#278 'AI for Charity Leaders: Humanising the Machine LIVE with Dr Megan Blakely

This episode of Purposely was recorded live at a CEO roundtable in Auckland, bringing together leaders from across Aotearoa’s charity and for-purpose sector to explore one of the biggest questions facing organisations right now: how to use AI well, without losing the human heart of the work.

Hosts Dr Kirsty Agar-Jacomb and Mark Longbottom is joined by Dr Megan Blakely from the University of Canterbury, whose research focuses on human-centred AI. Rather than talking about technology for its own sake, Megan challenges leaders to think about AI as a tool for augmentation, not automation, and to stay focused on people, trust, and wellbeing as adoption accelerates.

The conversation moves beyond theory into the practical realities charity CEOs are facing. Megan discusses how AI is already showing up in areas like fundraising and health data, and why leadership matters more than ever when it comes to transparency, ethical decision-making, and psychological safety. She also unpacks the tension many organisations feel between legal compliance and ethical responsibility, and why meeting the rules is only the starting point.

This live discussion is part of a series of impact lunches hosted by Mark Longbottom, designed to create space for honest, off-the-record conversations among charity leaders about emerging issues shaping the sector.

A big thank you to Foundation North for hosting the roundtable and bringing together CEOs from across New Zealand’s charity community.

Thanks also to Trust Investments and Benevity, the ongoing sponsors of the Purposely Podcast, for supporting conversations that sit at the intersection of purpose, leadership, and impact.