Episode 14: Stop Waiting, Start Experimenting: James Garner, Head of AI & Data at Gleeds

They explore the transformative impact of AI on construction and real estate, discussing how professionals must embrace education and experimentation rather than viewing AI as just a “tech problem.”

James shares stories about people having their ‘light bulb moment’ with AI — that instant when everything clicks and they suddenly see how the technology can transform their overwhelming workload. He debates the evolving role of tools like Microsoft Copilot and explains how agentic workflows are reshaping project management. The conversation covers practical AI adoption strategies, the importance of prompting skills, and why waiting for perfect data before implementing AI is a mistake. James emphasizes that AI success comes from combining top-down strategic support with bottom-up innovation, while warning against the dangers of “shadow AI” when organisations fail to provide credible alternatives to consumer tools.