Digital Skills Education

At PFA Scotland, the independent trade union for professional footballers, we kicked around the possibilities of how artificial intelligence apps might change the way they work. 

AI apps and tools, especially tools like Microsoft Copilot, are becoming more popular. We’ve all read news articles about how they could help “boost productivity” or promise to make our lives easier by taking over the boring tasks. But what exactly does that mean in practice?

Daniel and I led a one-day introduction to AI tools that got the team thinking about how staff could become skilled, critical, and ethical users of AI apps. We started with a simple explanation of how exactly AI works, and what its strengths and weaknesses are.

The training included an introduction to popular tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT. Some members of the team had already experimented with these tools, but for others, this was their first chance to get hands-on experience with AI tools.

They spoke about how it might be used to help them explain terms of employment or legal statements (like those in football contracts). Using the AI tool could help them look up this information and present it in an easy-to-understand way.

A big thank you to Craig Steele and Daniel Devine from Digital Skills Education. Your expertise and insights have helped us better understand how AI can assist with our day-to-day tasks. Some great discussions were had in the training room, and I’m looking forward to exploring this further with the team in the office.
— Donna, Operations Manager, PFA Scotland

Alongside the chance to practice using these tools, we also explored the ethical issues of the AI technology, including understanding more about safety, its misuse, and its impact on the environment.

By the end of the day, the team left with practical examples to try out in the office, and plans for how Copilot might help them. It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm for embracing new technology, and I am excited to see how AI will transform their work.

Craig Steele
Digital Skills Education