Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease.

Nonprofits are moving from AI experiments to governed, human‑centered deployments. AIIM's Tori Miller‑Liu and Synozur's Andrew Borg share field lessons, from "conversational search" that cites sources to coalition‑driven ethics and the EU AI Act's impact horizon.

Takeaways

AI is a force multiplier, not a headcount reducer. The biggest value today is in accelerating research, finance, content triage, and enterprise search—so your people spend more time on strategy and relationships.

Governance is behind adoption. Surveys show most nonprofits use AI in some form, but comparatively few have formal policies—an exposure area leaders should close.

Regulation is real—and staggered. The EU AI Act is now law (entered into force Aug 1, 2024) with phased obligations through 2026; even non‑EU orgs will feel its ripple effects via vendors and data flows.

"Frontier Firm" playbook is emerging. Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index highlights human–agent teams and "intelligence on tap"; nonprofits can apply the same operating model to scale impact responsibly.

Ethics + belonging are differentiators. Keep human connection in the loop—AI can process, route, and answer, but it shouldn't replace the sense of community members join for.

Start with existing platforms. Many nonprofit tech vendors now ship AI capabilities; piloting within your current stack reduces cost, risk, and time to value.

Data privacy & access control are non‑negotiable. Especially for nonprofits working in sensitive contexts—design for minimum necessary data and tight permissions from day one.

Sound bites Tori Miller‑Liu

"Use AI to multiply value—not replace people. Our job is advancing member outcomes, and AI helps us do more of that."

"Belonging beats the bot. Let AI handle transactions; keep humans where community and trust are built."

"Start where you are: pilot inside the tools you already own before building from scratch."

Andrew Borg

"For nonprofits, AI is a force multiplier on training wheels—powerful, but it still needs guardrails."

"Keep AI at arm's length ethically. Until models have a moral core, humans must stay accountable."

"Cooperate to accelerate. Sector coalitions let nonprofits share tools, data, and hard‑won lessons."

"Don't buy the hype—buy outcomes. The winners align AI to real missions and measurable value."

References Guest Notes

Tori Miller‑Liu (LinkedIn): CEO of AIIM (Association for Intelligent Information Management)

Andrew Borg (LinkedIn):Head of Ethical AI & Nonprofits at Synozur

Industry Notes

82% of nonprofits are using AI; Nonprofit Quarterly: "Sector Adopting AI, Building Reserves, and Expanding Missions

European Commission: "AI Act enters into force" (Aug 1, 2024)

Fast Forward's accelerator program saw six times more AI-powered nonprofit applicants than the year before: Stanford Social Innovation Review: "Mapping the Landscape of AI‑Powered Nonprofits"

300% increase since 2018 in the use of AI to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Google.org (Research brief))

IBM watsonx Assistant (conversational search / RAG)

ASAE: Association Coalition for AI (ACAI)

Forbes Coverage of MIT "GenAI Divide" ROI findings (context for '95% fail' headline)

Jared Spataro from Microsoft on defining the "frontier firm" and on 'headline hype' obscuring the real buseinss value of AI.

NetHope "AI Lighthouse" for Nonprofits (responsible AI resources)

Culture Notes

Avett Brothers and "Swept Away" on Broadway (official)

Events

Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square

CollabDays New England 2025 | October 17, 2025 Microsoft New England in Burlington MA

Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 Vancouver BC

TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center

Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).

ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland).

Production

Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe. Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley.

Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AI and Its Impact

01:51 News and Data Points

03:42 Tori Miller-Liu and Andrew Borg

06:10 AI in Nonprofits: Opportunities and Challenges

08:04 The Dichotomy of AI Perception

10:50 Governance and Risk in Nonprofits

13:44 AI as a Force Multiplier

16:03 The Future Workforce and AI

16:38 The Role of Education in AI Utilization

19:52 Human-AI Interaction and Ethical Considerations

21:53 AI's Role in Enhancing Community Engagement

24:30 Cooperation Among Nonprofits

27:24 Advice for Nonprofits on AI Adoption

33:43 Cultural Reflections and Personal Insights

37:36 Upcoming Tech Events Overview

38:29 Closing and Acknowledgments