London Tech Week 2024, the UK’s flagship future-of-technology showcase, took place at the Olympia London from 10–14 June and featured three days of panels by prominent global leaders, all there to discuss the importance of technological innovation in solving today’s greatest challenges.
We connected with industry leaders and the tech community to explore future-thinking insights from discussions featuring organisations like Microsoft and IBM.
And on the showfloor, we showcased the value of our tech bootcamps, short courses, workshops, and talent solutions to attendees curious to learn new tech skills.
Read on to discover London Tech Week 2024’s biggest trends and highlights — and to learn how General Assembly’s presence strengthened this fast-moving industry and ever-evolving tech city.
AI’s profound impact on business
Usage of AI in business has exploded over the last year, with more and more organisations pivoting their processes and protocols to benefit from this rapidly evolving innovation in tech. As such, AI had a huge presence at London Tech Week 2024, like during Monday’s headline keynote, “How Business is Seizing the AI Opportunity,” which featured Nicola Hodson from IBM, Wendy Redshaw from NatWest Group, and Stephan Pretorius from WPP in an insightful discussion about how AI is positively impacting UK business.
At the same time, AI has faced adoption challenges from certain sceptics. For example, many creative professionals have expressed concerns with AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney rendering their business roles redundant. That’s why in his keynote address, “AI and the Future of Creativity and Work,” Cameron Adams, co-founder and chief product officer of Canva, highlighted how AI’s true value is in enabling and supporting human creativity, rather than being the driver of creativity itself.
Similarly, at “The Power of Nurturing People – How to Inspire Talent, Growth, & Innovation” panel, Hanno Renner, Hayaatun Sillem CBE, and Jane Thier argued that all technologies, including AI, always bend to the needs of users, not the other way around. To that end, the three spoke on how tech employees and employers can stay competitive by constantly upskilling in technology and observing where the job market is headed.
General Assembly is continually updating our tech bootcamp and short course curricula to keep pace with changes in AI technology. We’re passionate about connecting people eager to start new tech careers — or advance existing ones — to the most up-to-date AI skills needed to land and grow cutting-edge tech roles at the world’s most prominent organisations.
Quantum computing’s immense potential
Another prominent theme of London Tech Week 2024 was quantum computing, which involves using quantum mechanics to solve certain problem sets faster than classic computers can. One panel featuring leaders from SandboxAQ, Nu Quantum, and Airbus speculated on the future of quantum computing by focusing on what companies are already doing — and what still needs to be done — to realise it.
Another chat explored how DeepTech organisations are leveraging the latest tech innovations to solve the future’s problems and shape the world we know. The two also discussed how DeepTech solutions must be built and used ethically, always putting users and their needs at the core of everything they do.
Diversity, inclusion, and equity in business leadership
London Tech Week 2024 saw plenty of discussion on the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) in the tech industry. Shani Dhanda, an inclusion and accessibility specialist, together with Romana Pugh, change lead of the BBC’s UX and design team, discussed the business need for inclusivity through tech accessibility at “The Game-Changer Tech Needs, But Isn’t Talking About” panel.
“For example, it’s estimated that global businesses lose a potential £7 trillion annually due to inaccessible websites, and another report found 71% of disabled people with access needs will click away from a website,” said Dhanda. “So companies need people with the right tech skills who can help bridge these accessibility gaps so they can appeal to the largest number of people possible.”
Later, at “The Gen Z Future Leader” panel, Gen Z women leaders stressed how businesses benefit when they hire and train young leaders from diverse backgrounds who have the right skills yet lack experience traditionally required for tech roles.
Bridget Lea, VP and general manager of Snapchat UK, noted, “As business leaders, we must take the time to understand and support Gen Z to hone and celebrate their super powers (creativity, authenticity, inclusivity, value-led) and actively engage them in the future.”
More London Tech Week 2024 highlights
Monday, 10 June:
- Heads at Microsoft discussed leading in the AI era.
- US VC firms shared unique perspectives on thriving in the European tech business landscape.
- Google and ARIA leaders dug into how modern science and research can address today’s global challenges.
- UK AI experts examined whether the country has lived up to its potential as a leading AI research hub.
- Leaders from Reckitt, UrbanGeekz, Qatar University, Cognizant, and GSK discussed how AI can be a powerful tool for transforming industries.
Tuesday, 11 June:
- Valerie Nowak from Mastercard and Ryan Browne from CNBC hosted a fireside chat about ecommerce landscape digitization challenges.
- CEOs TS Anil from Monzo and David Brear from 11:FS discussed the future of FinTech.
- Fashion industry leaders explored technology’s current impacts on, and future developments of, circular fashion consumption.
- Journalist Steph McGovern and Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson discussed AI’s impact on the sustainable energy transition.
Wednesday, 12 June:
- Leaders from CCP and Klang Games discussed gaming’s future with CNBC’s Ryan Browne.
- Space industry leaders chatted about emerging outer space growth opportunities and innovations.
- Speakers from Eventbrite, Wonder Women Tech, and Unilever spoke on uncertainty and resilience in the digital age.
- Women leaders discussed how technology and digital transformation are driving women’s sport.
- Deepak Chopra’s keynote discussed an intriguing question: are we living in a virtual reality?
How General Assembly made an impact on the showfloor
At the GA booth were some of our tech career experts, each ready to discuss how our tech bootcamps offer the tech skills people need to thrive in high-impact roles — and offer popcorn to those needing a snack.
Over the week, attendees had their burning questions answered on everything from how to start a tech career to how a software engineering bootcamp can help them upskill to advance an existing one. Our team was quick to inform visitors about how, for example, data analytics and data science bootcamps as well as short courses for coding languages like JavaScript, Python, and React can empower them with the skills they need — and that employers want — to build compelling project portfolios relevant to London Tech Week 2024’s big themes.
Of course, today’s great technology demands more than just software and data. That’s why our tech education team made sure attendees keen to break into other tech-powered fields like product marketing, user experience design, and digital marketing felt right at home, showing them how General Assembly’s tech bootcamps and short courses can prepare them for the careers of their dreams.
Make incredible happen with tech skills from General Assembly
I gained more than an expanded skill set with General Assembly — I discovered a community that encourages conversation, collaboration, and continuous learning. GA’s culture has made me more curious and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Diana B., UX Design Bootcamp Grad
If that sounds exciting, follow us on social media for updates on all things General Assembly, including events you can find us at next:
- Twitter/X
- YouTube, featuring compelling tech tutorials and testimonials from other GA alumni
Then, sign up for a free class or info session and connect with our career services to learn more about kickstarting a new tech career or taking the next step along an existing one. And if you have other questions, simply reach out.