FAQ

What's so great about Systems Thinking that you'd go to all this trouble?!

As the world gets more complex, correspondingly better approaches are needed to deal with the problems that emerge. Systems Thinking is such an approach. Systems Thinking and Creative Thinking capabilities are also predicted to be in high demand by employers. (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)

One driver for this demand is the increasingly common interaction between human and autonomous systems (e.g. 'cobots', AI).

The Beltis Steamburton Project was created to identify and engage with the implications of the coming changes, as organisations reshape and humans and technology become ever more entwined.

Systems Thinking, for all its power, can initially appear a little esoteric, hence the purpose of this project - to evangelise Systems Thinking and help make it accessible.

What is Beltis Steamburton?

Beltis is a project, a synthetic persona and a system of people, processes and technology.

Is Beltis AI?

No, AI itself is not of central importance to the project, although there is an AI element. An experimental Beltis AI component is under ad hoc development (currently offline).

Why the name "Beltis Steamburton"?

Beltis Steamburton was a name that didn't already exist. It's also a nod to several prominent Systems Thinkers who have slightly uncommon names (from a UK perspective at least).

The 'portrait' of Beltis?

It's a visual metaphor for Beltis as a synthetic persona. The concept is that many influences converge at a nexus and synthesise to produce something else. E.g. Beltis wouldn't exist without influences such as W. Ross Ashby, Stafford Beer, Mary Shelley (among many others). Some are included in the portrait.

Will "Autonomous Portals" appear in print?

Only if there is sufficient demand. Realistically: unlikely.

The oil painting used for the cover of "Pulp System" - is it available for sale?

Please forward enquires to the artist at www.leverart.co.uk

Was AI used to write the "Pulp System" book?

Read about the making of it <here>