ai:NOW Conference UK
22 May @ 8:00 am - 5:15 pm
Event Summary
ai:NOW returns to London for its second conference, a full day dedicated to advancing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) at scale. Building on the success of the 2024 Munich event, this year’s gathering will focus on the transformative potential of AI, along with actionable insights and strategies for real-world implementation.
Attendees will collaboratively address critical areas such as pilot support, strategic planning, and the infrastructure needed to scale AI solutions effectively.
Join us to explore how to navigate the challenges of operationalising AI, including data quality, ethical concerns, resource allocation, and policy support. Equip your organisation with the tools, frameworks, and partnerships essential for seamless AI integration.
With a results-driven approach, the conference will help you develop robust strategies for scaling AI projects, enabling the transition from pilot stages to widespread adoption.
ai:NOW aims to drive the next phase of AI development—one that is not only innovative but also sustainable, equitable, and impactful.
Speakers
Event Sponsors
Agenda
Morning Session: Inspiration | Network | Learn | Engage
08:00 Registration
Tea, coffee and light refreshments provided
08:45 Introduction & Welcome
An introduction from the ai:NOW founders
09:00 Panel: Unifying Data with AI: The Rise of Data Fabrics in Modern Enterprises
Moderator: Kari-Anne Clayton, Head of Transformation & Strategy Natwest Group
Panellists: Saurav Gupta, Data Platforms – Sales Engineering InterSystems | Robert Chilvers, Chief Data & AI Officer Newcross Healthcare Solutions | Cybele Wong, Senior Data Scientist Arup | Shanthi Nachiappan, VP Non Financial Risk Management LSEG
Synopsis: As enterprises struggle with fragmented data across silos, the concept of a data fabric offers a revolutionary approach to data management. By leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and knowledge graphs, data fabrics create a seamless, virtualised layer that provides real-time access to enterprise-wide data. In this panel, industry leaders and data experts will explore the transformative potential of data fabrics, share implementation strategies, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in adopting this architecture. Attendees will gain insights into how data fabrics empower businesses to enhance decision-making, improve agility, and unlock the true value of their data.
10:00 Keynote: TBC
Speaker: Dennis Curry, CTO Talk Talk
TBC
10:00 Keynote: TBC
Speaker: Niall Carter, VP UK&I, Cognigy
TBC
10:40 Networking Break
Enjoy networking and light refreshment
11:00 Keynote: Rethinking AI and its impact on Business and Humanity
Speaker: Dr. Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer WPP
Synopsis: Working in academia, the public and private sectors, Daniel is a globally recognised expert in Artificial Intelligence as well as its applications and the social, commercial, economic and ethical implications. In a world where many believe access to more and more data will lead to ever better decision-making, he looks at what AI really is, as well as identifying the current and future challenges and opportunities for emerging technologies. Daniel provides a radical new framework for thinking about AI, and discusses how organisations can practically adopt these technologies and avoid being seduced by the hype. He argues that whilst these technologies are incredible at creating growth and streamlining operations, for companies to stay innovative they need to also use AI to unlock the creative capacity of their workforce. Daniel also covers the macro impact these technologies may have on business and humanity over the coming decades.
11:00 The Governance Advantage: Turning AI Oversight into Your Scaling Catalyst
Speaker: Robin Miller, Director and Founder Feder8
Synopsis: Despite significant investment in AI, many UK organisations remain in the experimentation phase, with few successfully scaling their initiatives. The main barrier is a lack of structured AI governance, which hinders innovation and creates compliance risks.
This session simplifies AI governance by showcasing how an effective framework can remove obstacles, build trust, and enable large-scale AI adoption. Rather than a hindrance, proper governance provides the foundation for responsible AI scaling, ensuring compliance, transparency, and real business impact.
Without a practical AI governance approach, projects can stall, compliance risks increase, and AI may remain in pilot phases, resulting in wasted investments and missed opportunities. This session will offer strategies to enhance clarity, consistency, and control in AI initiatives, transforming isolated projects into organisation-wide capabilities that deliver measurable value.
Learn how the Feder8 AI Governance Framework helps companies in regulated industries scale faster while maintaining trust and compliance.
See a demo of the Feder8 Platform, which streamlines compliance, enforces policies, and provides visibility across AI initiatives for both technical teams and business leaders.
This session is designed for CXOs, AI leaders, and governance executives looking to scale AI responsibly while navigating compliance challenges.
