Today, I want to do something a bit different. I’m not unpacking a new tool or reacting to the latest AI headline. Instead, I’m walking you through my AI ambitions for 2026, plainly and clearly.
I’ll share what I’m building, why I’m building it, and where you might fit in if you choose to. Consider this episode a public commitment. If you listen back in a year and I haven’t moved on these things, feel free to hold me accountable.
If you caught the last episode, you’ll know I’ve started organising my work around a simple structure: Know AI, Use AI, Govern AI. Everything I’ll talk about today sits somewhere on that ladder. Some initiatives are about awareness, some about practical skills, and some about strategy, governance, and long-term change.
Why I Need Clear AI Ambitions for 2026
2025 was a testing year. I worked with local radio, EU agencies, local authorities, universities, and cultural organisations. I experimented with different formats. One day was hands-on tools, the next day was policy-heavy discussions about AI risk and governance.
Some of it worked brilliantly. Some of it was interesting but not worth repeating.
Here’s the pattern I noticed:
People are no longer asking, “Is AI real?” or “Will this matter?” That phase is over.
Now, they ask:
“Where are we on this journey, and what is the sensible next step that will actually change how we work?”
The flip side is that the noise has increased. Every week, there is a new product, model, or promise. It’s easy for organisations to stay stuck in dabbling mode.
So, for 2026, I needed something more disciplined than “say yes to interesting work.” I sat down and made an honest list:
- What do I actually want to build?
- What creates real value for people?
- What helps organisations move from curiosity to capability to proper governance?
That list became my 2026 AI ambitions, which I’ll walk you through now.
AIJ – My Long-Term Bet
I’ll start with AIJ, because this is my long-term bet. AIJ is about helping organisations govern AI, not just play with it. If Know AI is awareness and Use AI is daily workflows, AIJ sits at the Govern AI level.
Here’s what I want AIJ to become in 2026:
- A living library of real AI use cases. Not theoretical examples from vendors, but actual implementations in public bodies, media, and mission-driven organisations. What worked, what failed, and lessons learned.
- Practical governance templates. Policies, checklists, decision trees, risk registers, communication plans, usable by legal, IT, HR, and communications teams.
- An advisory relationship. Not a one-off workshop, but an ongoing partnership where I help leadership teams make decisions, pressure test ideas, and connect technology, policy, and public trust.
If you secretly own AI in your organisation, even without the title, AIJ is for you.
My ambition is modest but serious. By the end of 2026, I want a small group of organisations using AIJ as their external AI brain. Not hundreds, just a handful prepared to face both opportunities and uncomfortable questions.
The New, Book-Based AI Playbook Diploma
The second ambition is the next evolution of my AI diploma.
In 2025, I treated the diploma as a live market test. I saw where participants got stuck, where they rolled their eyes, and where they had lightbulb moments.
Lesson: people do not need random AI tips. They need a clear, repeatable playbook that fits the way they actually work.
For 2026, the diploma is rebuilt and based on my book.
- The structure of the diploma follows the book.
- Ideas in the book become exercises in class.
- Frameworks become prompts, assistants, and workflows for your job.
No more separate course and book. It is now one integrated system: read it, hear it, then do it.
Each module is anchored to specific chapters:
- Short, focused theory
- Immediate application: build your own content, campaigns, and governance questions
Curriculum highlights include assistants, vibe coding, evaluation, and ethics in real-world marketing and communications. Less focus is placed on features that will soon be outdated.
Diploma goals for 2026:
- Graduates leave with a working AI playbook for their role, tested and team-ready.
- Their colleagues see real change in how they plan, create, and decide, not just how they talk about AI.
If you are at the Use AI level and want to move from “dabbling” to having a system, this diploma is for you.
A New AI Workshop Format
The third ambition is a new AI workshop format, bridging Know AI and Use AI.
Problem I see: people attend AI sessions, enjoy them, take notes, and then nothing changes.
2026 rule:
You leave having built at least one working AI workflow for your real work.
It might be:
- A content workflow
- A briefing or research workflow
- A stakeholder communication workflow
The structure will involve small group work on your own material, guided by me.
This workshop is also the on-ramp to the diploma, a first practical step for trying AI in your own context.
Ambition: people walk out saying, “I shipped something. I did not just learn something.”
Work With Me and My Team
Next ambition: make it clearer how organisations can work with us.
Previously, my work was bespoke, which is good but not scalable. In 2026, I want a clear path for organisations introducing AI.
Reality: this is not a one-person job. Proper adoption requires:
- AI tools and workflow expertise
- Change and culture expertise
- Content and campaigns expertise
- Data and evaluation expertise
I am building a compact team to support:
- First conversation to initial pilots to full integration
- Diagnostic sprints
- Prioritised use cases
- Pilot projects with metrics
- Training and playbooks for team ownership
Benefit for me: each organisation becomes a case study, feeding into AIJ, the diploma, and this podcast.
If your goal is to stop dabbling and integrate AI responsibly, this is what I am building.
A Focused Speaking Tour
Another ambition: a more deliberate speaking tour in 2026.
I have spoken at many events in the past years. Some were excellent, some were not worth the time.
2026 goal: be intentional about the rooms I am in, where conversations about AI have consequences.
Themes include trust, governance, usefulness, cutting through hype, and communicating AI use to the public.
If you are planning a 2026 conference or internal event and want someone who excites, challenges, and asks uncomfortable questions, this aligns with my ambition.
AI SIX in 2026
Finally, this podcast. AI SIX is not going anywhere. In fact, it becomes more central in 2026.
I see AI SIX as the research and reflection arm of everything I do:
- Test ideas in public
- Bring in diverse voices
- React thoughtfully to fast-moving developments
Ambition for the show: more structured but still human.
You will see:
- Short runs on specific themes
- Governance
- Practical workflows
- AI’s impact on search, media, and political communication
Treat the podcast as an informal course. Listen over the year, sharpen your thinking, and gain confidence asking good AI questions in your organisation.
As a creator, my goal is simple. AI SIX becomes part of your weekly routine, not background noise, but a tool to make sense of a powerful and flawed technology.
My 2026 AI Ambitions – Recap
- Launch AIJ to the market
- A sharper, book-based accredited AI diploma
- A new workshop format focused on shipping real workflows
- A small expert team to support organisational adoption
- A focused speaking tour in the rooms that matter
- More intentional AI SIX episodes
Why share this? Two reasons:
- Accountability. Saying it out loud means I have to do it
- Partnership. Some of you will see yourselves in these ambitions
You might join the diploma, bring the workshop or AIJ project into your organisation, invite me to speak, or just keep listening and sending the awkward questions no one else asks.
Your small challenge: when this episode ends, take one minute and finish this sentence:
“My 2026 AI ambition is …”
It could be practical: “I want to build one solid AI workflow for my job.”
Or strategic: “I want my organisation to have its first proper AI policy.”
Write it down. If you want to share it with me, tag me on LinkedIn or send a short message, just one line.
In 2026, I will be here doing this work, and I would like you alongside me in whatever way fits your role and reality.
About the Podcast Host
Joanne Sweeney is a specialist in public-sector marketing and digital communications. She’s the author of Public Sector Marketing Pro and the creator of the Professional Diploma in AI for Public Sector Marketing. With years of experience in training, consulting, and advocating for digital transformation, Joanne provides insight and guidance for government agencies navigating the digital landscape. She is also the host of the award-winning Public Sector Marketing Show podcast.
