What in the AI is going on?
So you're going to AI, now what?
People and organisations are scrambling to understand and use AI, but many are feeling overwhelmed and at a loss as to where to start, which is completely understandable! We liken it to email. Sure, we could teach you how to send an email (type here, click send), but that's not necessarily helpful when what you really want to know is who to send an email to, or why you would send an email when a phone call might be better. This page is designed to help you find that contextualisation for you as an individual, or to help you understand the opportunities it presents for organisations.
Hi, I'm Dolly, I'm here to help.
Dolly is named after Dolly Parton, and embodies her warmth, her generosity and, most importantly, her sharp business intuition and keen eye for opportunities. Dolly is here to answer your questions about AI, whatever they may be. If you don't even know what questions you have yet, that's OK! Keep scrolling down. Dolly will be here to answer them as they emerge.
Dolly is an AI. Responses are general guidance only, not advice specific to your organisation. If you share contact details, The Unordinary may follow up. hello@theunordinary.au for privacy questions.
Take what you need
Below are some resources to help you wrap your head around all of the opportunities, risks and the delightful shades of grey. You can look at them in any order, but the webinar gives a wide foundational view, the practice prompts help you contextualise what you have learned in the webinar, and the Deficit First Framework looks to show you how you can level up with solutions tailor-made just for you. The final resource is specifically designed for the Australian Public Service.
01Webinar: what AI can do for you
A practical session on building AI capability without cutting corners on data governance or burning your people out. Watch it here, then take the parts that fit your world.
02Practice with example prompts
Two worked examples that show what a good prompt looks like in real life. Both use the Deficit First Framework and a simple shape: goal, context, source and output. Copy one, run it, and make it yours.
Family meal plan
A week of dinners that suit a real household, built from what is already in the cupboard.
Goal: a 7-night dinner plan
Context: family of four, one fussy eater
Source: what is in my pantry today
Output: shopping list plus recipes
Four-week learning plan
A structured plan to build a new skill in a month, paced for a busy week.
Goal: learn the basics in 4 weeks
Context: 3 hours free per week
Source: beginner materials only
Output: weekly milestones and tasks
03The Deficit First Framework
The idea under all of it: name the deficit before you reach for a tool, and be honest about what is driving it, a fear of being left behind or a real gain you can name. Most AI effort goes into making a broken process faster. We would rather help you fix the right thing first.
04AI at work, for the APS
A practical, plain-English guide to confident, safe Copilot use for Australian public servants. Use cases, prompts, and a read on when to escalate.
Prefer a human?
Sometimes it's easier to chat stuff out with a human. If you're keen to talk, drop us a line: hello@theunordinary.au