The Future We Forgot To Plan For
AI is moving fast, are we keeping up?
AI is no longer a future trend. It’s a present force. One that’s transforming society and financial services in ways we never anticipated.
Most systems, strategies, and structures weren’t built to keep up with this pace of change. Technological capabilities are advancing quickly, but in general, many businesses are still focussing on short-term efficiency gains instead of long-term growth.
It’s time to rethink what progress looks like, and who it should serve. We interviewed senior leaders from across big tech, financial services, government, corporates, start-ups and academia to understand how they’re adapting and where they believe we need to go next.
Three Questions Guiding The Future Of Work And Society
There is almost unanimous agreement that AI will transform everything. It is the next industrial revolution. But what is different this time?
Technology is moving at breakneck speed, and the potential impact of AI is significant. What does this mean for Financial Services? How well are we positioned?
AI is going to affect all of us. We need to define the North star that will guide our decisions around how we use AI. Who is responsible for driving this?
Episode 20: AI: Creative Partner Or Competitor
In this episode, Monica Defend, Head of the Amundi Investment Institute, explores how AI should serve as a creative partner rather than a substitute for human judgment. She explores the importance of striking the right balance between innovation and safeguarding human interest.
Episode 19: Why Responsible Leaders Will Define AI's Future
In this episode, Sir Peter Estlin, Board Member and Former Lord Mayor of London, highlights that AI’s true impact remains largely unseen and why leadership, education, and responsibility are crucial to prepare society for what’s ahead.
Episode 18: Adapting Today's Rules for Tomorrow's Tech
In this episode, Baroness Kay Swinburne, Member at House of Lords & Chair of the ABI, discusses the need to balance AI innovation with strong governance, emphasising the importance of transparency and a shared responsibility to protect society.
Episode 17: AI Won’t Give You an Edge, Unless You Already Have One
In this episode, Jon Webster, Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at CPP Investments, explores why general-purpose AI alone won’t deliver lasting competitive advantage and why investors and institutions must focus on their key differentiators in a world of widespread AI.
Episode 16: Navigating the Challenges of AI with Pragmatism and Long-Term Vision
In this episode, Dan Mikulskis, Chief Investment Officer at People’s Partnership, highlights how balancing practical thinking with long-term vision can help in addressing AI’s security, governance, and adoption challenges in financial services.
Episode 15: Driving Change Through Our Investment Decisions
In this episode, Stuart White, Board Member at Nest and Former UK CEO, HSBC Asset Management, explores the evolving role of asset managers and why asset owners must take the lead in shaping how we adapt to AI-led decision-making.
Episode 14: Leadership Will Never Look the Same
In this episode, Fiona Horsewill, Global Head of Securities at HSBC, discusses how AI is already integrated into everyday workflows and is changing the way leaders think, teams collaborate, and decisions are made.
Episode 13: The AI Tsunami Is Here and It Will Not Wait
In this episode, Andreas Söderholm, CEO at Eric Sturdza Investments, describes AI as a ‘tsunami awakening’ that is rapidly transforming the way we work and emphasised the importance of keeping people involved in critical decision making.
Episode 12: Why AI Leadership Starts With Culture, Not Code
In this episode, Gavin Patterson, former CEO at BT and former President and Chief Revenue Officer at Salesforce, shares why ‘culture, not code’ is key to navigating AI disruption. As jobs shift and decision-making evolves, leadership grounded in adaptability, ethics, and clarity matters more than ever.
Episode 11: The Human Skills That Still Matter Most
In this episode, Dr Leanne Allen, Partner & UK Head of AI at KPMG, discusses how the rapid rise of generative AI is elevating creativity, empathy, and contextual thinking as essential human skills.
Episode 10: Letting AI Work So We Can Think Bigger
In this episode, Krish Ramineni, CEO and Co-Founder at Fireflies.ai, discusses how small, focused teams are leveraging AI to outperform traditional structures
Episode 9: Is Human Purpose at Risk or Just Evolving With AI?
In this episode, Darren Johnson, Global COO at Impax Asset Management, highlights how AI is already embedded in business operations and stresses the importance of purpose, identity, and creativity in an automated world.
Episode 8: Europe Can Lead in AI by Thinking Differently
In this episode, Dr Alberto-Giovanni Busetto, Founding Partner, AIR Ventures (Switzerland) and member of The World Economic Forum AI Councils, explores Europe’s opportunity to lead in AI by leveraging policy, talent, and startup scaling.
Episode 7: Shaping Technology with Human Values
In this episode, David Rowlands, Global Head of AI at KPMG, reflects on AI as the most transformative technology of his career and shares real-world examples of AI outperforming humans in empathy and quality of output.
Episode 6: Is Comfort Killing Progress?
In this episode, Khadeeja Bassier, COO at Ninety One, explores the risks of digital convenience in an AI-driven world, urging governments to establish clear boundaries while emphasising the growing value of authenticity and human connection.
Episode 5: Bridging Innovation and Regulation for a Human-Centred Future
In this episode, Chris Cummings, CEO at The Investment Association, discusses how the UK can lead financial innovation by combining a skilled workforce, strong regulation, and collaborative governance to ensure progress is inclusive and trusted.
Episode 4: How AI is Shaping Smarter Decisions
In this episode, Dr Varqa Abyaneh PhD, CEO & Founder at Opetek, explores how AI’s evolving ability to reason with data promises to transform decision-making by reducing human bias and reshaping how businesses define success and value.
Episode 3: The Future Of Work Needs Empathy, Not Just Efficiency
In this episode, Samantha Ricciardi, CEO of Santander Asset Management, shares how AI is reshaping work and why empathy, creativity, and accountability remain essential as leaders adapt to rapid change and redefine what it means to stay human.
Episode 2: Closing The Knowledge Gap With AI
In this episode, Jamie Ovenden, Group CTO at Schroders, explores how AI’s rapid transformation, likened to a fast-moving industrial revolution, can close the knowledge gap and empower more people with the tools to innovate and create in a changing economic landscape.