AI & Big Data Expo World Series

At AI & Big Data Expo World Series, Knowledge Networks played an important role in bringing together top-tier experts for impactful sessions. One of the standout panels, "Navigating AI Regulation Worldwide: Lessons from the EU, U.S., UK, and China" was nothing short of phenomenal. Moderated by Dr. Richard Benjamins, Co-Founder & CEO of RAIght.ai, the panel featured an impressive lineup of thought leaders: 🔹 Giles Crown – Partner, Taylor Wessing 🔹 Jo Joyce – Head of Tech, IP, and Information, Taylor Wessing Ireland 🔹 Abhishek Das & Digital Risk Consulting, EY UK & Ireland 🔹 Cristina Vanberghen - Professor and Senior Expert - European Commission They talked about the evolving AI regulatory landscape across key global regions, exploring challenges, legal frameworks, and the road ahead. The panel was a huge success, reaffirming the need for continued dialogue and collaboration in shaping responsible AI policies worldwide. #AI #AIEthics #AIEvent

Spent the last two days at AI & Big Data Expo World Series in London, sharing the stage with fellow panelists Karan Shah (Meta), Franny Hsiao, PhD (Salesforce), Konstantina Kapetanidi (Schroders) and Helen Mannion to discuss the future of Generative AI and its real business value. I also had the opportunity to present our AI journey at Kingfisher plc and how we’re bringing AI to life — enhancing customer experiences and empowering our colleagues to improve internal operations. We shared our progress on: ✅ Spirit – Our in-house AI-powered personalisation & recommendation engine, driving tailored customer experiences across our banners B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama and BRICO DÉPÔT. ✅ Lens – Our visual search technology, making it easier for our customers to find products through the Screwfix App. ✅ Athena – Our GenAI orchestration framework, powering solutions like Hello Casto at Castorama, the first public facing DIY virtual assistant in the industry. ✅ Inspect – Our Marketplace content moderation engine, improving our operational efficiency to support Marketplace growth across all of our banners. ✅ Markdown & Promotion Engine – AI-powered tools that automate some of the complex, manual processes around markdown & promotion activities in our banners, helping our teams work smarter. Many thanks to TechEx Events for organising this fantastic event, and to everyone who joined the conversation. Exciting times ahead for AI in retail! #AI #GenerativeAI #RetailTech #BigData #AIInnovation

🚀 What an INCREDIBLE start to February! 🚀 February kicked off in full force at AI & Big Data Expo World Series at Olympia, London—where AI, Tech, and Big Data took center stage! 🎤 The day opened with our very own Peter Jackson, who reminded us all that storytelling in data is not just important—it’s essential. Despite being a data person, he dazzled the audience with his ability to turn numbers into narratives. A masterclass in communication! 🔥 Then, we took over the stage with a powerhouse panel discussion, expertly hosted by the amazing Helen Mannion. We dived into: 💡 AI in the real world – what does true business value look like? ⏳ Speed to realisation – how fast can we achieve it (or should we)? ⚖️ The ethics dilemma – are we doing it right? 💥 We tackled some challenging (and much-needed) questions from the audience on DEEPSEEK, the importance of removing black boxes in data, and ensuring AI models are: ✅ Auditable ✅ Accountable ✅ Traceable ✅ Transparent ✨ Beyond the stage, I had the absolute privilege of sharing the space with some of the brightest minds in AI and Tech: 🔹 Helen Mannion (our phenomenal panel host) 🔹 Franny Hsiao, PhD (Salesforce) 🔹 Mohsen Ghasempour, Ph.D. (Kingfisher plc) 🔹 @Karan Shah (Meta) Together, we explored diverse industry perspectives that truly opened minds and sparked meaningful conversations! 🎉 A huge THANK YOU to all the familiar faces in the audience! Shirley Mak your presence and feedback meant a lot. William Talmage & Arif Hussein, my daughter is forever grateful for the Agentforce chocolate surprise on her desk! 🍫 📢 And in other exciting news… The first snippets from our Alooba podcast with Tim Freestone went live earlier this week! 🎙️ If you’re curious about the future of AI and coding, check out below a YouTube short: https://lnkd.in/dciDjzjv More to come if you follow Alooba on their social media. 🚀Have you thought of your biggest AI challenge in 2025? – Let’s discuss! #TechEx2025 #AI #BigData #Storytelling #AIethics #Leadership #Innovation #FutureofAI #Alooba #DataScience

Day Two at AI & Big Data Expo World Series in London, Olympia was all about AI regulation, and it’s clear: there’s no single rulebook. The US, UK, and EU are all taking different approaches, creating a chaotic landscape for businesses trying to adopt AI responsibly. Thanks for your insight: Abhishek Das Jo Joyce Cristina Vanberghen Giles Crown Saber Fallah, PhD, PEng Shairil Yahya Larry Orimoloye Emily Y. Yang Chandrashekhar Kachole Sanjay Puri 💡 My Key Takeaways on AI Regulation: ✅ The “AI Wild West” is real. There’s a huge gap between different global AI regulations. The EU AI Act is taking a strict, risk-based approach, while the UK is favouring “light-touch, pro-innovation” policies. Meanwhile, the US just rescinded Biden’s AI executive order, signalling even more uncertainty. ✅ Regulatory sandboxes are important. Companies need a safe space to experiment with AI under relaxed rules before broader enforcement kicks in. But how do you scale that across different jurisdictions? ✅ Transparency, accountability, and risk management are non-negotiable. Companies must ensure their AI systems are explainable, aligned with ethical principles, and don’t amplify bias or misinformation. Later, Dean Whitehouse (Head of Risk, UK Department for Science, Innovation & Technology) and Kerry Sheehan gave businesses some useful practical advice on navigating AI regulations: 🔹 Understand AI’s regulatory complexity – Businesses must track not just local laws, but global ones too. Many AI regulations have extraterritorial impact—meaning even if you’re based in the UK, you might still need to comply with EU or US rules. 🔹 Align AI governance with business strategy. Companies can’t wait for a universal AI law—they need internal policies now that prioritize ethical AI, risk assessment, and compliance frameworks. 🔹 Regulation is catching up with AI’s biggest risks. Social media manipulation, deepfakes, and AI-driven fraud were called out as major concerns. Misuse of AI in generating fake content and misinformation is already having real-world consequences. 💭 So where does this leave businesses? The message was clear: AI governance won’t be solved overnight. Companies need to take responsibility now, setting internal policies before they’re forced to comply with stricter laws. At Sage, working with Sage Ai and Copilot, I see firsthand how businesses are already adapting to AI regulation challenges—from ensuring data privacy to embedding explainability in AI-powered automation. 🌍 The big question: With AI regulations still in flux, how are companies balancing innovation with compliance? Should businesses take a proactive or wait-and-see approach? My take on the AI ethics discussion to come! Stacey McIntosh Declan Hare Ryan Grundy Natalie Sweet

I am thrilled to have delivered my second talk of the week at the AI & Big Data Expo World Series in London, surrounded by an incredible audience and an inspiring atmosphere! During my session, I delved into the transformative power of Generative AI (GenAI) in automating manual tasks and maximizing productivity. I shared valuable insights on the challenges encountered and the lessons learned along the way. The engagement and enthusiasm from the audience were truly invigorating! A huge thank you to TechEx Events, Michael Hughes and our awesome chairperson Armand Angeli for orchestrating such a remarkable event. It was an honor to stand on that podium and connect with so many passionate individuals. I am eagerly looking forward to future opportunities to share knowledge and drive innovation. #AI #BigData #GenAI #Innovation #TechEx #AIExpo #Productivity #Automation