How one PE firm's proactive approach to data is turbocharging their use of AI
Access Holdings didn't wait for their portfolio companies to work it out. Other firms should take note.
Tom Hewitson··5 min read
The Distillation
Practical thinking on AI adoption, training, and organisational change. No hype, no jargon — just what works.
Does ChatGPT's Personality Feature Actually Do Anything? All 8 Presets Tested
We tested all eight ChatGPT personalities so you don't have to. Default wins for most tasks, Candid cuts waffle by 16%, and Cynical is the sharpest strategic voice. The other five? Skip them.
Susi Castle··9 min read
Mastering AI in Customer Experience: Full Transcript
Full transcript from the Mastering AI in CX webinar with Tom Hewitson (General Purpose) and Rebecca Brown (Think Wow). Practical advice on AI adoption, prompting, journey mapping, and protecting vulnerable customers.
Susi Castle··28 min read
AI Skills Boost: the UK government is solving access – support is the bigger problem
The AI Skills Boost gives everyone free AI training. But LinkedIn data shows only 39% of workers feel supported to actually learn. Here's what graduates need next.
Susi Castle··8 min read
Mastering AI Adoption: Expert Conversations on ROI, Use Cases & Implementation
Unscripted conversations with leading AI adopters. Real use cases, real results, real lessons learned. 45-min sessions with live Q&A.
Susi Castle··1 min read
Mind the AI Governance Gap: Why HR Leaders Can't Wait for the Law to Catch Up
Most organisations have no AI governance programme. EU law already requires AI literacy. Here's why HR leaders must treat this as a people challenge, not a tech one.
Meena Sangar··3 min read
The EU AI Act Is More Than Compliance – It's An Opportunity
Shadow AI is everywhere. The EU AI Act forces it into the light. Here's why businesses that lead on AI transparency will win customer trust – and market share.
Susi Castle··3 min read
The EU AI Act: A Plain-English Guide for UK Businesses
The EU AI Act applies to UK businesses selling into Europe. Our plain-English guide explains the rules, the November 2025 changes, and what to do next.
Tom Hewitson··1 min read
AI Skills: The Budget’s Missing £54 Billion Windfall
The UK is in an economic pickle and proper use of AI provides a way out so why isn’t the government doing anything about it?
Tom Hewitson··5 min read
25+ of the Best AI Image Prompts for ChatGPT
Transform your images with 25+ professional ChatGPT style prompts. From watercolour to vapourwave, marble to pixel art – create stunning AI artwork instantly.
Tom Hewitson··10 min read
How to Adopt AI Without Abandoning Your Principles
AI isn’t coming – it’s here. The real question is how we use it responsibly. From bias to transparency, we explore what ethical adoption actually looks like in practice – and how teams can embrace AI’s potential without compromising on their values.
Tom Hewitson··6 min read
Why We Sponsored the AI Adoption Award at The National AI Awards 2025
General Purpose sponsored the AI Adoption Award, celebrating responsible AI in action — with Kainos recognised for its work on ethical, impactful AI adoption.
Tom Hewitson··1 min read
Vibe check: does GPT-5 live up to the hype?
GPT-5 is here and it’s both pretty impressive and also more of an evolution than a revolution. Here’s what it can do and some instant reflections.
Tom Hewitson··5 min read
A Practical Guide to Using ChatGPT Agent for Real World Business Tasks
AI agents go beyond chat. They complete entire tasks step by step. We put ChatGPT Agent to the test with a real business task to show what it can do.
Tom Hewitson··4 min read
How ChatGPT Connectors Bring Your Work Tools into One Chat (Watch Demo)
Discover how ChatGPT Connectors let you securely link your everyday tools like Google Drive, Gmail, Calendar, and GitHub directly to the chat. In this blog we walk you through the purpose of connectors, how to set them up, and what’s possible once connected.
Tom Hewitson··2 min read
Why Companies Still Struggle to Scale AI
Why are so many AI projects stalling before they scale? From outdated systems to staff mistrust and rising costs, we break down the real barriers holding companies back. If your organisation is investing in AI but not seeing results, this is the read you need.
Tom Hewitson··3 min read
Beyond Smart Talk: The Limits of AI Reasoning According to Apple
If you’ve ever been impressed by an AI model explaining its reasoning step by step, you’re not alone. But what if that reasoning is more of an illusion than a genuine thought process?
Tom Hewitson··4 min read
Fair Use or Free Ride? AI Copyright Law Just Shifted
AI is moving faster than the law but the legal tide is turning. We unpack what new rulings and regulations mean for businesses building or buying AI tools, and why transparency is quickly becoming a strategic must-have.
Tom Hewitson··4 min read
How AI Is Redefining Entry-Level Jobs: What Employers Should Do Next
Early-career roles are changing fast. As generative AI reshapes workflow and hiring logic, leaders must adapt how they build and support tomorrow’s talent.
Tom Hewitson··3 min read
Advertising’s AI Hangover Starts Now
Back from Cannes Lions, our latest blog asks why so many agencies are still partying like it’s 2015 while AI quietly reshapes the foundations of advertising.
Tom Hewitson··3 min read
The day Google stopped being the only game in town
AI is changing how we search and Answer Engine Optimisation is key if you want your business to remain visible online.
Tom Hewitson··3 min read
The AI mandates are coming
A series of leading companies have started making AI usage mandatory for their workers - is this the start of a broader trend?
Tom Hewitson··3 min read
Still think AI can’t write?
AI models have long been accused of producing pedestrian prose but a new ‘creative writing’ model from OpenAI shows that might not be true for much longer…
Tom Hewitson··7 min read
GPT 4.5 - the future ain't what it used to be
GPT-4.5 (once known as GPT-5) was supposed to be the start of the next generation of AI models but developments over the last few months mean that it’ll make less of a splash than expected.
