AI Reality Check: What leaders need to know now

AI is no longer experimental for most organisations.
It is already influencing decisions, workflows, and outcomes across teams.
Earlier this year, we commissioned independent research with 2,000 UK tech workers to understand how AI is actually being used inside organisations, where capability is building, and where risk is emerging.
The findings challenge a lot of assumptions senior teams are currently making about readiness, governance, and skills. In many cases, AI adoption is moving faster than leadership awareness and control.
On Wednesday 6th May we’re sharing the findings publicly for the first time and discussing what they mean in practice for organisations trying to move from experimentation to effective execution.
This session is focused on insight, not hype.
And on practical decisions, not theory.
The panel will bring together leaders working directly with AI strategy, delivery, and capability to examine what the data shows and how organisations should respond.
What we’ll cover
What the research reveals: How AI is being used day to day across UK organisations, where leaders are aligned with reality, and where gaps are appearing.
Capability and confidence: What the data shows about skills, preparedness, and where teams are already relying on AI without formal structures in place.
From pilots to progress: Why many AI initiatives stall, what blocks scale, and how organisations are starting to move beyond experimentation.
Implications for leadership: What this means for governance, investment, and responsibility at a senior level.
What you’ll take away
A clear view of the data
The key findings from the research, with context on why they matter and where they should influence strategy.
Real-world perspective
Discussion grounded in current challenges, not idealised case studies.
Practical direction
Clarity on where to focus first, what to avoid, and how to approach AI capability more deliberately.
Who this is for
Senior leaders responsible for technology, data, transformation, and delivery, including:
CTOs and CIOs
Heads of Engineering, Data, and Digital
Transformation leaders
Senior business leaders accountable for AI outcomes
This is a working session designed to help organisations make better decisions about AI, based on evidence rather than assumption.