9 ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH: EXECUTIVE EDITOR Turning potential into advantage Rapid adoption of AI tools across all industries and regions has led to a new chapter in the evolutionary story of industrial and civil technology. From assisting in the simplest of individual internet searches to powering fundamental change across entire organisations, the inexorable rise of AI only seems set to continue, and at pace. The burning question is how best to gain a deeper understanding of these tools, whilst at the same time considering what ethical decisions might need to be made about the adoption of AI as a productivity tool. This issue provides some of the answers. Our lead news story on page 18 addresses the first of these two issues, reporting on a $4 billion investment by Microsoft in training and education. Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, recently launched Microsoft Elevate, an initiative that brings AI tools and education to 20 million people. Meanwhile, in our cover story, Pamela Maynard, chief AI transformation officer at Microsoft, discusses how AI is helping to drive customer engagement like never before, with empathy, credibility and at scale. You’ll find that article starting on page 42. Throughout this issue we pay close attention to the ways technology is driving traditional industry values with greater efficiency and integrity, and also offering organisations an enhanced scope of ability to look at both internal operations and external markets. As AI strategies move from planning to execution, leaders around the world are unlocking new ways of thinking, exploring different avenues to enable their workforces, and creating greater opportunities to delight the customer. I hope you enjoy the read. WELCOME: AUTUMN 2025
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