Practical Implementation Strategies:
- Accelerate AI scale without excessive paperwork or risk
- Maintain compliance and ethics while fostering innovation
- Create accessible governance standards
- Confidently drive AI use cases from concept to implementation
Key Takeaways
- Implement AI governance to accelerate adoption
- Ensure compliance and risk management with minimal bureaucracy
- Establish organisation-wide standards to promote trust and consistency
- Gain insights into the Feder8 Governance platform
- Automate policy enforcement for compliance
- Enhance visibility into AI decisions for accountability
- Standardise AI interactions across the business
- Manage AI deployment in alignment with governance policies
11:40 Keynote: Generating Value with AI: Unlocking the Power of Your Data
Speaker: Mohsen Ghasempour, Group AI Director Kingfisher plc
Synopsis: In an era where data is the new currency, leveraging AI is no longer optional—it’s essential. This keynote will explore how organisations can transform raw data into actionable insights, drive smarter decisions, and create tangible business value through the strategic use of AI. From streamlining operations and enhancing customer experiences to uncovering untapped opportunities, we’ll highlight real-world success stories and best practices for integrating AI into your data strategy. Attendees will leave with a roadmap for turning their data assets into a competitive advantage, ensuring they stay ahead in today’s fast-paced digital economy.
11:40 Delivering Immediate ROI: Affordable, Easy-to-Deploy AI Solutions for Businesses
Speaker: Kevin Neogy, Group Head of Digital Transformation & AI The Kanoo Group in Dubai, UAE
Synopsis: Kevin, who heads the Digital Transformation and AI division at one of the Middle East’s oldest and largest family-owned diversified business conglomerates, will showcase live demonstrations of several key AI initiatives and projects he has developed and implemented entirely in-house, without relying on any vendors or third parties. These projects were not only cost-effective and quick to execute, but they also delivered immediate returns on investment for the business.
Kevin will share valuable insights into how he identified and prioritised business use cases, engaged stakeholders throughout the project, and maintained their enthusiasm and involvement. He will discuss change management strategies, what strategies proved successful, what didn’t work, and offer practical takeaways for the audience. Attendees can expect a fully interactive session that encourages active participation.
11:40 Pilot Program: Where Agents Excel: Applying AI Agents Where They Truly Add Value
Speaker:
AI agents are revolutionising workflows, decision-making, and customer interactions. However, deploying them where they create tangible value requires a strategic lens. This session will explore the sweet spots where AI agents excel—bridging the gap between automation and human innovation.Through real-world use cases and industry insights, attendees will gain actionable strategies to identify high-impact applications of AI agents. Organisations must resist the urge to over-engineer. Instead, focus on applying AI agents where they truly add value. Start with clear, well-defined use cases and build from there.
Areas highlighted in the session are:
* High Implementation Costs: Building custom integrations with legacy systems demands significant engineering resources and countless iterations.
* The Demo vs Reality Gap: Those polished sales pitches rarely reflect the messy, real-world scenarios enterprises face daily.
* Hidden Complexities: Without proper understanding, agentic workflows can create chaos instead of efficiency.
11:40 Fireside Chat: Transforming Customer Experience with GenAI
Session Hosts: Matthias Roebel, CEO MING Labs | Veaceslav Driglov, CDO Oikos
Synopsis: Matthias and Veaceslav will be discussing how to transform customer experience with GenAI – The era of hyper-personalised customer journeys and touchpoints which lies ahead of us.
12:20 Lunch
Lunch provided in the Sofitel London ST. James Restaurant
Afternoon Session: Application | Outcomes | Implementation
13:20 Panel: AI-Driven Decision Making: Unlocking Value Through Machine Learning & Data Analytics
Moderator:
Panellists: Monika Kashyap, Head of Decisioning HSBC Bank Plc | Elangoraj Thiruppandiaraj, Data Scientist Just Group Plc| Claudia Villasis-Wallraff, Head of Data Driven Treasury Deutsche Bank | Apoorv Kashyap, Head of AI Santander UK |
Synopsis: As AI and machine learning reshape businesses, organisations are harnessing data-driven insights to inform decisions and improve customer experiences. However, effectively deploying machine learning models requires strong data analytics and understanding of ethical AI.
This panel brings together senior leaders who will explore how businesses can harness machine learning models to extract value from data while mitigating risks.
Key topics include:
The role of machine learning in executive decision-making
Overcoming data challenges: quality, bias, and scalability
The future of AI-driven predictive analytics in business strategy
13:20 Fireside Chat: Empowering Retail Frontlines with AI: Enhancing Skills and Customer Experience
Session Hosts:
Synopsis: In today’s retail landscape, the frontline workforce plays a pivotal role in shaping customer experiences, yet they’re often the last to benefit from digital transformation. This fireside chat explores how AI is reshaping the way frontline retail employees work, learn, and serve. From real-time customer insights to AI-driven training and support, discover how leading retailers are harnessing technology to boost efficiency and elevate employee engagement.
Join two industry leaders for a candid conversation on placing AI in the hands of those who need it most—the people on the floor.
14:20 Networking Break
Enjoy networking and light refreshment
14:40 The Human Element of Data and AI Mindset and Culture
Speaker: Rosanne Werner, CEO XcelerateIQ
Synopsis: “I don’t like it. I don’t get it. I don’t trust it.”
These are common reactions when people face new technologies, especially with AI.
While organisations invest heavily in AI, the human aspect of change is often underestimated, leading to slow adoption and under-utilisation.
