GPT-6 Astra - What Happens When AI Becomes a Digital Employee?

08/09/26 07:00 Filed in: Technology | Business

GPT-6 Astra is here and AI may have just taken another major step towards becoming a digital employee.

In this episode of Inspiring Tech Leaders, I take a look at OpenAI’s new GPT-6 Astra and what makes it different from the AI models we’ve become used to.

This isn’t simply about better answers. Astra is designed to reason, research, write code, use computers, browse the web and carry out increasingly complex tasks with much greater autonomy. And there’s another side to the story. OpenAI says Astra has reached a new threshold in cybersecurity capability, with the ability to identify previously unknown vulnerabilities and develop exploits when given the right tools and access.

So what happens when AI moves from responding to instructions to actually performing work?

I explore what this could mean for the future of work, cybersecurity, AI agents and enterprise technology, as well as the challenges around governance, monitoring and keeping humans in control. I also look at the rather messy rollout of GPT-6 Astra and a fascinating real-world test of GPT-6 Pro for job searching.

What do you think? Are we entering the era of the AI employee, or are we still some way from truly autonomous AI?

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | All major podcast platforms

The Governance Question Every Enterprise Is Asking About Citizen Development

17/05/26 12:00 Filed in: Technology | Business

Citizen development is no longer a niche trend. It’s rapidly becoming one of the defining operating models for modern organisations.

In this episode of the Inspiring Tech Leaders podcast, I explore how businesses are empowering employees outside traditional IT teams to build automations, applications, and digital workflows using low-code, no-code, and AI-powered platforms.

But there’s a challenge many organisations are now facing:

How do you unlock innovation at scale without creating governance chaos?

I discuss:
💡 The rise of citizen developers across enterprise organisations
💡 Why traditional centralised IT models are struggling to keep pace with demand
💡 How low-code and AI are transforming software creation
💡 The real risks around shadow IT, security, compliance, and fragmentation
💡 Why governance should enable innovation rather than block it
💡 How leading organisations are building “coordinated autonomy” at scale
💡 The changing role of IT from gatekeeper to innovation enabler

This episode is particularly relevant for technology leaders, transformation teams, operations leaders, CIOs, digital strategists, and anyone navigating enterprise innovation in the AI era.

If your organisation is trying to move faster without losing control, this episode will resonate.

Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | All major podcast platforms