Key AI discussions shaping the agenda at AI LIVE London

The summit will convene C-suite executives from around the globe to address pressing challenges across global industries, ranging from AI-driven disruption to economic volatility.

In anticipation of AI LIVE: The London Summit on 20–21 October 2026, AI Magazine highlights 10 pivotal discussions defining enterprise strategy and innovation.

On 20–21 October 2026, the inaugural AI LIVE: The London Summit takes place at Olympia London, uniting over 2,000 global leaders under the theme Technology + Human Purpose.

Designed for C-suite executives, AI strategists, and innovators, this two-day conference and expo prepares attendees for the next era of artificial intelligence.

Here, AI Magazine breaks down 10 of the most critical conversations scheduled for this essential event.

The Future of Enterprise AI

This panel examines the trajectory of enterprise AI, covering large-scale deployment, governance, and measurable business value. Industry leaders will delve into AI strategy, data infrastructure, responsible AI practices, and scalable ROI.

Featuring speakers such as Alper Benli, VP and Head of Data & AI Business Operations at Ericsson, and Jason Yung, Adobe’s AI Evangelist Lead for the UK, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the session explores how top firms are navigating the future of AI.

AI has enormous potential to create value, but organisations will only realise that potential if people trust how it is being used

Dave Massey, Head of Data & AI at Age UK

AI & Industrial Automation

Attendees will discover how AI is transforming industrial automation across manufacturing, logistics, and supply chains. This session covers predictive maintenance, intelligent robotics, computer vision, and real-time optimisation.

With speakers like Julia Peyre, Head of AI Strategy & Innovation at Schneider Electric and Adie Taylor, Head of Solution Design & Logistics Engineering at Arvato, this session is essential for anyone seeking practical insights into integrating AI with legacy systems, improving operational efficiency, and driving productivity in industrial environments.

Adie says: "I’m looking forward to exploring how AI is helping logistics automation become more connected and adaptable.

"The opportunity is not simply to add more technology, but to use AI as an intelligence layer, helping automation respond to real-world variability, connecting decisions across operations, and allowing people to focus on the exceptions and improvements where their expertise has the greatest impact."

AI LIVE will take place at Olympia, London on 20-21 October 2026

The Economics of AI

The AI Economics & ROI Forum will explore how organisations are turning AI investments into measurable business outcomes. Experts like Kevin Cassar, Chief Data & AI Officer at TalkTalk and Simon James, Managing Director, Data Strategy & AI at Publicis Sapient, will examine the economics of generative and agentic AI.

Kevin says: "I am excited to join The AI Economics & ROI discussion panel to tackle the question that matters most: not“Can we deploy AI?” but “Can we prove and deliver its value?” The reality is stark. While AI adoption is accelerating, value realisation remains elusive.

"Too many initiatives fail not because the technology is inadequate, but because organisations lack clear value hypotheses, governance, operating model alignment, workforce adoption and robust ROI measurement frameworks.

"That is why this conversation is so important. The winners in the age of generative and agentic AI will be those who can systematically connect AI investments to productivity gains, revenue growth, customer value, and competitive advantage."

For executives curious about implementation costs, productivity gains, governance and the frameworks used to measure value at scale, this session is essential – as attendees will learn how leading enterprises justify AI investment, track ROI and build sustainable strategies that deliver lasting competitive advantage.

Simon James, Managing Director, Data Strategy & AI, International. Credit: Simon James/LinkedIn

Responsible & Ethical AI

The Responsible AI & Ethical Forum explores how organisations can develop, deploy and scale AI responsibly while balancing innovation, risk and compliance.

Industry leaders will discuss AI governance frameworks, regulatory developments, ethical decision-making, transparency and accountability.

Gorden Pretorius, Chief Technology Officer at Checkatrade, Hellen Beveridge, Head of AI Governance at AXA and Dave Massey, Head of Data & AI at Age UK, will provide practical insights into building trusted AI systems, ensuring regulatory readiness and embedding responsible AI principles across the enterprise.

Dave says: "AI has enormous potential to create value, but organisations will only realise that potential if people trust how it is being used.

"As AI becomes embedded in more of the decisions organisations make, it's vital that we keep people, transparency and accountability at the centre of our approach. I'm looking forward to discussing how we can balance innovation with governance and ethics, sharing lessons from the charity sector and learning from others tackling similar challenges across different industries."

The Future of AI in Drug Discovery

The Future of AI in Drug Discovery examines how AI is revolutionising pharmaceutical research and development by accelerating scientific discovery, improving clinical trial success and optimising drug development pipelines.

Experts such as Matea Deliu, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Bromley Healthcare / Guy's & St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust will explore gen AI, computational biology, real-world data, regulatory challenges and responsible innovation.

Attendees will learn how leading organisations are leveraging AI to reduce costs, shorten time-to-market and drive the next generation of breakthrough therapies.

Matea Deliu, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Bromley Healthcare / Guy's & St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust. Credit: Matea Deliu/LinkedIn

The Future of Finance

This session explores AI in financial services, including risk modelling, fraud detection, algorithmic trading and customer personalisation. Panellists will discuss governance, compliance and ethical AI in regulated markets.

With an impressive lineup including Gareth Wilson, Executive Vice President, Global Banking Industry Leader at Capgemini, Andy Ellis, CEO of Natwest Boxed and Shubham Jain, VP Software Engineering at JPMorgan – this is essential for anyone who wants to learn how to harness AI for competitive advantage while maintaining trust, transparency and regulatory alignment.

Andy Ellis, CEO of NatWest Boxed

The Cybersecurity Forum

The Cybersecurity Forum brings together industry leaders to explore how AI is reshaping the security landscape.

In this fireside chat, leading cyber experts will discuss emerging threats, from AI-powered attacks to data vulnerabilities and how organisations can stay resilient.

The conversation will focus on practical strategies for safeguarding intelligent systems, managing risk and building trust in an increasingly automated world.

Data Centres & Supercomputing

This session explores the critical infrastructure powering the next generation of AI. Industry leaders discuss AI-ready data centres, high-performance computing (HPC), GPU infrastructure, energy efficiency and scalable cloud architectures.

Attendees will gain insights into building resilient, high-performance computing environments that support AI innovation while balancing cost, sustainability and future demand from experts like Eric Vaughan, the CEO of IgniteTech and Juan Carlos Martinez, Head of Cloud Platforms at NTT DATA UK&I.

AI LIVE: The London Summit brings together 2,000+ global leaders under the theme Technology + Human Purpose.

The winners in the age of generative and agentic AI will be those who can systematically connect AI investments to productivity gains, revenue growth, customer value and competitive advantage

Kevin Cassar, Chief Data & AI Officer at TalkTalk

The Future of People & Skills in AI

This session explores how organisations are preparing their workforce to thrive in the age of AI. Industry leaders discuss AI literacy, leadership, talent development, change management and the skills needed to scale AI successfully.

Hosted by AI Magazine’s own Tom Chapman, attendees will learn how to build AI-ready teams, foster a culture of continuous learning and equip employees to drive enterprise-wide transformation from experts like Ricky Bartlett, CBRE’s UK Lead for AI and Automation.

The AI Innovation for Start-Ups Pitch

This high-impact pitch session showcases ten AI start-ups competing for recognition as the most innovative emerging company.

Founders will present their cutting-edge solutions across sectors, followed by a live judging round.

Attendees will gain early insight into disruptive technologies, investment trends and partnership opportunities shaping the next wave of AI innovation.