THE FUTURE OF AI
Vishaal Gupta, Pearson: We operate across the entire learning spectrum from schools through to the workplace, which gives us a massive database to work with. One area where we’ ve seen real scale is our AI study tools and study tutors. Students are using these extensively. Interestingly, our highest usage happens between 11pm and 2am, when human tutors aren’ t available. Students are getting ready for exams and using these tools for last-minute revision.
From a market standpoint, AI is providing us with context about our customers that we simply didn’ t have before. That allows us to launch highly personalised learning experiences, and those productivity gains can be transformative for individuals. We’ re also doing important work supporting teachers, because they’ re another community facing the impact of AI and many are struggling with how to integrate it effectively.
But here’ s what’ s critical: assessments. If you look at LinkedIn profiles today, you’ d think everyone can walk on water. So how do you actually validate those skills? Assessments become absolutely vital. Within the assessment space, we’ re using AI to target questions more effectively and to support marking processes.
Leon Butler, IBM: At IBM, we’ ve taken a‘ Client Zero’ approach, using our own technologies internally before deploying them to customers. Over the last couple of years,
Leon Butler, CEO UKI, IBM
we’ ve generated approximately US $ 4.5bn in productivity gains. That’ s not a target we set lightly, and we’ ve exceeded it.
Sixty-six per cent of businesses we surveyed across Europe, the Middle East and Africa are achieving productivity gains. Sixty-three per cent of leaders report operational efficiency improvements and 62 % believe they need to do even better to reach the next level of productivity gains.
For us internally, it’ s about systematically applying AI across domains: HR, supply chain, procurement and sales. We have something called the Skills Hub, which uses natural language to query
162 January 2026