In September, we hosted AI Agenda 2026, bringing together senior leaders, legal experts and innovators to explore what it takes to adopt AI safely, strategically and at scale. The conversation has moved beyond what AI might do to how organisations are actually using it, and this edition reflects the themes and discussions that emerged throughout the day.
We open with Kate Jones, CEO of the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum, whose keynote challenged organisations to think differently about AI governance. Describing governance as the "plumbing" that makes innovation possible, she argued that the organisations seeing the greatest success are those treating governance and innovation as complementary, not competing priorities.
Building on that theme, our panel on governance, regulation and responsible adoption explores how regulation is landing in practice, what regulators are seeing, and what responsible AI deployment looks like as these technologies become embedded in day-to-day business operations.
We also feature Five Fault Lines that will shape the next phase of AI, exploring some of the tensions organisations are increasingly grappling with, from automation and skills development to accountability, organisational power and who benefits from the value AI creates.
Leadership and culture were also recurring themes throughout AI Agenda. Leadership and Culture for an AI-led Transformation highlighted that successful AI adoption depends not only on technology, but on trust, transparency, intentionality and creating the conditions for people to experiment and learn.
Elsewhere, Audree Fletcher of Public Digital argues that in uncertain times, realistic optimism is a leadership advantage.
Running through all of these contributions is a simple idea: success with AI is less about the technology itself and more about the decisions organisations make about leadership, governance, risk and innovation.
Enjoy reading.
