I write these notes to reflect, remember (because I don't), compare scars with fellow digital pros, and for public accountability. Read more here.
“Artificial Intelligence is the marketing name, what they’re really unleashing is the opposite: natural stupidity” – Guillermo Del Toro during his In Conversation event at BFI Southbank.
I quite like that.
We’re in the middle of celebrating all things Guillermo here, as part of his BFI Fellowship.
Getting to know the man through his acceptance speech, Q&As and the commentary of others has given me a new appreciation of his films, philosophy and artistic intent.
The BFI is great at doing that – which is precisely the special sauce / lightning in a bottle I’m striving to catch and share far beyond our London cinemas digitally, cos seeing and discussing film with friends or strangers is such a magical and life-affirming empathy machine.
And lord knows we need more of that *cocks an eyebrow at local elections*.
So how’s that going?
Pretty great, of late!
BFI Player’s reach is steadily growing, despite the challenge of fragmented attention. Our recording studio is up and running in BFI Southbank so we can bottle more of that lightning.
Within weeks now, we’ll unveil a new website that does a much better job of showcasing BFI’s incredible cinema programme, designed around users’ needs for the first time.
And we just released this improved service (merging two prior services) making videos of our collective human past available into our future.
Better still, I finally feel like I’m rewiring the DNA and neurons of the org, in two ways:
- A session on Service Organisation with Dave and Kate went down well with my Exec Board colleagues. It’s now part of our shared language, with a commitment to evolve towards it. Thanks to excellent work by my team (shout out Sophie) I could also point to what service design looks like in our context. At least the beginning part, where we describe the undesigned as-is service holistically through the eyes of its users.
- I’m also leading a quick project with pro bono support of a Big 6 consultancy to ideate around what big shifts the org might make to stay relevant and maximise cultural impact per precious pound, and to set itself up for its second century. It’s fascinating to watch them work (at impressive speed!) and I’m learning a lot from it.
Meanwhile, at home
I took son 1 to a special screening of A Clockwork Orange, in the very theatre (screen one in Picturehouse West Norwood) where the Ludovico technique presentation scene is filmed. They gave us free Droog hats (alas no codpieces) and it was amazing to revisit it on a big screen. Viddy this, O my brothers:
As you can see, progress with Luigi the PT continues. I’m the strongest and leanest I’ve ever been, like seriously ever. To the extent I had to buy new clothes. It’s making me pretty happy, confident and mentally sharp. I didn’t plan it, but getting fit in the year I’ll turn 50 mirrors my giving up booze in the year I turned 40. Sorry to be a bore about both! That’s blogging for you.
I briefly entertained applying for the Director General of Digital Products role at DSIT but I really do love what I’m doing too much to leave, plus I’ve been out of GDS longer than I was in it, it’s not who I am any more.
Assembling this metal bastard in the garden has been one of the worst experiences of my life, to the ruination of two weekends and my delicate office worker hands.
I bought some plastic tubs that came in a box that disproportionately amused me. And I had a joyous encounter with the Gipsy Hill station cat.
Links I liked
AI and alignment – I love this “slow like brisket” point at the end: “Some things become good because they are done slowly, and it’s OK if software is one of them.”
You need AI that reduces your maintenance costs – this, via Ash, is also excellent on the same theme, that shipping new code faster isn’t the main problem we need to solve.
The people do not yearn for automation – powerful read (or watch/listen)
The IT department: where AI goes to die – the less clickbaity point is: meet AI’s weirdness with a 3-layer model of leadership (endorsement), crowd (experiments), and lab (scaling).
Putting in place the enabling conditions for AI – Eddie’s bridge and pillars visual metaphor in this piece is a good companion/alt to Dave’s crackled pyramids.
LOTI’s service innovation cards – speaking of Eddie, he’s written several times on options for radically rethinking service delivery, and this is his best articulation yet (via Briggsy)
Writing is thinking, presenting is deciding – more Russell wisdom.
Wait.. how do you collaborate in MS Teams?
Local Government architectural model
Cultural highlights
🎧 I am obsessed with Angine de Poitrine (Vol I and Vol II). I also loved the new albums from ZULI (The Screaming Abdabs), Max Cooper (Feeling is Structure), Upsammy (Seismo) and Tom VR (Please Keep Shimmering). Lately I’ve been exploring a deconstructed dark ambient vibe with artists like Puce Mary, Lorn, The Vomit Arsonist and The Haxan Cloak.
🎬 I loved seeing A Clockwork Orange on a big screen. I revisited City of God with the teens and it’s nowhere near as good as (and much longer than) I remembered it being.
📺 Binged Rhythm and Flow S1 and S2. Went deeeeep down a Mormon paedo rabbit hole with Trust Me: The False Prophet and Keep Sweet: Prey and Obey. Darkly fascinating on the extremes of brainwashing, conditioning and religious belief.
📖 The Garden by Nick Newman was an OK read.
🕹️ I haven’t touched a game controller in a month, sadly :(
Silliness
- Colour memory game – remembering colours (even moment to moment) is harder than you might think!
- “Cat pervert” – made me chuckle.
Cheerio!