Tom Hewitson··2 min read
What are Diffusion LLMs?
Diffusion LLMs are much more efficient than standard LLMs at generating text while solving a bunch of the issues standard language models suffer from.
Tom Hewitson··2 min read
Claude joins the reasoning party
Claude, the assistant and model provided by Anthropic has had a sizeable upgrade which will be especially welcome for software developers.
Tom Hewitson··2 min read
A few thoughts on Deepseek
Why did Deepseek cause a market freak out and should we be worried about the implications of China leading the AI race?
Tom Hewitson··4 min read
RSVP now for AI & Automation on 19th September
Join us at this evening event to learn more about how AI can help you manage your life.
Guest User··1 min read
Is your business eligible for 50% match-funding from the UK AI Upskilling Fund?
Don't Miss Out: Up to £10K Funding for AI Training in the UK
Guest User··1 min read
AI Essentials launches in Dublin on 6th September 2024
In collaboration with WeWork, we’re delighted to announce that General Purpose is coming to Dublin!
Guest User··1 min read
Will AI exacerbate bias in the workplace?
During London Tech Week, General Purpose hosted a discussion on AI & Bias with Sasha Scott of Inclusive Group.
Sasha Scott··1 min read
Embracing AI as a Modern Student
Isabelle Samuels is a student and wrote this guest blog after attending AI Essentials and AI for Creatives in June 2024.
Isabelle Samuels··3 min read
Funding your General Purpose AI class
We provide various resources to help you secure reimbursement for your chosen class.
Isabelle Samuels··1 min read
15 ways small business can start using AI immediately
General Purpose reveals 15 AI hacks that small businesses can implement straight away to start taking advantage of AI now.
Isabelle Samuels··2 min read
Old Dog. New Tricks.
In this post Robert Campbell, founder of The Silver Academy tells us about his experience on AI for Creatives.
Robert Campbell··5 min read
Top 8 AI Meeting Assistants in 2024
AI notetakers are everywhere, but that doesn't mean they are universally loved. Selecting the best notetaker is requires balancing trade-offs in the context of features meaningful to you. A good meeting note-taker should be easy to use, provide accurate and concise summaries, and offer helpful features like action items and talk time analysis. That's why we decided to put them to the test!
Guest User··5 min read
How Candy Kittens is leveraging growth with AI
AI Essentials "opened our mind to how we can all use AI in a really productive way - not to replace our job - but to enhance our jobs".
Guest User··2 min read
Making Music with AI
Over the past year, we’ve all been talking about generating text and images with AI. But it feels like audio generation hasn't kept pace—or has it?
Guest User··1 min read
AI: From curiosity to application
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to explore the world AI through a course hosted by General Purpose AI Training (no affiliation). The experience was incredibly fun and a little overwhelming, reinforcing the vast potential and intricacies of AI technologies.
Amy Hanson··2 min read
Introducing Sora: a game-changer for AI video
Everyone in AI is talking about one thing this week: Sora. It’s a groundbreaking new creative tool from OpenAI, the tech giant behind ChatGPT, that will enable anyone to generate videos using AI.
Guest User··1 min read
3 actually useful GPTs for getting work done
Introducing GPTs on the OpenAI GPT store. Tools that help get your work done.
Tom Hewitson··2 min read
Is Copilot the new ChatGPT?
Copilot from Microsoft is the product that the business world has been talking about for months. Now everyone can use it for free at copilot.microsoft.com.
Guest User··1 min read
The Game Changer: AI art meets ChatGPT with Dall-E 3
If you’re remotely familiar with AI generated art, you’ve probably come across Midjourney. It’s currently the leading AI image generation platform, but the release of Dall-E 3 from OpenAI earlier this week could change everything,
The Flock··1 min read
Back to the Future as ChatGPT Web Browsing returns
ChatGPT Web Browsing returns and it could be the best intern you ever met.
The Flock··2 min read
Amp Up Your Presentations with Adobe Firefly
Are you a clip art aficionado? Or are your PowerPoint slides usually full of words and short on charm? Whatever your sin, Adobe Firefly is an AI image generation tool with the power to rescue your drab presentations. Never again will your clients or colleagues have to endure a dull slide.
The Flock··2 min read
Is Perplexity the new Google?
Perplexity is a new search engine that uses AI. Barbie reveals algorithmic bias in Midjourney
The Flock··2 min read
Take AI on holiday this August
Summer is in full swing and while the the weather may have picked up over the last couple of days it’s not been the best this year. If you’re feeling the need for some guaranteed sun then why not take a long weekend somewhere warm with the help of AI.
The Flock··2 min read
E-mail perfection with ChatGPT
Everyone hates sending emails, right? On average, more than a quarter of our time at work is spent on emails - a relatively low-value task that most of us would like to semi-automate. We’ve all experimented with ChatGPT to draft e-mails for us, but while it is easy to get 50% of the way there, it can be challenging to generate an email that sounds just like you and is ready to send.
The Flock··2 min read
The Augmented Future: How AI is Reshaping Entry-Level Professional Roles
We've all heard the alarmist predictions: "Robots are coming for our jobs!” Should we be concerned about the implications for people at the start of their careers?
The Flock··4 min read
Claude, Writing Hacks and Sleepy Androids
Welcome to the first edition of The Flock! Our occasional (and aspirationally weekly) newsletter providing you with the up-to-the-minute insights on how to best use AI in your day-to-day work.
The Flock··2 min read
Strategy Consulting meets AI: Augmentation, Not Replacement
Does AI present an existential threat to strategy consulting? At Electric Sheep, we believe AI tools will enhance - not displace - human accomplishment.
The Flock··4 min read