Which AI projects are worth backing, and how do you make sure they deliver?
The Human Edge series, course 2 of 2
The leadership layer. Takes the judgement built in course 1 to the organisation: choosing where AI investment goes, and leading it through to results.
Most organisations are no longer asking whether to invest in AI; they are asking where, and how to make it work. The hard part is choosing well. Among many plausible ideas, some will create genuine, durable value. Others are confident-sounding traps that will consume budget and goodwill before quietly failing. And even good ideas fail in delivery when they are run like ordinary projects.
This one-day masterclass gives leaders a disciplined way to choose AI investments and see them through. The morning builds the frameworks. How do you spot genuine opportunities, separate fundable reality from hype, and weigh value against feasibility, cost and risk? What do these investments actually cost, and what does build versus buy versus self-host mean for data governance and long-term risk? Why do AI projects fail differently? The demo is a trap, the data is the uncertainty, outputs vary, and checking is part of the product.
The afternoon is a hands-on workshop. You build an investment proposal for a real opportunity in your own organisation, score it, and pitch it for structured feedback. Then you stress-test its delivery. Is the organisation ready? Where must a person stay in the loop? What evidence at each stage gate would make you scale, pivot or kill it? And how would you respond when something goes wrong?
There is a sharper test underneath all of this. When every competitor runs the same models, generic quality becomes table stakes, not an advantage. The AI investments worth real money buy your organisation something rivals can’t get from the same vendor: durable value built on your data, your processes and your people’s judgement. This course teaches you to tell the difference before you commit a budget, and to protect that value once you have.
How this course connects to the series
This is the second course in The Human Edge series. The Human Edge: Using AI with Judgement builds personal judgement with AI, at your desk and in the work you deliver; this course takes that judgement to the organisation, from choosing what to fund to leading it through to results. Each course stands alone. Ethics of artificial intelligence is the related masterclass for governance, risk and regulation in depth.
About the facilitators
Dr Michael Borck
Dr Michael Borck is a recognised authority in information systems and artificial intelligence, with a career spanning over two decades in machine learning, software engineering, and AI-driven innovation. Dr. Borck has held diverse roles, including Software Developer, IT Manager, Consultant, Associate Lecturer, and Researcher, equipping him with a comprehensive understanding of both technical and strategic aspects of AI applications in business.
A Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society and an active member of the IEEE Computer Society, Dr. Borck has contributed extensively to the fields of image engineering, mobile mapping data, and object recognition through his research and publications. His practical expertise is complemented by a deep commitment to advancing AI research and its real-world applications.