A little friction goes a long way: the good, the bad and the AI, with Open Works
A little friction goes a long way: the good, the bad and the AI
Workshop with Open Works | 13:30–14:15, Dickens Suite
AI can take an idea from whiteboard to working product without a single human in the loop. What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, it turns out. Nobody’s sure if it’s right, who’s using it, or why the bill keeps climbing.
The answer isn’t to slow everything down. It’s knowing where a little friction belongs.
Wayne Palmer, Founder of OpenWorks, has spent 20 years taking friction out of organisations. Now he’s putting some back in. Drawing on real AI adoption work with busy teams and complex technology, Wayne will introduce the friction cycle: a practical way to decide where AI should run freely in your processes, and where people need to stop and think. He’ll also share how to keep cost and security under control, without it turning into the Wild West.
You’ll leave knowing:
How to tell good friction from bad in your own AI workflows
A simple framework for AI adoption, from first idea to ongoing improvement
What to measure instead of vanity metrics like token usage
How to keep costs down and security tight, even when your tech is complex
That the challenges you’ve faced so far are common, and fixable
Speaker: Wayne Palmer, Founder, OpenWorks
Want to see the rest of the programme? Take a look here.
About the Knowledge Quarter
The Knowledge Quarter is an innovation district at the heart of King’s Cross, bringing together world‑leading research institutes, cultural organisations, community groups and cutting‑edge businesses within a one‑mile radius.
Partners include the British Library, the British Museum, Central Saint Martins, Google DeepMind, the Institute of Physics, UCL and Wellcome, all united by a commitment to creating and sharing knowledge.
The Knowledge Quarter connects these institutions to drive collaboration, showcase collective strengths and ensure local residents can access and benefit from the district’s resources.
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