Dawid Naude, Founder and CEO at Pathfindr showed how leaders can unlock business value using AI as Assistant, Thinker, and Creator in his Digital Edge presentation.

He opened with a sharp critique of the corporate buzzwords surrounding AI.

Using ChatGPT and O3 Pro, he created a “buzzword battle” to satirise how AI tools now generate, evaluate and refine content in seconds.

These tools can score text for vagueness, pretension and density, showing how AI agents are evolving to self-assess and reason with minimal input.

Prompt engineering is shifting toward collaborative, agent-based workflows, unlocking new ways to generate ideas and make decisions.

Dawid then shifted to the role of AI in lifting leadership across the organisation.

AI, he argued, is no longer just for technical teams.

It is a critical capability for every executive.

Pathfindr supports this by tying capability uplift to social impact: for every person trained in AI, the company donates one month of safe drinking water.

Projects include one of Australia’s first AI voice agents in financial services.

ADAPT data shows 70% of CIOs are investing in generative AI, yet 40% of tech spend remains underused.

Rather than building proprietary systems, Pathfindr helps leaders unlock value from off-the-shelf tools like Claude and ChatGPT.

Executives need to move beyond sponsoring AI from a distance and start using it directly to drive outcomes.

Dawid introduced a clear framework for leaders based on three AI roles:

  • Assistant to handle admin and repetitive tasks
  • Thinker to surface insights and patterns
  • Creator to produce content across formats

 

He demonstrated this live by building a Qantas travel app mock-up using Claude’s research mode in minutes, showing that experimentation is accessible and immediate.

 

Key takeaways

  • AI fluency is now a leadership skill – Executives must work directly with tools like ChatGPT and Claude to lead effectively and meet growing expectations.
  • General-purpose AI delivers business results – Companies no longer need custom builds. Off-the-shelf tools can drive rapid impact if used hands-on by decision-makers.
  • AI education can drive social value – Pathfindr ties adoption to impact by donating one month of clean water for every leader trained, linking capability uplift to real-world benefit.
Contributors
Dawid Naude Founder & CEO at Pathfindr
Dawid Naude is a trailblazer in business, disruption, and innovation, shaping the future by translating AI’s potential into real world impact. Committed... More

Dawid Naude is a trailblazer in business, disruption, and innovation, shaping the future by translating AI’s potential into real world impact. Committed to making AI exciting, accessible, and impossible to ignore, he helps organisations to make every employee more productive, reimagine what’s possible, and achieve breakthrough innovation.

With a dynamic CV spanning consulting and leadership roles across digital, technology and innovation, Dawid is the proud Founder & CEO of Pathfindr. Named one of AFR BOSS’ Most Innovative Companies in its founding year, Pathfindr’s is now the fastest growing AI Accelerator in Australia.

An advisor to Government and industry bodies across APAC, Dawid is one of the region’s foremost AI innovators, educators, and implementers. With an infectious energy and a gift for making the complex feel simple, his keynotes have built a reputation for exciting audiences into action.

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