Over the summer, the Cyberfraud Centre welcomed an Entrepreneurial Scotland Saltire Scholars Programme intern, Craig Mason, who supported the organisation with a series of data-related projects.
After initially losing his scheduled internship position due to last minute changes, the Centre was delighted to step in and offer Craig a placement in our team.
Sean McGrath, Chief Executive Officer at Entrepreneurial Scotland commenting on Craig’s experience so far says,
“Craig demonstrated all of the attributes we look for in a Saltire scholar.
He showed real resilience in what he had to go through to secure this role, used his curiosity to not just do the work but identify new ways of working and showcased his quiet confidence in being able to make recommendations and changes.
Cyberfraud Centre also made clear their ambitious and entrepreneurial drive by engaging Craig to do such an important piece of work over the summer.”
In this blog, Craig outlines his experience working with us and the next steps in his career journey.
I’m Craig, a Business and Law graduate from the University of Edinburgh, and this summer I was a Data Analyst Intern at the Cyberfraud Centre. In this role, I worked on several projects, with my main focuses being a data cleanse of our CRM system and researching the feasibility and applicability of AI within the organisation. This has been such a rewarding experience, not only because I’ve been able to apply aspects of my degree to a real-life scenario, but also because of the positive influence I’ve had on my colleagues and the organisation as a whole.
In my data cleanse project, I worked to review the records held within our CRM system after they were migrated from the old CRM system. My work here helped support the implementation of the Centre’s data retention policy and set the foundations for future outreach campaigns to engage stakeholders.
For my AI project, I evaluated the potential use of Microsoft Copilot across the organisation. I identified the risks and benefits that implementing an AI system would create, as well as the governance and security considerations that must be taken into account, summarised in a report, which I presented to colleagues. This project allowed me to implement the critical thinking skills, research ability and attention to detail that I have honed throughout my degree in a real-world environment, as well as really allowing me to sink my teeth into a research project, the output of which would make a real difference.
What I particularly enjoyed about the AI research project was the autonomy I was given, as I was effectively given carte blanche as long as I stayed within certain parameters. This meant I could take the project in whatever direction interested me, which allowed me to spend time researching the ethics of AI, as well as the influence that an AI system can have upon the people interacting with it. My research has informed my opinion that, while AI is a very valuable tool in terms of the productivity benefits and time savings that it offers, it is also of the utmost importance that people exercise discretion when using it. Namely, being sure to verify the outputs they are given, and only using AI to complement the work they are carrying out. The risk I find most concerning from my research is cognitive offloading, where the reduced cognitive effort required to carry out tasks can lead to the erosion of someone’s critical thinking, writing skills and even creativity. In short, overreliance on AI is causing people to digitally lobotomise themselves.
All in all, I feel like I’ve been able to make a real impact at the Cyberfraud Centre due to my involvement in projects across the organisation. This opportunity has been a real boon for my professional growth, and I feel more confident about pursuing my future career. While nothing is set in stone, this internship really tested my project management skills such as communication, adaptability and organisation, and I’m looking for opportunities that will allow me to further develop in this area. I’m also thrilled that my time at the Cyberfraud Centre won’t be coming to an end just yet, as I’ll be staying on part-time until the end of March to wrap up the data cleanse project and to spearhead the integration of Copilot within the organisation.