Alan Brown

Alan Brown

Alan is a digital technologist, researcher, and entrepreneur. He holds a Professorship in Digital Economy at the University of Exeter, UK and held a Fellowship at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK National institute for data science and AI.

Digital Economy Dispatch #251 - Using AI as a Critical Friend: Redefining Strategic Leadership

Digital Economy Dispatch #251 - Using AI as a Critical Friend: Redefining Strategic Leadership

I see executives and managers increasingly use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude as strategic advisors. This can replace expensive consultants with 24/7 unbiased analysis, but requires balancing AI insights with essential human judgment.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #250 -- Why You Might Be Focused On The Wrong AI

Digital Economy Dispatch #250 -- Why You Might Be Focused On The Wrong AI

The biggest AI breakthroughs aren't generating content, they're predicting the future and optimizing complex systems.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #249 -- How to Think About AI: A Framework for Leaders

Digital Economy Dispatch #249 -- How to Think About AI: A Framework for Leaders

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #248 -- The Summer's Over -- Time for an AI Strategy Reset!

Digital Economy Dispatch #248 -- The Summer's Over -- Time for an AI Strategy Reset!

Coming back from a holiday break could be the ideal time for honest conversations with your teams about the realities of delivering AI-based business transformation.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #247 -- The Summer of AI-at-Scale

Digital Economy Dispatch #247 -- The Summer of AI-at-Scale

As we take a summer break, lets spend a moment to reflect on AI's rapid development and to plan for its thoughtful and strategic implementation for the rest of the year.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #246 -- The Promises and Pitfalls of Vibe Coding

Digital Economy Dispatch #246 -- The Promises and Pitfalls of Vibe Coding

What I learned building a professional AI assessment tool through conversational programming with Claude.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #245 -- What Makes for a Good AI Strategy?

Digital Economy Dispatch #245 -- What Makes for a Good AI Strategy?

Defining an effective strategy is a messy business. Here are three key frameworks that can help in the disruptive era of AI.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #244 -- Four Critical Engineering Roles for Scaling AI Delivery

Digital Economy Dispatch #244 -- Four Critical Engineering Roles for Scaling AI Delivery

Delivering AI-at-scale requires establishing four distinct engineering roles: Model Engineering, Prompt Engineering, Context Engineering, and Governance Engineering.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #243 -- 10 Academic Voices Every AI Leader Should Follow

Digital Economy Dispatch #243 -- 10 Academic Voices Every AI Leader Should Follow

Academia faces widespread criticism for irrelevance and inaccessibility. But digital leaders should not dismiss academic voices entirely when navigating AI adoption amid overwhelming commercial hype. Here are 10 academics who provide evidence-based, practical insights that help business leaders move beyond vendor promises to successful AI implementation grounded in rigourous research.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown
Digital Economy Dispatch #242 -- Looking for AI Success in the Seams

Digital Economy Dispatch #242 -- Looking for AI Success in the Seams

Digital transformation succeeds when it connects systems rather than focusing on individual parts. AI is most powerful when deployed at these intersections to eliminate friction.

Alan Brown
Alan Brown