional workout, but I also need to do the physical workout. I know that's very clear, too. So. And I found for myself is I have to put it as an appointment, because I don't. I never miss appointments. I'm never late for appointments. So I have to put in the physical health and work out as if it's a meeting. That's just what I had to do personally. But I wanted to ask you that because our listeners need to know that, like, it's important to take care of self because you can show up and, you know, lead with AI focuses on the AI tools and platforms, but behind every great tool or platform is a founder, and that the power of the tool is just as important as the power of the founder.
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So completely. And, you know, going back to 2030, I believe in our platform can be behind every great person is a great tool as well.
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Yeah.
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And I think that's how we should be thinking about it. And for example, I always miss appointments. I'm surprised I was marginally on time for this, but my personal Galahad platform knows that. So it holds me accountable, not just with a reminder, but with, you know, various different ways of nudging and prompting and making sure that I'm in the right headspace, because that makes things better.
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That's great. Now, I want to go to something that you mentioned earlier in our conversation, you had mentioned that there was a CEO, and through Galahad, that person now had this team surrounding. I believe it was a he, him, through that. So if I'm a CEO, Let me think about this. If I'm a CEO and I'm in an industry right now that is going through a lot, you know, maybe slow growth, maybe challenge profitability. Can Galahad help create agents that can help me figure out how to pivot the company? Kind of like a board of advisors.
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Exactly that. Exactly that. So you could. We can have. We can have agents to support, and we can have agents that challenge and bring opinion. And that's what we generally do. So in that CEO example, I spent an hour with them, interviewing them. I asked them for their job description and a week of their calendar. I gave all of that to our diagnostic framework. And it built exactly that. It saw the gaps. You shouldn't be in that meeting. That shouldn't even be a meeting. There should be an agent here that does that, does this for you. But yes, a trusted group of advisors is definitely something that we build. And that, by the way, is not to replace other advisors. It is to give what is missing. Yeah, so you might not necessarily want to employ someone that disagrees with you all the time, but you might be able to use an agent to do that and not, you know, not. Not feel as if someone's always telling you you're wrong.
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Okay, got it. Understood. And are there certain industries that are better for Gallia than others? You said BC customers are. Are your target customers.
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I think it's marketing.
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Marketing.
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Marketing, sales and also complex regulated environments. So, like energy get more like game gaming or law and publishing, perhaps. We feel that Galahad is industry agnostic in the things that it can do.
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Okay, but like agency type and then highly regulated type.
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Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah.
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Okay. All right. That's always, you know, helpful there. So, like, gaming. What about. Or I'm just asking just to see, like, what the limits are. What about adult mature industries
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provided ethically? Those were, you know, things that everybody in the team was comfortable with. You know, there is. They market themselves. They have a. They have a very highly regulated industry. So it's, It's. Yeah, it's a conversation that could be had.
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Okay, got it. Perfect. Well, then that leads me to. If people are very much interested in being introduced to Gallia, to roll up their. Their sleeves and really understand and see the power. But what's the best way for them to do that? We have a listener. They're like, oh, I have a company I really could use Galahad. Based on what I've heard. What's their first entry point? What should they do this week?
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Yep. Go to galahadgroup.co.uk and take our Ikigai diagnostic for tasks, your company and your role to find out what the platform or wider AI can do to make your life more human.
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Awesome. Okay, great. I love that. So now I have a segment that I call from one genius to another. So one of my previous guests has a question for you. And that is if AI could solve one world problem, what would it be?
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AI could solve the problem of allowing neurodiverse individuals to lead happier and more inclusive and included lives and doing that would not only improve life for people with neurodiverse conditions, but would also improve life for everybody.
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Okay, awesome. I love that. Now let's move into our bonus rapid fire. I'll ask you four questions, you give me the first thought that comes to mind. Starting with the most overrated AI tech
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trend, using long articles on X to fool LLMs.
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Okay, I think I can get with that. What about the most underrated AI or tech trend?
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Most under hyped AI breakthrough is industrialization of AI actually using AI to do things.
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Okay, I love that. What about a book we should all
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read on the future?
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However, whatever book you thought you think we should read.
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1984.
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1984. I love that. Good old George. Okay, lastly, scare us, wow us. Give us your biggest, boldest prediction.
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My biggest, boldest prediction is that we will have digital avatars attending and acting as us in meetings in the next 18 months.
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I love it. And that soon. 18 months, if not sooner. I love that. Ross, thank you so much for being here and talking to us about Galahad. I've thoroughly enjoyed the conversation, learning more about the platform, the company, and most importantly and equally important, you. So if people want to get in contact with you, learn more about the company, give us all the ways to do that, social media and whatever other channels.
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Yeah, my. My LinkedIn profile is Ross Barnes. I can be got on Rossgalahadgroup.co.uk and I'm pretty easily found if you put minus baseball in your Google query because there's a very famous baseball player called Ross Barnes.
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Okay, minus him. That's amazing. Ross, thank you so much for being here and we so appreciate the time. Look forward to hearing about all of the wonderful things and all of the things coming to fruition that you predicted in our conversation. So thank you so much.
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Absolute pleasure. Thank you for having me, Dr. Seguin.
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Absolutely. And everyone, again, thanks for tuning in. And remember, until next time, lead with AI. Bye.
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Thanks for tuning in to lead with AI. I'll see you next time as we continue exploring the cutting edge innovations shaping AI across the public and private sectors. Until then, keep leading with AI.
Host: Dr. Tamara Nall
Guest: Ross Barnes, Founder of the Galahad Group
Episode Title: This Founder Built His AI Platform Around His Own Neurodivergent Brain
Release Date: May 5, 2026
This engaging episode of Lead With AI explores how agentic AI platforms can empower humans—not just automate tasks. Dr. Tamara Nall sits down with Ross Barnes, the neurodivergent founder of the Galahad Group, to discuss building AI-driven cognitive infrastructure that enhances uniquely human work. Barnes shares his personal journey, the power of keeping people “in the loop,” the ethics and values driving his company, and practical examples of AI transforming real organizations—all with a focus on authenticity, humanity, and inclusion.
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This episode powerfully weaves together AI innovation, ethical design, and the lived experience of a neurodiverse founder. The conversation moves from practical use cases and technical frameworks to deeply human questions about self-care, inclusivity, and the true goal of AI: to amplify individuality and make work—and life—more meaningful. Listeners walk away not just with ideas for deploying AI, but inspiration to lead more human-centric organizations in the age of intelligent agents.
For more about the Galahad Group or to try the Ikigai diagnostic:
galahadgroup.co.uk
Connect with Ross Barnes on LinkedIn ("minus baseball" for accurate search).