Rufus Curnow, Independent AI Consultant
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You know AI matters, but you're not sure how to start safely.
You've rolled out tools, but haven't seen the return on investment.
You want a governance approach that enables your team.
About
I help organisations build a real, lasting AI capability. That means helping people understand what AI actually is, where the risks and opportunities are, and how to adopt it safely and responsibly.
I spent 17 years developing world-class, market-leading educational resources at Pearson, most recently as Director of Product Management and Content Strategy, Higher Education, UK. When generative AI emerged, I became an AI Ambassador with Pearson, initially embedding the tools within my team's workflows. I then moved on to helping other teams across the business understand what these tools could do, how to use them and building their confidence with AI. That's where I first developed my passion and knowledge for AI consulting, and in early 2025 I moved into AI consulting full time.
The education background shapes everything I do. My workshops are designed by someone who has spent two decades designing market-leading educational content and studying how people actually learn, not just someone who knows AI.
Background and qualifications
Philosophy
A red giant is a star that has expanded dramatically from a small beginning. It felt like the right metaphor for AI, and it's also a personal reference: Rufus means red-haired, and I am very tall.
AI is powerful. Probably the most powerful tool we've ever had access to. I strongly believe that based on my experiences with AI, and I don't think it's hype.
But power isn't the same as benefit. Whether AI is good or bad for your organisation, your people, or society depends almost entirely on how it's understood and how it's used. And right now, a lot of it is being used without nearly enough understanding.
The problems I see most often aren't dramatic. They're quieter than that. Outputs trusted without being checked. Decisions shaped by systems nobody has really examined. Sensitive information shared with tools that were never designed to handle it. Accountability that gets blurry when something goes wrong.
These aren't reasons to avoid AI. They're reasons to take it seriously.
I'm not here to encourage AI adoption for its own sake. I'm here to help you understand it properly, make your own informed decisions, and build the right foundations before the problems appear.
Values
Real
AI capabilities described and demonstrated as they actually are, without the hype.
Responsible
Responsible AI use is built into every engagement from the start.
Safe
All AI engagements are conducted through a safety lens, using governance as an enabler for innovation.
Independent
No vendor affiliations or platform preferences, just recommendations based on what's right for you.
Ready to develop a real AI capability, or just want to understand what that would look like?
I'm always open to a conversation, whether that's a speaking enquiry, a workshop discussion, or just an exchange of ideas.
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