Artificial Intelligence
Independent AI advisory built on nearly a decade of hands-on use, not a service launched to catch a trend.
Objective, pragmatic and vendor-independent artificial intelligence advisory for boards and executives, covering governance, pilot programmes, information security analysis and risk-informed decision-making, built on practical AI tooling experience developed and refined since well before AI reached the boardroom.
Quick answer: This practice provides independent, vendor-agnostic artificial intelligence advisory, covering AI governance frameworks, pilot programme design, information security analysis and risk-informed decision-making, built on hands-on applied AI tooling experience developed over nearly a decade, not a capability assembled to meet demand. An AI governance and readiness diagnostic starts from A$7,500, with pilot, model or agent build work scoped at engagement and a standing AI advisory retainer from A$3,500 per month.
Most AI advice reaching boards and executives today comes from the people selling the AI: a vendor demonstration, a platform pitch, or a consultancy with a licensing arrangement behind the recommendation. That leaves boards and executives, who are frequently under-equipped to evaluate AI claims independently, exposed to exactly the kind of vendor-driven overstatement this practice is engaged to test elsewhere. This practice's AI capability was not built to meet that demand: it developed through postgraduate research, a Master of Science completed over two years followed by doctoral research commencing in 2019, applying corpus linguistics, structured knowledge-graph construction, thematic analysis and grounded theory to the practical application of emerging technology in risk and security decision-making, well before artificial intelligence became a board agenda item. Full detail on that research grounding is set out in "A Third Discipline" on the main Services page. This page is the direct, engageable service that grounding supports.
Applied since 2019, not launched this year
Computer-assisted research tooling, database construction and categorisation, corpus linguistics, structured knowledge-graph construction and applied large language model work across platforms including DEVONthink, Obsidian, Gemini Notebook, Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity, developed through postgraduate research from 2019 as the platforms themselves changed, not a capability built in response to the current AI cycle.
Independent of any vendor
No platform partnership, licensing arrangement or reseller margin sits behind any recommendation made here. The advice a board receives is not shaped by what this practice has to sell, which is the exact condition most AI advice reaching boards today fails to meet.
From governance to build
AI governance frameworks, pilot programme design, information security analysis, risk-informed decision-making and terms of reference, through to the construction of models, scripts and agent support tools from base language models, covering the full span from policy to implementation.
Track record
- Applied AI tooling, developed since 2019: large-scale database construction and categorisation, corpus linguistics, structured knowledge-graph construction, scientometrics, systematic literature review, thematic and grounded theory analysis, script analysis and review, AI-generated content detection, and prompt development, across platforms including DEVONthink, Obsidian, Gemini Notebook, Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity as each generation of tooling changed.
- Commercial engagements, validated over the last three to four years: AI governance framework development, pilot programme design and delivery, information security analysis and considerations for AI adoption, and risk-informed decision-making frameworks for AI use within organisations.
- Multinational and multilingual application: working with teams and inputs spanning multiple languages and corpora, addressing linguistic divergence and uncertainty, and setting parameters and terms of reference for AI use within organisational constructs.
- Model and agent build support: construction of agent and agent-support elements from base large language models, as a direct extension of governance and pilot work rather than a separate technical offering.
- Published analysis: this practice's own AI-related research and commentary is published on its blog, including analysis of deployed-AI monitoring challenges, AI risk and uncertainty measurement, and AI's role and limits in risk management.
Generic AI vendor pitch vs this practice
| Dimension | Generic AI vendor pitch | This practice |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Recommendation shaped by a platform partnership or licensing arrangement | No platform partnership or reseller margin behind any recommendation |
| Basis of advice | Demonstration-driven, built to close a sale | Built on nearly a decade of hands-on applied tooling across multiple platforms |
| Governance vs hype | Capability marketed ahead of what has been tested | Governance frameworks and risk-informed decision-making grounded in commercial delivery |
| Track record | Rarely disclosed, or limited to case studies with the vendor's own product | Commercial AI governance, pilot and information security engagements over the last three to four years |
| Output | A platform recommendation | A governance framework, pilot design, decision-making structure, or a working model, script or agent |
Three tiers, one standard
A single diagnostic, a scoped build, or standing advisory coverage, each built to the same independent, vendor-agnostic standard.
1. AI Governance & Readiness Diagnostic
From A$7,500
An independent assessment of an organisation's current AI governance posture, information security considerations and readiness for pilot or wider deployment, benchmarked against a defensible governance framework, not a vendor product checklist.
2. AI Pilot, Model or Agent Build
Scoped and priced at engagement
Design and delivery of an AI pilot programme, or construction of a model, script or agent-support tool from a base language model. Not templated: scope, platform, data sensitivity and integration requirements vary too widely to publish a fixed rate.
3. Standing AI Advisory Retainer
From A$3,500 / month
Ongoing independent AI advisory covering governance currency, emerging risk and vendor claims, and standing input into risk-informed decision-making as AI use within the organisation evolves.
All fees in Australian dollars (AUD), indicative and exclude GST. Final scope and fee confirmed against your requirements.
If the last piece of AI advice your board received came from the company selling the AI, that is worth fixing before the next decision is made.
To commission an AI governance and readiness diagnostic, scope a pilot, model or agent build, or discuss a standing AI advisory retainer:
Start a scoping conversationTony Ridley MSc CSyP FSyI SRMCP