While most people have tried ChatGPT, far fewer have kept pace with how much AI tools can now do. The capabilities of leading-edge AI tools have moved on enormously in the past year: these systems can now analyse an entire folder of documents on your computer, produce a complex report with little supervision, or even help you build personal software (without you needing to know a line of code).

This series is for people who want to close that gap and get ahead. Three focused evening sessions, held over a relaxed after-work drink, take you from the everyday tools you already know to the highly capable systems those at the frontier of AI are using now.

Highly practical, cutting edge and strictly limited to 12 people maximum, these sessions are led by Ed Stoddard, an expert in the practical applications of AI for professionals.

Session 1: Solid Foundations - Getting the Most from Today's AI Tools

Thursday 10th September 18:00 - 20:00

 The first session establishes a solid foundation in the key tools in use today. It assumes some familiarity with ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude, but it remains accessible to anyone willing to learn quickly. We will explore leading AI systems, ChatGPT, Co-pilot, Gemini and Claude, covering core abilities in text and image generation, how to personalise them, and how to get reliable results on work tasks, such as drafting word or excel documents. We will cover working by voice rather than typing – speeding up routine writing tasks such as email - and we discuss the common AI risks to be avoided. Whether you have used AI before or not, you will leave with a rock-solid foundation to build on.

By the end of this session: Yu will be able to confidently assess and use the different features found in the most popular AI tools, be able to steer these AI models to do what you want and know how to use them to save time on common tasks in your work or personal life.

Session 2: Increasing Autonomy - Building AI Around Your Own Work

Thursday 24th September 18:00 - 20:00

Our second session steps things up a gear, introducing more advanced use cases. We’ll be jumping back into ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, but now be building more autonomous pre-configured AI tools that do recurring tasks for you rather than starting from scratch each time. We’ll discuss how to ramp-up productivity with AI and explore new tools like NotebookLM that help us extract information from our documents (e.g. collections of word docs, YouTube videos or online articles) and learn effectively with AI. We’ll consider how to sanity check AI outputs and explore some additional risks of AI use to be aware of. We’ll also look at the costs of different AI systems, and which are worth paying for (for your personal context).

By the end of this session: You’ll be able to set up custom AI tools that can handle complex work tasks, make infographics and slide decks with AI based on curated knowledge bases and know what you should (or shouldn’t) be paying for.

Session 3: Working with AI Agents

Thursday 8th October 18:00 - 20:00

This session introduces ‘Agentic AI’ – a key development in AI that is rapidly changing how work gets done. These are tools that can take on long, multi-step tasks and carry them through with less supervision than chatbots. We’ve moved beyond ChatGPT by this point to look at agentic tools like Claude Cowork and OpenAI’s Codex that can handle long and complex tasks and start to consider how to steer these powerful systems. We’ll also introduce some of the rapidly evolving tools that let non-developers build custom applications and websites. We’ll consider how work is changing as a result, and how to position yourself for a future where we work alongside increasingly autonomous AI agents. This session will give you a window into the future of AI at work and put you ahead of the vast majority of people in terms of AI knowledge.

By the end of this session: You will understand what AI agents are, how you can access and use them to boost your productivity, and how to start working with them in your professional life.

Pricing & Booking

Full Series, all three sessions: £375 per person

We recommend attending all three sessions to gain the maximum benefit from the programme and build your skills progressively from AI fundamentals through to autonomous AI and custom applications.

Your booking includes:

• Access to all three workshop sessions

• Hands-on practical training and demonstrations

• Supporting resources and takeaways

• A complimentary glass of Prosecco, beer or soft drink on arrival at each session

• Opportunities to ask questions and receive expert guidance throughout

If you would prefer to attend a single session rather than the full series, please get in touch. Single session attendance may be possible if spaces remain available.

For enquiries, please contact: events@fernleighchichester.co.uk

Please note this event will take place in the Blue Lounge on the first floor with no lift access. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.