AI and The Owen Project
AI and The Owen Project: How We’re Navigating Technology While Keeping Humanity at Our Heart
An honest conversation about artificial intelligence, what it means for community organisations like ours, and why we need YOUR voice in these decisions.
Lets take about something that’s been on everyone’s minds lately: Artificial Intelligence
You’ve probably heard about it, maybe even used it without realising. AI is everywhere right now - in your phone, suggesting what to watch next on Netflix, helping people plan their weekly shopping lists, and even writing recipes based on what’s left in the fridge. It’s become such a normal part of daily life that many people now start with an app or use a personal AI assistant to help plan meals, make grocery lists, and even place orders.
But here at The Owen Project, we’re having a different conversation. Not just about what AI can do, but about what it should do , especially for organisations like ours that exists specifically to combat loneliness and build real, human connection.
And here’s there important bit: We want you involved in this conversation.
What Ever Is AI? (Let’s Keep It Simple)
Before we dive deeper, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. Artificial Intelligence sounds intimidating, but at its core, it’s just computer programs that can learn patterns and make decisions without being specifically programmed for every single task.
Examples you’ve probably already used:
When you ask your phone “what’s the weather today?” and it understands you
When Netflix recommeds a show you actually end up loving
When your email filters out spam
When you use AI to organise your grocery shopping list, plan meals, or find recipes based on ingredients you already have at home
When you type a message and your phone suggests what word somes next
See? Not so scary. You’ve been using AI all along!
But here’s where it gets more complicated:
AI has evolved rapidly. People are now using tools like ChatGPT to create entire five-day meal plans with recipes and grocery lists, write emails, create artwork and even make important decisions. And that’s where the questions start.
Why this Matters to The Owen Project
The Owen Project is a Community Interest Company (CIC) - which means we’re a special type of organisation that exists specifically to benefit the community, not to make profits for shareholders. CICs were introduced in the UK in 2005 and are designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for public good, tacking social and environmental issues while operating in all parts of the economy.
Out mission has also been simple:, Bring people together, combat isolation, and create a space where everyone feels valued.
But now we’re asking ourselves: Where does AI fit into that mission?
How Are Other CICs and Community Groups Using AI?
We’ve been researching how organisations similar to ours are approaching AI, and it’s fascinating - and honestly, a but all over the place.
Some community organisations are using AI for:
Administrative Tasks
Scheduling events and sending reminders
Managing volunteer rotas
Processing donations and creating receipts
Helping with reports and paperwork (CICs have quite a bit of this!)
Communication
Drafting social media pots to keep communities informed
Creating newsletters
Translating information into different languages
Responding to initial enquires
Resource Creation
Designing posters and flyers
Creating educational materials
Writing grant applications
Developing training resources (like out CV guide coming soon…)
Planning and Analysis
Analysing feedback to improve services
Identifying trends in what the community needs
Budget forecasting
Planning events based on what’s worked before
The truth is: AI can save community organisations significant time on administrative tasks, freeing up volunteers and staff to actually spend time with people. and that’s genuinely valuable, especially when resources are tight.
But here’s out concern: At what point does using AI to “be more efficient” start to undermine the very human connection we’re trying to create?
What People Are Worries About (and We Are Too)
The research on public opinion about AI in 2025 is… eye-opening/
More than half of U.S. Adults 56%(most of the reach is American unfortunately), are extremely or very concerned about AI eliminating jobs, and 88% of people globally are worries about generative AI, compared to 83% last year , worries are increasing, not decreasing.
(*Research figures varies by a lot but these numbers are the most average across the board).
Here’s what concerns us most, and we think you’ll relate:
Loss of Human Connection
About 57% of the public is highly concerned about AI leading to less connection between people. This one hits different for us. We literally exist to CREATE connection. If we start using AI in ways that replace human interaction, we’re undermining our entire purpose.
Real example: Imagine you email us with a question, and you get an instant AI-generated response. It’s quick, it’s efficient.. but does it make you feel seen? Heard? Cared about? Probably not.
2. Inaccurate information and “Hallucinations”
66-70% of both the public and AI experts are highly worries about people getting inaccurate information from AI. AI can sometimes just make things up. Confidently. With complete sincerity.
One person who used ChatGPT to plan meals found several items on the grocery list weren’t even used in any of the recipes - a perfect example of AI’s limitations.
Why this matters to us: If we used AI to provide information about support services, mental health resources, or community help - and it got it wrong - someone could be seriously harmed.
3. People Feeling Less Capable
There’s a worry that if AI does everything for us, we stop developing our own skills. 53% of Americans say AI will worsen people’s ability to think creatively, and 50% believe it will harm people’s ability to form meaningful relationships.
We created that CV guide specifically to empower people, not to replace their own agency. If we just has AI write everyone’s CVs, what would they actually learn?
4.Bias and Fairness
55% of both experts and the public are highly worries about AI bias. AI learns from data created by humans , and humans have biases. Those biases get baked into the AI.
This matters enormously when we’re working with marginalised communities, low-income families, and people who’ve historically been excluded or discriminated against.
5.It’s Harder to Spot Than We Think
Here’s something scary: 73% of people admit that spotting AI-generated images is hard, and only 38% of images were correctly identified. We can’t always tell what’s real anymore.
That matters when trust is already fragile in our communities.
The Good Stuff: Where AI Actually Helps Real People
But let’s be fair , AI isn’t all doom and gloom. Real people are using it in genuinely helpful ways:
Everyday AI use that people love:
Meal Planning on a Bidget
One person used ChatGPT to create a five-day meal plan with a £75 budget, managing to stay within about £10 of that target. For families struggling financially, that’s huge.
