AI Leader's Series (background)
New for 2025, techUK’s AI Leader's Series features industry experts sharing insights on the latest AI advancements and their impact on the UK economy and society. These sessions will delve into the current state of AI developments, the opportunities presented by AI innovation, and the key challenges the UK must overcome to drive adoption, implement new AI solutions, and shape the country’s AI future. Read our insight to learn more about what to expect from the series.
Event description
Join us for an insightful panel on the fast-moving world of open-source AI, on how open-source practices release its codes, documentation, and – at times – training data under permissive licenses that allow anyone to inspect, modify, and freely share in its potential. As AI reshapes business and society, open-source approaches to AI unlock new avenues for transparency, collaboration, and innovation while also surfacing urgent questions around responsible adoption. A diverse line-up of experts will provide a balanced perspective on this critical technology trend.
Our panel will highlight what sets open-source AI apart, how organisations of all sizes use open-source AI to innovate on modest budgets, and how to address the practical hurdles – deployment, security, governance – along the way.
Whether you're a C-level leader, policy professional, or technical decision maker, this interactive session – complete with live polls and audience Q&A – offers jargon-free insight into open-source AI. Join us to know how to tap into open-source AI’s competitive edge responsibly while balancing keeping safeguards in place.
This event is part of techUK’s AI Leader’s Series, an event series equipping business leaders, policymakers, and technical professionals with timely, actionable insights on emerging AI trends. Each session translates complex developments into practical guidance, helping attendees make informed decisions about AI adoption, governance, and innovation. This open-source edition will deliver a holistic view of how collaborative and permissive development is reshaping the AI sector, blending technical depth with real-world applications and strategic considerations for UK organisations.
The format includes a dedicated Q&A segment where we’ll dive into your questions.
Don't miss your chance to attend, sign-up now!
techUK - Seizing the AI Opportunity
The UK is a global leader in AI innovation, development and adoption.
The economic growth and productivity gain that AI can unlock is vast, but to fully harness this transformative opportunity, immediate action is required. Our aim is to ensure the UK seizes the opportunities presented by AI technology and continues to be a world leader in AI development.
Get involved: techUK runs a busy calendar of activities including events, reports, and insights to demonstrate some of the most significant AI opportunities for the UK. Our AI Hub is where you will find details of all upcoming activity. We also send a monthly AI newsletter which you can subscribe to here.
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Contact the team
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.
He leads techUK’s AI Adoption programme, supporting members of all sizes and sectors in adopting AI at scale. His work involves identifying barriers to adoption, exploring solutions, and helping to unlock AI’s transformative potential, particularly its benefits for people, the economy, society, and the planet. He is also committed to advancing the UK’s AI sector and ensuring the UK remains a global leader in AI by working closely with techUK members, the UK Government, regulators, and devolved and local authorities.
Since joining techUK, Usman has delivered a regular drumbeat of activity to engage members and advance techUK's AI programme. This has included two campaign weeks, the creation of the AI Adoption Hub (now the AI Hub), the AI Leader's Event Series, the Putting AI into Action webinar series and the Industrial AI sprint campaign.
Before joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, regulatory and government/public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales, marketing, and FinTech.
Usman holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a GDL and LLB from BPP Law School, and a BA from Queen Mary University of London.
When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.
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