Meet the Member: Torin Mitchell
We are pleased to have JT supporting this year's Chamber Gala Dinner as the Community Champion sponsor. Here Torin Mitchell, Enterprise IT Manager at JT, shares his top tips on making the most of what AI has to offer.
Who are you & what do you do?
My name is Torin and, with my team, I lead all initiatives and operations related to JT's internal IT. From an AI perspective, I oversee the development of AI-enabled solutions and the governance frameworks that support them. I chair the AI Centre of Excellence in JT, which drives improvement, literacy, and empowerment across the business in this technology. Through my work as Chair of the Digital Advantage Committee at the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, we are also building a number of artefacts to help our members address similar challenges around AI.
How are you personally using AI at home and at work?
I use AI extensively, both personally and at work. Outside of work, I use it for all manner of things, but in a professional context I am finding my biggest successes around wireframing (creating developer-friendly outputs based on HTML) and enabling large-scale analysis across pre-existing, well-structured datasets.
How is your company adapting to the challenges and opportunities of AI?
We are cautiously adopting AI from a user perspective, always ensuring data protection remains front and centre. We have a structured approach that helps colleagues adopt AI safely and responsibly, from basic use cases through to more advanced capabilities. This enables them to start with simple AI tools and progress to advanced subscriptions that offer significant benefits for those who need them. Furthermore, Gartner (among others) has identified AI-driven business developments as a likely future requirement, and we are shaping our thinking around how best to empower the business for these opportunities. The challenge is ensuring this development happens safely and within policy guidelines, which is why we are taking a measured approach.
What’s your AI top tip?
Remember that you still have to do the thinking and give clear directions! Generative AI is a powerful tool, but it will create "slop" if the user is not clear about what they are trying to achieve or cannot provide enough context. The opportunity for productivity gains is enormous, but those with existing capabilities and subject matter expertise are best positioned to realise the greatest benefits.
What is your current must-read or listen that’s influencing you professionally/personally?
I recently read Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari, which explores the history of information networks, from shared storytelling through to modern AI systems. It is a great read for appreciating just how significant modern AI technology is as a historical shift and provides a thought-provoking account of both the opportunities and risks it presents. As someone who works in an organisation providing Critical National Infrastructure, we must exercise great care in where and how we deploy these technologies and be clear about the instructions we give them.