Day 2 at Big Data and AI World London

Finally got around to reflecting on Day 2 of Tech Show London and undoubtedly “Women Trailblazers in Tech: Navigating Career Growth in an Evolving Industry” was a highlight of my day for the obvious reasons – I am in Talent Acquisition after all 🤭 ;-)!

A brilliant 👏 panel discussion at Big Data & AI World London with Natalie Trye (thank you for chairing the panel so skillfully! 🎤), Nishma Shah, Merve Alanyali, Jackie Lundblad and Jayna Devani covered important issues:

➤ Men advocate for themselves – women don’t (as much)! How do we overcome it?
➤ Mentors are great, but a SPONSOR who actively pushes for you at the workplace? Game-changing (thank you Natalie! 🙏 – the audience was enlightened and questions followed).
➤ Rigid work structures – lack of flexibility and return-to-office mandates (!) – are pushing women out of the workplace post-children. This HAS TO change!
➤ Lack of part-time opportunities – 99% of workplaces don’t offer part-time opportunities for women in tech – how can we change it?

This electric session was followed by Women in Tech UK Networking Event, (another highlight) with 🍷 – the hour just flew by and it was great to chat / learn about so many different professions at one place!

Another memorable (and oversubscribed) session, “How Education is Preparing Young People”, was run by Alex More (I was curious as a Mum of a teenager!) and I wasn’t disappointed. Alex started the session asking: ‘What does technology want?’ AI is often framed as a tool, a partner, or even a potential saviour. But what if we shift the lens and ask what does AI want from us?

A fascinating talk explored the different identities we project onto AI:

➤ A mirror reflecting our own biases and ambitions
➤ A black box full of unknowns and risks
➤ A partner in our work and learning
➤ A sentient being – one step away from science fiction

Lastly…

The hottest topic of this year’s Tech show was … 🔮 Agentic AI(s) aka AI-powered autonomous agents! (which SO deserves its own post was so watch this space… ).

All in all, the Tech Show London has been energising and insightful, and it is a reminder of why face-to-face connections matter. Who else attended? What were your key takeaways? 👇