In this session we’ll explore ways to ‘Crack the code’ with AI Mindset and Culture, using evidence based approaches:
- Understanding how our brains change and learn, enabling AI usage and acceptance
- Hacking into the Power of Habit Formation to integrate AI into daily workflows
- Utilising social dynamics to foster a collective AI-positive mindset
Proven by science – Let’s help your teams put AI into Action!
14:40 Leveraging AI in Retail and Consumer Services – A How To Guide for Industry Leaders
Speaker: Neil Holden, Co-Founder & Manish Yadav Lead Technologist, Ignite AI Partners
Synopsis:
Navigating the AI Landscape with Practical Strategies and Real-World Insights for Enterprise Growth
The AI revolution is well underway, but for many retail and consumer services businesses, the challenge lies in cutting through the noise, avoiding the hype, and implementing AI in ways that genuinely drive value at scale.
In this session, Neil Holden, former CIO/CDO/CTO turned AI products and services business founder and Manish Yadav, Lead Technologist at Ignite AI Partners, will provide an enterprise-focused guide to leveraging AI effectively.
Drawing on real-world experience, Neil and Manish will cover:
Understanding the Landscape – The state of AI today in retail and consumer services and where it’s heading for enterprise-level growth.
Avoiding the Hype – Separating real impact from buzzwords and overpromises.
Practical Applications – How retail and consumer services businesses can identify high-value AI use cases.
Lessons from the Trenches – Insights and advice from leading AI implementations across the retail and consumer services industry.
This session is tailored for retail and consumer services executives at enterprise-level organisations looking to strategically integrate AI into their digital transformation journey.
Whether you’re leading innovation, driving operational efficiency, or enhancing customer engagement, this session will equip you with actionable insights to make AI a profitable and scalable part of your strategy.
14:40 Business Case: Seth Dobrin, Founder and CEO - Qantm AI
Speaker: Seth Dobrin, Founder and CEO Qantm AI
Synopsis: TBC
14:40 Conversational AI for Customer Engagement
Speaker: Charles Juba, Group Director of Digital & Technology London Marathon Events
Synopsis: Lessons learned from a live Pilot using D365 Virtual Assistant to improve customer engagement and drive operational efficiencies through, conversational AI.
15:20 Networking Break
Enjoy networking and light refreshment
15:40 Case Study: How To Hire the Top 5% of the Data & AI Talent Pool
Speaker: Damien Deighan, CEO Data Science Talent
Synopsis: TBC
15:40 AI and CX Revolution – Industry 2025 Trends
Speaker: Veaceslav Driglov, CDO Oikos
Synopsis: Discover how to leverage AI as a powerful differentiator in an increasingly competitive landscape. This session will explore innovative strategies combining human creativity with proprietary data to create exceptional customer experiences. Participants will gain insights into hyper-personalization and advanced segmentation techniques, along with practical examples of conversational and generative interfaces that significantly boost customer engagement. Additionally, we’ll cover best practices for building a robust data foundation, ensuring your organization’s readiness for advanced AI-driven applications and future trends.
15:40 Case Study: SIAM: An Integrated Approach to Deliver AI ROI
Speaker: Claire Agutter, Director Scopism
Synopsis: As AI adoption rates increase, many organisations are struggling to move past the pilot stage and deliver true AI ROI. Effective implementation is crucial for achieving business value from complex technologies that often span multiple organisations. This workshop explores how the Service Integration and Management (SIAM) methodology can empower organisations to successfully adopt and manage AI solutions across diverse teams and service providers. Participants will learn how SIAM’s collaborative framework enhances accountability, enables compliance, fosters agility, and aligns AI deployment with business outcomes.
Through industry examples and interactive discussions, attendees will discover practical strategies for integrating AI into complex environments, overcoming implementation challenges, and driving innovation. This session is ideal for business leaders, IT managers, and AI strategists seeking a structured approach to scaling AI adoption with confidence and efficiency.
15:40 Case Study: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Speaker: Nigel Guy, Director – Head of Data Migration & Data Transition Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Synopsis: TBC
16:20 Panel: Creating Monsters - The Ethical Boundaries of AI Innovation
Moderator: Rosanne Werner, CEO XcelerateIQ
Panellists: Giles Lindsay, CIO Lif3away | Ravi Jay, Head of Agile Delivery Jaguar Land Rover
Synopsis: Considering OpenAI’s newly-released o1 model tried to avoid developer oversight and attempted to copy itself when it thought it was at risk of being shut down, should we be more focused on the cautionary AI tales from Hollywood?
This panel discussion draws parallels between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the rapid advancement of AI. Just as Victor Frankenstein grappled with the consequences of creating life, today’s AI innovators face moral questions about their technological creations.
Experts will explore the risks of unchecked ambition, the responsibility of creators, and the societal impacts of their innovations. Through the lens of Shelley’s cautionary tale, the panel will address pressing questions:
How do we ensure AI serves humanity without harm?
What ethical safeguards should guide AI development?
Are we prepared to live with the “monsters” we create?
17:00 ai:NOW
Final words and conference overview from the ai:NOW founders
17:15 End of Conference