AI can analyse prices from favourite stores, find helpful coupons and suggest cost-effective alternatives , genuinely useful for the low-income families we service.
Reducing Food Waste
AI tool can suggest meals based on what you already have in your pantry, ensuring you’re buying exactly what you need. When every penny counts, wasting food is devastating.
Shopping List Organisation
AI learns your shopping habits over time, so frequently purchased items like milk or bread can autofill in your master grocery list. Small things, but it genuinely helps busy parents or people managing on limited spoons. (See the spoon theory - its a great theory to read about).
Recipe Accessibility
AI can help people with dietary restrictions or allergies by creating customised meal plans, something that used to require expensive dietitians or hours of research.
The patter here? AI seems most helpful when its removing barriers and saving time on tedious tasks , not when it’s replacing human judgement, creativity or connection.
So.. What’s The Owen Project Actually Doing With AI?
Good Question! and this is where we want to be completely transparent with you.
Creating Resources That CV guide we made? We used AI to help structure it and make sure we covered everything. But a human wrote it, edited it, and make sure very word felt warm and encouraging. AI was the assistant, not the author.
Social Media Ideas Sometimes we use AI to brainstorm post ideas or find different ways to say something. But we ALWAYS write the final version ourselves, making sure it sounds like us and speaks to YOU.
Administrative Help We’ve used AI to help draft reports, organise information, and summarise feedback. Basically, the boring paperwork stuff that takes time away from actually being with our community.
Research and Learning We use AI to quickly find information about topics we’re exploring - like this very blog post! We research current trends to understand what’s happening in the wider world.
What We’re NOT Using AI For (And Why):
Responding to your messages or emails When you reach out, you deserve a real human who actually cares. Full Stop. (We have automated responses that will tell you when we are available etc.. to ensure that no one feels ignored).
Making decisions about support or services AI doesn’t understand context, nuance, or humanity the way we need to when someone’s struggling.
Creating our events or programs YOU tell us what you need. We listen. That can’t be outsoursed to a computer.
Replacing volunteer roles of human interaction The while point is people connecting with people. AI can’t replace the warmth of a real smile or a genuine hug.
Your Concerns Are Our Concerns
We’re been reading what people are worries about, and honestly? We share those worries.
50% of people say they’re more concerned that excited about the increased use of AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021. Concern is growing, not shrinking.
And median of 34% of adults across 25 countries surveyed say they are more concerned than excited about AI’s growing presence in daily life.
Here’s what we’re hearing from people like you:
“ what if i cant tell if im talking to a real person or not?”
“Will volunteers be replaced by computers?”
“Are we using something important when machines do things for us?”
All valid. All important. And all questions we’re asking ourselves every single day.
The Balancing Act: Efficiency vs. Humanity
Here’s the tension we’re navigating
On one hand: As a CIC with limited resources, anything that saves time on admin means more time actually helping people. CICs must balance protif-making with social or community beneifts while ensuring most profits are reinvested to support their community objectives. AI could help us do more with less.
On the other hand: If efficiency comes at the cost of warmth, genuine connection or making people feel like just another number, what’s the point? We’re not a business trying to maximise profit. We’re a community trying to maximise care.
Our current Thinking
AI as a tool to remove barriers - YES
AI to save time on tasks that don’t require human connection - YES
AI to help us understand community needs better - YES, with caution
AI replacing human interaction - Absolutely Not
AI making decisions about vulnerable people - NEVER
AI creating content that should be authentically human - NO
What We’re Committing To (Our AI principles)
After lots of discussion, we’re making these commitments to you:
Transparency - If we use AI to create something, we’ll tell you. No hiding it. No pretending something is human-written when it’s not.
Human-First Always - Every decision will be filtered through this question: “Does this bring people closer together or push them apart?”
Your Voice Matters - We’ll regularly ask what YOU think about how we’re using AI. This is your community. You get a say.
Protection of Vulnerable People - We will never use AI in ways that could harm or mislead people who are already vulnerable.
Skills over Shortcuts - We’ll use AI to help people develop skills, not to do things FOR them in a ways that leave them feeling less capable.
Regular Review - Technology changes fast. We’ll keep reassessing and adjusting as we learn more.
We Need Your Voice: Let’s Make These Decisions Together
Here’s the thing: We’re a Community Interest Company. The “Community” oart isn’t just in the name - it’s supposed to be in everything we do.
So we’re asking you:
QUICK POLL QUESTIONS:
Would you be ok with us using AI to help write our weekly social media posts (but still reviewed and edited by humans)?
How would you feel if we used AI to help analyse feedback and spot patterns in what the community needs?
Would it bother you if our even posters were AI-designed, or do you preger human-made graphics?
If you emailed us, would you want to know if AI helped draft the response (even if a human personalised and sent it)?
What scares you most about AI being used by organisations like ours?
The Owen Project Exists because technology has already made us more “connected” while someone how more isolated. Social media promised to bring us together; instead, many people feel lonelier than ever.
Now AI promises to make everything faster, easier, more efficient. But will it make us happier? More fulfilled? Less alone?
That’s the question that keeps us up at night.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
This blog post is just the start. We want this to be an ongoing conversation, not a one-time statement.
Ways to get involved:
Come to our next coffee & craft and let’s chat about it over a brew
Email us your thoughts theowenproject@outlook.com
Bring it up at any of our events - we’re always listening
P.S. Yes, AI helped research and draft parts of this blog. But every word was reviewed, edited, and approved by real humans who genuinely care about you. Because that’s how we roll.