AMA Panel Discussion: 4 Presentation Experts on AI, Trends and Finding the Time
- May 25
- 3 min read
Introduction: Meet The Panel
A panel conversation with Lucy Wyatt (Bright Carbon), Damon Nofar (Slides Agency), Jason Paul (Slido) and Olena Zubova (Represent).
Moderated by Ash Pemberton — Present to Succeed Conference.
After watching a live Copilot demo turn a Word document into a 12-slide presentation in under a minute, the audience had one question: should we be worried?
Robin: You can either get scared or you can embrace it. AI won't replace humans — but humans with AI will replace humans. Right now I'm in exploration mode. I see it as a starting point, not a final product.
Jason: It's a great tool for people like me who struggle to make decisions. You click, it puts something together, and you go from there. The slides that came out of that demo were impressive — but they were nowhere near the level of what the speakers showed today.
Lucy: There are just some things that are better with a human touch. I think people will use AI for very specific tasks and keep creativity in the areas that matter.
Olena: It's like any shift in technology. When digital replaced print, people adapted. Now it's AI's turn. The designer tool in PowerPoint already does something similar — you put content on a slide, it gives you options. It's a starting point, not a finished product.
A trainer in the audience asked about using PowerPoint with video — recording, exporting, making instructional content. Any tips?
Olena: PowerPoint lets you embed video, trigger it on click or automatically, and export the whole thing as an MP4. A lot of YouTube trainers use exactly this — slides, animations, a small face cam in the corner.
Robin: You can also record your screen, drop it into PowerPoint, add highlights and annotations, and export it. Really clean way to make step-by-step guides.
Lucy: There's a feature called Cameo in PowerPoint where you can record yourself presenting directly within the app — like a Loom video but all in one place. No need to go back and forth between tools.
What's the next big trend in presentation design — and what's just a fad?
Robin: Conversational presenting. Stop presenting, start conversating. That idea came up several times today and it's not going anywhere. Audiences are one mouse click away from distraction. You have to invite them in.
Jason: I'd second that. Interactivity is only going to become more important — especially with global teams and remote audiences. The more people use it, the better they'll get at it.
Lucy: Asynchronous tools. Companies are hiring across time zones now. Tools like Loom and Vidcast aren't going anywhere — because you simply can't keep asking someone in APAC to be awake at 2am for an Americas call.
Olena: Smooth transitions. The Morph effect in PowerPoint makes presentations feel like video. One click between two slides and it looks like a professional edit. That's the direction things are going — more seamless, more cinematic.
An online audience member asked a tough one: how do you change presentation culture when executives won't get on board?
Jason: It's hard. You have to prove it works — and you can't just tell people, you have to show them. Build it within your team first. Get the results. Then let that speak for itself.
Lucy: Practice what you preach. Run workshops. Create psychological safety so people can give honest feedback. Once your team is outperforming others, that's your proof of concept.
Robin: Push the limits. Show what's possible. And find an exec who's open-minded enough to be the internal champion — because without one, it's an uphill battle.
And finally — the universal struggle. How do you actually find time to keep up with everything?
Robin: Schedule it. I block a Friday hour or two specifically for exploring new tools. If it's not in the calendar, it doesn't happen.
Lucy: Share what you learn. At Bright Carbon, if one person discovers something — however small — they tell the whole company. That collective knowledge builds up fast.
Jason: Join a community. Find a Slack group or forum relevant to what you do and ask questions there. People who've made the effort to join a community are always willing to help.
Olena: Two things. One — put learning time in your calendar like a meeting, not a vague intention. Two — surround yourself with curious people. If your colleagues are exploring new tools and sharing what they find, you'll naturally think that way too. Osmosis works
Watch the Conversation
All four panellists presented individual sessions at Present to Succeed. Watch the full conference playlist on the Present to Succeed YouTube channel.
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