AI Without Illusions

Overview

In 2026, AI progress will be defined by engineering discipline rather than experimentation. Yet only 3 percent of ANZ CIOs say their infrastructure is ready for AI at scale, despite 49 percent listing AI and analytics as a top priority. Add to this the reality that 45 percent still face significant legacy risk and slow delivery cycles, and it becomes clear why so many AI pilots stall before reaching production.

This roundtable examines what actually drives success, the patterns seen across organisations that have delivered real outcomes, and the practical steps CIOs are taking to strengthen foundations, modernise platforms and use AI to accelerate delivery. We will explore both sides of the equation: how to modernise for AI, and how AI can in turn accelerate modernisation.

Key Discussion points:

Why AI fails to leave the lab: The most common blockers slowing progress, from fragmented data environments and incomplete cloud foundations to low DevOps maturity, slow delivery speeds and weak governance.

Modernisation as the gateway to AI readiness: Why almost half of CIOs cite legacy risk reduction as their top concern, and how modernisation accelerators, evolutionary architecture and improved engineering practices are reshaping both AI delivery and delivery at large.

From pilot to production: what delivery patterns work: How leaders are building resilient data platforms, strengthening pipelines, embedding governance, improving model operations and automating workflows to support scalable, trustworthy AI.

Building the foundations AI depends on: A practical look at the core elements that repeatedly show up in successful organisations: data readiness, cloud foundations, AI governance, and the people capability needed to support continuous delivery and continuous learning.

Partnering success: the role of engineering partners: What CIOs expect from their software engineering partners in 2026, from capability uplift and architectural assurance to accelerating modernisation while ensuring reliability, transparency and measurable delivery outcomes.

What to expect

• Discussion 1-hour
• C-level Executives 15

Agenda

• 0:20 pm Guest Arrival, Registration and Networking(Factor Hour)
• 0:35 pm Welcome and Introductions(Factor Hour)
• 0:45 pm Interactive Discussions(Factor Hour)
• 1:35 pm Key Takeaways(Factor Hour)

Partners

• Equal Experts We are honoured to have been named the 2nd best place to work in the UK by Glassdoor! Our team of 3,000 consultants across five continents help create leading digital products and services. We decide with data, design for users, deliver at pace and scale sustainably. Bringing undiluted expertise We only engage senior consultants. In years of experience, our people have twice the industry average. Low-ego and curious, they share knowledge with your teams and across our network. Keeping you innovating We take the time to understand where you are now. We get excited about where you want to be. Building momentum with many small changes, we embed innovation into your every day. Easy to work with Valuing context, we never offer cookie-cutter solutions. Treating each other and our customers as equals, we solve problems with you. Infusing our culture and skills into your organisation, we build long-lasting value. Experienced consultants know what they’re doing – we free them to do what they do best. Find out what it’s like to work with us, get in touch.

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