Good morning future-focused leaders.

Once again, thank you to everyone who’s reached out with thoughtful questions and ideas! This week, we’re diving into a hot topic: AI agents. Are they just another buzzword, or the next step beyond ChatGPT? 

(Spoiler: Sadly, these agents don’t wear suits, drink martinis, or report to M.)

What else we cover this week:

• Aged care innovation projects open for applications

• AI brain implant shows promise for Parkinson’s treatment

• Study raises ethical concerns about social robots in aged care

• AI workshop in Adelaide: AI in Action

• And more...

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ON THE HORIZON 

🕵️‍♂️ Are AI Agents the next step for AI?

Last week, a subscriber (Stephanie J.) emailed me: "I keep hearing about AI agents. What are those now? Are they just another name for AI?"

Fair question. And one worth unpacking. (Unlike 007, these agents won’t parachute onto rooftops... but they will monitor your inbox at 2am.)

First, a quick refresher on AI

AI refers to systems designed to mimic human intelligence—understanding language, generating content, or spotting patterns in data. Most of us already use AI, often without realising it. Think of:

• ChatGPT, answering questions or generating content.

• Canva, auto-resizing a design for different platforms.

• Outlook, suggesting meeting times based on your email content.

These are reactive tools. You give a prompt. They respond.

Enter AI Agents

AI Agents are different. They're proactive. They can initiate tasks, monitor progress, adapt to new information, and work across systems toward a defined outcome. They manage multi-step processes with minimal user involvement. For example:

Reporting:

• AI: You use it to summarise a report when you paste in the content.

• AI Agent: You ask it to monitor a shared folder, identify new reports every Friday, summarise them, and email you and your team.

(A fun real-world example: Some agents can now complete complex tasks—like calling a restaurant, speaking to a restaurant employee on the phone, and making a reservation. You can view this example here and listen to the conversation (but for the time being, making phone calls only works in the US and Japan).

In aged care, the implications are significant. Apart from the obvious benefits in operations, agents could review clinical notes overnight and flag subtle signs of deterioration. They could validate rosters against qualification requirements before shifts begin. They could generate audit-ready reports by pulling data from multiple systems or analyse incident reports across sites and identify emerging risk patterns early.

Tools I’ve used

Convergence is a no-code platform that lets you build simple agents connected to your existing tools. I use it to monitor scientific publications on ageing and aged care. The agent emails me a weekly summary of new publications.

Genspark is another platform with built-in agents. I wish I could use the phone call feature, but it’s not yet available in Australia. Instead, I used the Agentic Deep Research feature to produce a detailed report, and I found it to be thorough and quite accurate.

Both tools have free and paid versions.

Should you start using an AI agent?

Many agents are already available, but they come with a learning curve. If you're already comfortable with LLMs, agents are the logical next step—but set aside time to test, refine, and avoid frustration. Precision matters. So does patience.

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📣 Applications open for aged care innovation projects – ARIIA is inviting aged care providers to join 12-month collaborative projects tackling key workforce challenges. Funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Flagship Projects aim to build sector-wide capacity through co-design, training, and evidence-based interventions. Two projects—on leadership models and data capability—will run from July 2025 to June 2026. Applications close Thursday 24 April 2025, 5pm ACST.

🧘 AI-powered brain implant reduces Parkinson’s symptoms – A new adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) system, guided by AI, is helping Parkinson’s patients regain control of their movements. This AI-enhanced implant monitors brain activity in real time and adjusts stimulation accordingly—unlike traditional systems that deliver a constant pulse. The FDA in the US recently approved the first aDBS device, with 98% of trial participants opting to continue its use. Read more on the Washington Post (N.B. the article is paywalled)

🎓 Free AI training at OpenAI’s new Academy – OpenAI has launched a free AI Academy with recorded video sessions tailored for different sectors and for all levels of familiarity with aged care. Topics include AI for older adults, not-for-profits, prompting basics, and more. A valuable entry point for professionals looking to build confidence in applying AI tools in their daily work

🤖 Ethics of social robots in aged care – A Canadian study highlights key ethical concerns in using social robots like Paro and Lovot to support older adults’ mental health. Challenges include inequitable access, consent, replacing human care, and feelings of infantilisation. The researchers propose practical, equity-focused strategies to ensure robots adoption remains person-centric.

^COMMUNITY

IN-PERSON WORKSHOP

🚀 Adelaide: AI in Action

For those of you based in Adelaide, later this month I’m running a hands-on session for aged care professionals designed to help you gain practical AI skills in just two hours. AI in Action focuses on off-the-shelf tools like ChatGPT and Claude, with use cases in reporting, compliance, and communication. No tech jargon — just clear techniques you can apply immediately to save time and work smarter.

📍 Tuesday 29 April 2025 – CO. AS. IT. SA, 215 Port Road, Hindmarsh, SA
🎟️ Register now