AI Readiness Ep 13: Building AI Foundations at NEST: Culture First, Tech Second

In Episode 13 of our AI Readiness series, Andy Davis is joined by Alex Blyth, Head of Data at NEST (National Employment Savings Trust), for a candid conversation on what it really takes to prepare an organisation for AI.They discuss why cultural readiness matters more than technical capability, how tools like CoPilot are helping drive practical adoption, and the risks of applying AI to the wrong problems. Alex shares his philosophy on removing unskilled tasks to unlock real value, the importance of strong data governance, and why transformation should always be approached step by step.This episode offers a grounded, inside view of AI adoption in the public sector — full of lessons for any organisation thinking about how to turn hype into impact.