“I am looking for elegant solutions to complex problems.” – Claire

Introduction

What is your name and what is your current role?

Claire Derelle, Sales Enablement Director at KPMG.

Introduce yourself.

I’m someone who’s drawn to ideas and people who stretch the edges of what’s possible. I am looking for elegant solutions to complex problems.

Your journey, personal growth, and experience

What are your favourite hobbies?

I love dragging my kids to art galleries and exhibitions, though they don’t love it as much as I do.

How did you enter the tech and AI space?

I had twin babies in 2023. When I emerged from my mat leave, the AI revolution had already started. I felt massive FOMO and voraciously consumed information about AI to catch up, and eventually got hooked.

What obstacles did you have to face?

The constant pace of breaking news in this field is hard to follow. I also felt I did not have the technical expertise to have meaningful conversations with the IT teams I work with.

Who did you turn to for help?

I got support from my company to join a class about AI fundamentals at Stanford University and it helped me understand the basics.

What is a mentorship moment that changed your career, and how did it shape your approach to leadership or problem-solving?

I was discussing with my mentor my discomfort in speaking up in meetings, explaining that I feared being perceived as self-promoting, loud, and inauthentic. She helped me reframe my approach by focusing on why I should share my ideas, not how they would be perceived. Essentially, it’s about building trust with my audience: if people don’t know what I think, they can’t build trust or engage with me meaningfully.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from mentoring others, and how has it impacted your work?

That it’s not solving the problem that matters, it’s what we learn along the way. In personal development, there is no destination. There is as much learning for me as a mentor as there is for the mentee.

What book, movie, or podcast has significantly shaped your thinking?

On AI, I listen to The AI Breakdown. On leadership, I listen to Diary of a CEO and The Entrepreneurs by Monocle.

What is a skill outside of tech that made you a better technical expert?

I think there are many parallels between artistic creation and technological innovation. Both of my areas of interest feed each other in unexpected ways. My artistic practice taught me to embrace experimentation, apply critical thinking, and approach technology with the mindset that the work is never truly finished but always evolving.

Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? How did you push through? What kept you going?

Moving to a new country, it was daunting to start building a network from scratch. I made a list of people to reach out to, one step at the time. At the end of each connection, I would ask if they could connect me with one other person in their network. The impact was exponential.

About tech and AI in general

If you had to describe AI with one metaphor, what would it be and why?

When you light a candle in a dark room, it creates a circle of darkness. As the flame grows, so does the edge of darkness. The more I learn about AI, the more I realize how much there is still to discover.

In your opinion, what is a currently underappreciated AI innovation or trend that should be getting more attention?

I think one underappreciated trend is how AI is becoming an emotional support system. Beyond productivity or automation, people are turning to AI for connection and self-discovery, using it for things like companionship, neurodivergent translation, or creative healing. This very human need is reshaping AI’s role in society, and I believe it deserves more attention.

What do you consider the most significant ethical challenge AI faces right now, and how should we address it?

I am concerned about the sycophantic quality of most LLMs. They often agree with you too readily. You should always ask your chatbot to offer a different perspective or critique your ideas.

What is the biggest myth about AI currently that you wish to debunk? Why?

That you need to purchase a product or use “the best” LLM to achieve results. Big impact can be achieved from any open-source platform. Another myth is that you need extensive training to use AI. The beauty of this technology is that you can interact with it in natural language. If you can speak, you can prompt. Just try it, and you’ll learn as you go.

More technical questions on AI

If you were building an AI tool from scratch, which frameworks, languages, or tools would you choose? Could you explain the reasoning behind your choices in regard to your experience or personal projects?

For my type of work, all LLMs are good enough. I can accomplish great results from a basic prompt.

Could you share an experience where you had to make an unconventional decision that went against popular opinion or current trends on an AI project? How did you navigate that situation?

When I first introduced AI co-pilot tools to my team, I noticed an unusual gap: the utilization data showed most people were using it daily, but in meetings only a handful were willing to talk about their experience. Many worried it might make them seem unprofessional or lazy. Instead of pushing harder, I took an unconventional approach: I shared usage stats transparently, celebrated top users, and openly demonstrated my own use cases. Over time, this normalized the conversation, and more people felt comfortable speaking up. It’s important for leaders to show that they encourage the use of AI and provide clear guidelines on what is permissible at work and what is not.