Kate Smaje

For months we have seen lots of talk on AI and what it possibly could do - with Agentic AI we are now much closer to unlocking major impact .. in this white paper various leaders from McKinsey & Company andQuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey discuss how to get to impact in the P&L (including a foreword by the CEO of Mistral AI) Key insights - GenAI has accelerated AI in general - Less than 10% of use cases make it to pilot stage - a new AI architecture is needed ("agentic AI mesh") - the main challenge will be human an incedible good read: https://lnkd.in/diG-WFU7 #QuantumBlack #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #GenAI #AgenticAI #McKinsey #McKinseyTechnology

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📢 Announcement: Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to become the UK’s undisputed leader in business transformation and technology. We’re launching dedicated technology centres across the UK in Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester, and Newcastle, creating hundreds of new jobs.  This new venture reinforces Deloitte's commitment to digital skills and regional growth, as well as our support to the UK’s wider ambition to be a global technology leader. This is more than just an expansion - it's a strategic move to meet the growing demand for cutting-edge business solutions and technology expertise right here in the UK. Operational 1 June, our new technology centres will be powerhouses of innovation, initially bringing together 750 of our top technologists (and growing to 1,500 in the next three years) to design, build, and run the technology solutions that will transform UK businesses. We're not just creating centres, we're building careers. We're investing in our people with multi-year technical training programmes, with opportunities for both experienced professionals and those looking to start a new career in tech. We believe in fostering diverse talent, and welcome applications from anyone wanting to start a new career in technology. Today I am in Belfast celebrating the official opening of our new office at The Ewart - a beautiful heritage building in the heart of the city’s historic linen quarter. In the company of very special guests, we announced that 500 of our new technology jobs will be based here in Belfast. I'm pictured here with the Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Richard Houston, CEO of Deloitte UK, Jackie Henry, office senior partner in Belfast, deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, and Harry Goddard, CEO of Deloitte Ireland. I'm incredibly excited about the impact these centres will have on our clients, our people, and the UK technology landscape. Join us as we build the future of innovation right here in the UK. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eSiJfVsq Deloitte #DeloitteUK #TechJobs #DigitalTransformation #UKInnovation #RegionalGrowth

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In an exclusive interview, Clare Gordon, Bain's new UK managing partner, tells Financial News: “Last year, we saw very strong double-digit growth and that is continuing into 2026, with high demand from clients for help with their business strategies and transformation.” https://bit.ly/49Newnx

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Some great analysis here that expands on many of the themes I’ve been exploring around the speed and scale of the industrialisation of AI and the inevitability of agentic disruption. https://lnkd.in/eKZV3Cyq

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Whilst tough economic conditions persist, the recent wave of technology investment in the UK provides many reasons to feel optimistic. Our recent jobs barometer report reflects the high demand for skills and shows Industries that are investing in AI, stand to yield the best return over the long term. 👉 Wages are rising twice as fast in industries most exposed to AI  👉 AI-exposed industries have 3x higher growth in revenue by employee 👉 UK jobs requiring AI skills see strong demand and an 11% wage premium 👉 Degree requirements still higher in AI-exposed sectors but falling faster than for other sectors https://lnkd.in/eYY8e8Aj

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🔬 As a one-time CRO Research Physician, I find the impact of AI in drug discovery absolutely fascinating. Chris Meier of BCG X delivered a keynote on AI powered drug discovery at the London Business School Healthcare Conference last week that inspired some further reading. Here’s what I learnt💡 - AI-driven drug discovery can now take a molecule from initial identification to first-in-human trials in just 2–3 years, compared to the traditional 4–5 years—or even longer in some cases. - The average cost to bring a new drug to market remains around $2.8 billion, but AI is already helping to streamline early discovery and candidate selection, potentially saving up to 25–50% in preclinical costs. - Most impressively, AI-discovered drugs are achieving Phase I success rates of 80–90%, way above the historic average of 40–65% for traditional methods. - AI is not just accelerating timelines, but also enabling smarter clinical trial design, optimising patient recruitment, and even uncovering new uses for existing drugs. The bigger picture 🚀 The impact of AI on drug discovery could transform #pharma pipelines, making drug development more efficient and less risky. For patients, this means faster access to safer, more effective treatments - potentially even for rare or previously untreatable diseases. For the wider healthcare ecosystem, the integration of AI promises to drive down costs, improve outcomes, and enable new collaborations between clinicians, scientists and #tech players. For me, seeing these advances is truly exciting. We are on the cusp of a new era. One where data, algorithms and clinical insight come together to deliver better therapeutics faster and more affordably. One company to watch 👀 Recently LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman publicly announced his ‘new’ startup Manas AI* focussed on utilising proprietary AI to help screen and identify medicines for cancer, autoimmune and rare diseases. *Not to be confused for Chinese AI agent Manus AI (which is pretty interesting to try out). ___________________________________ Working on an AI startup but struggling for a name…? Consider: #ManisAI. It might enable you to capture organic interest / accidental search volume 😂

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Fascinating opening keynote today at #Rewired, featuring insightful contributions from Sonia Patel FBCS, Umang Patel and Mike Bracken. The panel all shared a strong sense of optimism about the NHS’s digital future. Umang highlighted AI as a promising yet young technology, emphasising the need to thoughtfully guide its development to unlock transformative benefits for healthcare. He also reminded us that the NHS was recently voted the most attractive place to work by a BBC poll, a positive foundation for attracting talent. Mike reinforced the message that genuine transformation comes from open, interoperable systems and agile, user-focused approaches rather than reliance on traditional big IT providers. He urged embracing digital solutions that align with core NHS values: openness, democracy, and public good. Sonia shared ambitious goals for a simplified national digital architecture centred around a single patient record, emphasising community collaboration in shaping tech strategy and standards. However, one critical topic was absent from the conversation: how current structural changes within the NHS in England might influence or disrupt these ambitious digital plans. As we navigate through this transformative period, understanding and addressing this “elephant in the room” seems essential for ensuring that digital truly delivers on its potential. I’d be keen to hear thoughts from others at Rewired or those involved in NHS digital transformation about the plans and opportunities and whether the structural changes impacting your digital ambitions? #Rewired #DigitalTransformation #NHS #Channel3Consulting

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