AI Transformation – Leading Through Unpredictable Technology and People

Full Title: AI Transformation in the Real World – Leading Through Unpredictable Technology and People, by Rebecca Fox

Talk Overview:
AI is often positioned as a step-change from digital transformation – faster, smarter, and fundamentally different from the technologies that came before it. In reality, AI is another layer of technology being added to organisations that are already complex, data-poor, and process-heavy.
In this talk, Rebecca Fox draws on over two decades of technology and business leadership – including her role as Group CIO of a global cyber and technology business and the delivery of numerous digital and cloud transformation programmes – to explore what AI transformation really looks like inside organisations, beyond the hype and the tooling.
She argues that while AI adoption is moving faster than previous technology waves, organisational change is not. Data is rarely ready, processes are still designed for humans, and many technology foundations remain immature. Layering AI on top often increases complexity, cost, and technical debt rather than reducing it.
A defining challenge of AI is unpredictability. The same question asked twice can produce different answers. When unpredictable technology is introduced into organisations already shaped by human behaviour, legacy systems, and informal processes, risk multiplies unless leaders actively redesign how work gets done.
This session reframes AI transformation as a leadership and operating model challenge – not a technical one. It explores the commercial consequences of moving too fast, the importance of planning for stability as well as agility, and what it takes to create organisations that can absorb AI safely, sustainably, and profitably.
The talk is grounded in real-world experience and focuses on the practical decisions leaders must make if AI is to deliver value rather than becoming the next generation of technical debt.

Bio:
Rebecca Fox is a strategic technology and business leader with a global track record of transformation. As founder of advisory and delivery company Relentica, she partners with ambitious organisations to simplify complexity and drive results. Rebecca is an accomplished speaker known for her no-fluff energy and practical insight – delivering keynotes on leadership, technology, growth, and diversity. She’s served as a Group CIO, a non-executive director, and an advocate for inclusion in tech.