Sue Daley OBE
Director of Technology and Innovation, techUK
Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept reserved for sci-fi films – it’s a powerful and cutting-edge technology that has already transformed the way we work and operate in our day-to-day.
People, businesses, and governments alike are all interacting with this technology in one way or another. But as we move deeper into the applications of AI, the question is no longer what AI can do, but what comes next.
Agentic AI for productivity gains
One of the most significant trends we are observing is the rise of agentic AI. These are not simple chatbots: they are systems designed to take initiative, predicting behaviour and needs, to pursue goals by completing tasks autonomously. An example of Agentic AI at work would be where this technology can manage your calendar, book travel, and follow up on outstanding actions – all with little human intervention. We are already seeing businesses beginning to explore these AI agents to handle complex, multi-step tasks across customer service, operations, and sales, unlocking massive productivity gains.
Meanwhile, we are also observing a shift from the more commonly known Large Language Models (LLMs) to Small Language Models (SLMs). LLMs are powerful tools capable of performing a wide range of actions – however, they can be harder to fine tune to specific tasks. This is where SLMs come in, allowing better accessibility at lower costs. While we don’t predict that LLMs are going away, we will see more SLMs being deployed soon to complete specific tasks, while using fewer resources than larger models.
The next chapter of
AI will be defined by
autonomy and accessibility.
Governance still of utmost importance
As these technologies evolve, AI governance will become even more important, especially as regulators and businesses deal with questions of accountability, transparency, and bias. The future of AI isn’t just about smarter systems; it’s about building systems we can trust.
The next chapter of AI will be defined by autonomy and accessibility. Leaders and innovators now have the opportunity to embrace the shift and build systems where AI doesn’t just assist but acts.
