Most people are using AI to create content faster. But what if we used it to make our sessions better?
That’s the question at the heart of this “April AI Mini-Quest”—exploring how facilitators, trainers, and course creators can use AI to increase impact (not just speed things up).
This week, I’m sharing my biggest takeaways from a conversation with expert facilitator and AI experimenter Spud Marshall—whose work completely changed how I think about using AI in live sessions.
We dug into how he weaves AI into his sessions without losing human connection—and the tools and systems he’s using to do it.
You can listen to our full conversation here.
Here are my key takeaways with tips for using them right away (plus Spud’s AI Toolkit at the end)👇
1️⃣ AI is your “collective wisdom processor”
Spud doesn’t use AI to replace facilitation—he uses it to see the room more clearly and make wiser decisions in real time.
- Surfaces patterns across many voices
- Synthesizes messy input into themes
- Reflects insights back to validate what’s emerging
👉 The takeaway: AI helps you answer, “What’s actually happening here?”—faster and more clearly.
Try this: After a breakout, paste chat or notes into AI and ask:
- What patterns are emerging?
- What feels most important?
👉 Share that back to the group and sense-check it together.
2️⃣ Don’t make participants learn new tech
Spud designs sessions so they feel effortless—even when there’s a lot happening behind the scenes.
- Keep the front end simple and familiar
- Avoid introducing new tools too quickly
- Handle the complexity on your side
👉 The takeaway: Seamless experiences create better participation.
Example: Participants fill out a simple form while tools like ChatGPT or Claude analyze responses behind the scenes.
Try this: Ask participants what they want to explore, then use AI to cluster responses into themes and group people accordingly.
👉 You’ll turn random breakouts into meaningful conversations.
3️⃣ Design for data, not just for delivery
Instead of starting with activities, Spud starts with what needs to come out of the session. (This was a big aha for me.)
- Start with the data you need
- Focus on what participants will say, write, or decide
- Plan how you’ll capture it clearly
👉 The takeaway: You’re designing outputs, not just experiences.
Example: Spud captures participant input by theme and turns it into things like audio podcasts that participants can revisit later.
Try this: Before your session, ask:
- What do I want participants to say, write, or decide?
- Where will that live (chat, doc, form)?
👉 Design this alongside your session flow—not after.
4️⃣ Shift effort from delivery → preparation
More of the real work is happening before the session.
- Set up systems to capture input
- Reduce the need to process things live
- Create space to stay present with people
👉 The takeaway: Better prep = better presence.
Example: Spud sets up how data will be collected and processed ahead of time so he can focus fully on the group in the moment.
Try this: Ask yourself:
- What can I set up now so I’m not scrambling live?
👉 Even a small shift in prep makes a big difference.
5️⃣ Design for connection, not chance
AI can accelerate meaningful connection—not just insight.
- Surfaces shared interests quickly
- Reduces random interactions
- Helps people find relevant conversations
👉 The takeaway: Better matching leads to better engagement.
Example: Spud uses AI tools to group participants by shared interests to make it more likely they’ll connect with the right people.
Try this: Collect participant interests, then:
- cluster responses into themes
- group people accordingly
👉 Even a simple version makes conversations more meaningful.
6️⃣ Your role is shifting: from presenter → sense-maker
As AI handles more synthesis, your role becomes clearer—and more valuable.
- Less about delivering content
- More about interpreting what’s emerging
- More about guiding meaning-making
👉 The takeaway: Your value is helping the group make sense of their thinking.
Example: Spud reflects patterns back to the group during the session to deepen insight and alignment.
Try this: After an activity, ask:
- What patterns are we noticing?
- What feels most important?
👉 Use AI to support the analysis—but lead the meaning-making.
7️⃣ Extend the value beyond the session
A great session doesn’t stop when it ends—it’s designed to keep delivering value afterward.
- Turn insights into reusable resources
- Make it easy to revisit key ideas
- Support action after the session
👉 The takeaway: Great sessions are designed to extend their value beyond the live experience.
Example: Spud creates summaries and audio recaps so participants can revisit insights without digging through notes.
Try this: After your session:
- gather chat, notes, and outputs
- use AI to create a summary or audio recap
👉 Give participants something they’ll actually come back to.
Remember: This isn’t about getting it perfect—it’s about experimenting. Try one thing, notice what works, and build from there.
💬 Over to you
👉 Which of these ideas sparked something for you—and what’s one small experiment you want to try in your next session?
Hit reply—I’d love to know!
🛠️ Facilitator Finds: Spud’s AI Toolkit
- ChatGPT → https://chat.openai.com
Used to synthesize participant input, spot patterns, and support strategic thinking before and after sessions. - Claude → https://claude.ai
Used alongside ChatGPT to compare insights and generate deeper, more nuanced summaries of group input. - NotebookLM → https://notebooklm.google.com
Used to turn session outputs into interactive knowledge hubs and AI-generated audio summaries participants can revisit. - Replit → https://replit.com
Used to build simple custom tools (like matchmaking apps) that connect participants based on shared interests. - Tana → https://tana.inc
Used as an AI-powered assistant to manage notes, meetings, and ongoing client work across projects. - Whisper Flow → https://whisperflow.ai
Used to quickly capture ideas and thoughts through voice, speeding up content creation and workflows. - Remo → https://remo.co
Used to create immersive, movement-based virtual spaces where participants can explore and connect more naturally. - Google Forms → https://forms.google.com
Used as a simple, familiar way to collect participant input that can then be analyzed with AI behind the scenes. - Google Meet → https://meet.google.com
Used for client prep and debrief calls, with notes and recordings feeding into his broader AI workflow.
(And one to watch 👀)
- Dembrain
An emerging tool Spud is exploring to capture and visualize group conversations in real time for deeper insight.
Here’s how to connect with Spud:
👉Follow Spud on LinkedIn
👉Learn more about how to work with Spud here
👉 Check out Spud’s newsletter here.
💌 Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
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Creatively yours,
Whenever you are ready there are 2 more ways I can help you:
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