AI Assurance in Critical National Infrastructure – Half Day Conference

This June, techUK is hosting a half day conference exploring the role of AI across the UK's critical national infrastructure. Bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, technology experts, and infrastructure operators, the event will provide a focused forum for discussion, debate, and knowledge-sharing on one of the most pressing issues facing the sectors that underpin modern society.

The stakes and opportunity could not be higher. Critical national infrastructure, from energy grids and water systems to transport networks and telecommunications, forms the backbone of the UK's economy and public life. As AI becomes an increasingly powerful tool for managing and optimising these systems, it also introduces new risks around reliability, security, and accountability. Getting the governance and assurance frameworks right is not just a technical challenge; it is a national priority.

What's on

Through a programme of presentations and panel discussions, the conference will examine how AI is reshaping Energy, Water, Telecoms, Data Centres, and Transport infrastructure, exploring key themes including predictive maintenance, operational efficiency, cybersecurity resilience, and the regulatory landscape.

Why attend?

• Discussion, debate, and knowledge-sharing on one of the most pressing issues facing the sectors that underpin modern society

• Explore how AI is reshaping energy, water, telecoms, data centres, and transport infrastructure

• Key themes include predictive maintenance, operational efficiency, cybersecurity resilience, and the regulatory landscape

• Conversations and insights from the day will directly inform a forthcoming techUK whitepaper on AI in critical national infrastructure

Agenda

13:00 | Registration

13:30 | Welcome and scene-setting

13:40 | Panel One: What does AI actually look like inside CNI today? Use cases, maturity, and the reality on the ground

14:20 | BSI Keynote: The assurance and standards landscape — where we are, what's missing, and what it will take to get to ISO 27001 maturity

14:35 | techUK Keynote: Understanding CNI enablers — Telecoms, DCs and Cloud

14:45 | Refreshment break

15:05 | Panel Two: The accountability gap — who owns AI risk in CNI, and what happens when something goes wrong?

15:50 | Panel Three: Making assurance real — the market, the barriers, and what a functioning ecosystem looks like

16:35 | Fireside with RAND: The day in summary and what next? An agenda for building the UK's AI assurance ecosystem

16:55 | Close and drinks reception

Confirmed speakers