Below the Surface
Casual chats between an Austrian and Australian on environmental topics that usually don't get talked about openly.
Hosts Gunnar Haid and James Hammond set out to provide a light-hearted and thought-provoking look into Contaminated Land, Resource Recovery, Ecology and general environmental issues in Australia, in particular NSW. They use their experience and industry connections to talk about subjects that, at least in their opinion, don't get talked about enough or not in the right context. Join them for a chuckle and some unique perspectives.
And don't forget to keep track of your listening experience. It is official, listening to Below the Surface collects CPD points at a rate of 0.5 points per hour of listening (self education category).
Contact: bts@4pillars.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast
The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers.
(c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond
Below the Surface
#41 The AI Revolution
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Artificial intelligence has gone from curiosity to daily tool almost overnight.
In this episode, Gunnar and James sit down with AI consultant Alex Rankin who spent over 25 years in senior roles across the Australian Public Service before turning her focus to helping environmental consultancies figure out where AI actually fits into their workflows. Together they cut through the hype and talk about what AI can actually do for environmental professionals right now.
In this episode:
- What LLMs, generative AI, agentic AI, and AGI actually mean, and which ones matter for your practice right now
- Why AI is better thought of as a fast intern than a consultant (for now)
- What environmental consultants are actually using AI for (and what they're still struggling with)
- The hallucination problem (Gunnar calls it lying) and the cross-checking trick that helps
- How to train an AI tool and what "training" actually means in practice
- A practical framework for dipping a toe in without blowing your budget or your deadline
- Why Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini are not interchangeable and when to use which
This episode was recorded on 6 March 2026.
Book a meeting with Alex: https://meetings-ap1.hubspot.com/a/driftwood-discovery
ALGA launches Special Interest Group for AI
Listen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education Category
Contact: bts@4pillars.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast
The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers.
(c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond