Microsoft AI Tour London: Frontier firms show others how it’s done
A packed Microsoft AI Tour event at London’s ExCel Centre showed that AI has grown far beyond individual experimentation and the IT project stage. It’s very much here, now, and delivering measurable value for organisations large and small, across every sector.
Working with computers has entirely changed in 2026, said Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, addressing around 6,000 delegates at the event – a record number for a Microsoft AI Tour.
Now, having AI agents to help is like working with “an infinite set of minds”, enabling the “macro-delegation of tasks, but with micro-steering”, he said.
Regardless of this enormous change, Microsoft’s mission — to empower every individual and every organisation on the earth to achieve more — remains consistent.
Successful implementations of AI are built upon intelligence and trust, Nadella noted; not the intelligence of models or applications, but the intelligence of organisations to ask the right questions, to measure and preserve data, to have trust in that data, and be responsible for its use.
Everyday impact
Nadella showcased a variety of UK “frontier” organisations, leaders in practical AI implementation, like Lloyds Bank, a trio of Welsh councils and Manchester University NHS Trust, all using AI to transform their operations and free up their people to spend more time caring, creating and innovating.
The move from early experimentation to organisation-wide implementation, delivering game-changing results, was a consistent theme of the day.
After presenting a ready-to-use AI framework for success based around Microsoft’s AI “intelligence layers”: Work IQ, Fabric IQ and Foundry IQ, and showcasing GitHub Copilot’s capabilities, Nadella announced new ‘sovereign cloud’ capabilities for customers.
These will enable Azure, Microsoft 365 and Foundry to work on local, disconnected systems, extending the ability of organisations operating under strict regulation or with high-risk operations to retain total control of their data and AI models.
‘Inflection point’
In his keynote speech, Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK, said there was already a profound shift (“an inflection point”) from UK organisations talking about AI as a technology project, to it being a vehicle for tangible business transformation, as all kinds of companies moved to the AI frontier.
The UK is at the forefront of AI innovation, he said, with Microsoft investing $30bn (£22bn) in the country’s AI infrastructure by 2028, including the country’s largest supercomputer, to be created by Nscale, which will use 23,000 Nvidia GPUs [Graphics Processing Units].
The country is a leadership position on AI, Hardman said: he emphasised the growing level of maturity in business transformations enabled through AI, citing research showing that 84% of UK organisations polled now have a clear AI strategy, compared with 46% in 2025. Six in ten of organisations polled were already employing autonomous agents to conduct work tasks, he added.
UK ‘frontier firms’ – such as HSBC, Arup, Balfour Beatty, Mott MacDonald, LSEG, Barclays, and Nationwide Building Society – were laser-focused on delivering results, using AI to circulate knowledge and expertise, reduce the burden of repetitive admin, transform business operations, and invent new products and services for their customers.
A frontier firm is committed to four principles, he said:
- Enriching employee experience
- Reinventing customer engagement
- Reshaping business processes
- Bending the curve in innovation
Centre of innovation
Aside from the set-piece keynotes there were dozens of ‘Lightning Talks’ offering hands-on walkthroughs and addressing specific use-cases, alongside product demos and presentations happening across the huge centre.
A large collection of Microsoft and partner stands called the Connection Hub was the scene of non-stop conversations and practical problem-solving. The buzz of excitement among delegates was palpable.
Crowds swarmed around a gleaming Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 racing car, emblematic of Microsoft’s recent partnership deal with the team, and the equally gleaming Premier League trophy.
The UK government chose the event for Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister David Lammy to make his announcement on modernising court systems to improve efficiency, including employing AI to transcribe events and process admin tasks.
Former PM Rishi Sunak was also on hand to discuss all things AI before a select audience of 130 CEOs.
Human first
Many delegates UK Stories spoke to were curious to see the latest innovations from Microsoft, of course, but a recurring theme was the value of human connections.
The ability to catch up with customers from across the country was the draw for more than one stand-holder. Another told us that the event presented the opportunity to connect with business leaders one-to-one, and understand how to meet their unmet needs. Some are eager to engage with AI but still unsure of the best approach.
Often delegates had specific technical questions to which they were seeking answers, but there were also many ‘penny dropping’ experiences with AI across the exhibition that turned observers into enthusiasts.
The atmosphere, even at coffee stations and along corridors, was vibrant, reflecting attendees’ understanding that AI is here, now, making extraordinary things happen across the UK today.