01. Why we started Kernl
Like Paul Kelly says - from little things, big things grow. This is the story of why we started Kernl and how we got our name.
Welcome to Kernl’s newsletter. It’s amazed us how many questions are going unanswered about AI in care so we’ve decided to do something about it. We’ll be sharing tips and advice for providers looking to build AI into their workflows.
Where to start? With a big idea.
Technology is not adopted equally.
Disability and aged care often lag years behind (if not decades) when it comes to adopting new technology. This means the people that it could impact the most will be impacted the least.
By default, technology will roll forward and the social gap will widen at an ever increasing rate.
As a team that has worked in care services for over a decade, we were not willing to watch this happen again. That’s why we started Kernl. We wanted to be deliberate about bringing AI to the care economy - now. And in a way that genuinely delivers better outcomes for people receiving support.
How do we see this happening?
Care providers are incredibly data-rich. Every interaction with a worker, client or family member gives them a new fragment of insight into what is happening. But as human service organisations with a bias towards human-based solutions, very little of this insight is digitised effectively. Which means very little of it can be used to strengthen services, improve outcomes or provide meaningful updates to regulators and policy builders.
Without effective digital solutions, providers are backed into a corner of manual repetitive tasks. They are riddled with waste and constraint, putting care markets at risk of failure. Providers are having to scale back operations or exit the market altogether in order to make ends meet.
So, while care is here to stay, it is creaking at the seams. The case for productive, effective and human-centred services could not be greater. For individuals, their families and our communities at large.
This is why we need AI.
AI is the first real opportunity we have to replatform the infrastructure of a massive, essential service economy that governments and communities cannot afford to let fail.
And with the unprecedented rise in the power and accessibility of AI, there is a new baseline being set for how we work. AI use cases that were impossible are now easy to execute, delivering software that can genuinely free up teams to do what they do best: specialise in people, not admin.
We have the opportunity to build a system that genuinely understands and meets the needs of people receiving support. Innovation and investment in services will become more viable, seeing improvements in service continuity and responsiveness. The capacity for personalisation will give clients a way to communicate choices that evolve with them, controlling the shape of the supports they receive.
The potential to step change quality of life has never been greater. The promise of actual independence, accessibility and wellbeing will become a reality.
But you’re still wondering about the name?
Seems reasonable. Well, we didn’t come to it out of a shared love of corn. But that is a happy coincidence.
Kernl got its name for two reasons. One, a kernel is a piece of technology. It is the core component of an operating system that bridges a computer’s hardware and software. Bridge building resonated with us. We are the bridge between AI and care, insight and action and quality and sustainability in care.
Secondly, Kernl points us in the direction of hope. As Paul Kelly says - from little things, big things grow. We are working with gusto to make big change for our sector but it has to start somewhere.
If our mission or our name appeals to you, get in touch. We are keen to connect with anyone who wants to come along for the ride.
Got questions about AI in care? Join our next Office Hours on Friday, 28 Nov at 11am. It’s a free, open session for the care sector to learn about AI. Ask questions, swap ideas or just listen as our team of AI engineers and sector experts give you someone (a real person) to talk to.