In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, the influence of AI is undeniable. As it becomes integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives, the insight of our subject-matter experts is more valuable than ever. Our AI leaders are grounded in years of experience, and focused on shaping the future. Let's meet Neil Gladstone, AI and Data Practice Director at Sopra Steria.
Tell us bit about yourself and what your day-to-day looks like
I joined Sopra Steria in May 2024 to lead the UK Data and AI Practice. My role is to partner with our customers to deliver efficient, ethical data and AI solutions and services, as industry and government transform their organisations through the adoption of AI.
My days are never the same: I spend my time meeting customers, discussing opportunities with our business development teams, reading up on the latest developments in the market and spending time with fellow Sopra Steria employees across different business sectors and geographies.
What is your background and what was your pathway into the technology sector?
I have worked in a variety of industries and roles during my career, always with a focus on generating business value from technology. Prior to Sopra Steria, I spent four years as Futures Director at Roke leading a technology and AI business. I spent 11 years at Siemens Rail in a variety of leadership roles including business development, strategy, transformation and IT, and have led technology transformation programmes at the BBC. It’s been an exciting journey so far!
What do you see as the main challenges facing organisations today when it comes to adopting AI?
One of the biggest challenges is identifying when to use AI. AI isn’t the answer to everything, so targeting those use cases where AI technology can make a real difference is key. It’s about engaging with the right people in your organisation who understand the current processes, data and restrictions and working with them to identify where to focus, as well as using trained experts who can help identify quick wins and avoid painful pitfalls as early as possible. Another challenge is having access to the right data to use AI effectively. With ever-increasing volumes and complexity of data, organisations need to make sure their data is ready for AI – rectifying this if it’s not is an essential investment to unlock fast and effective deployment of AI in the future. Organisations also need to remain focused on their people. AI might make some of their staff anxious about the future, so this needs to be addressed directly – it has the potential to generate huge improvements in employee productivity and work satisfaction, if managed and communicated correctly.
How do you think emerging technology will impact people’s lives?
AI is already part of most people’s lives, from using text prediction on your smartphone, to dealing with online chat services when engaging with day-to-day service providers such as your energy supplier. As it becomes more advanced and adoption becomes more widespread, there will be very few areas of life where AI doesn’t have a positive impact for everyone.
How is Sopra Steria different from other companies in the industry?
Sopra Steria has developed a strong capability in AI technologies thanks to a team of thousands of experts across the company globally. What makes us different to other organisations is our strong ethical focus. We ensure that AI implementation is carried out in a way that protects people and the environment, as well as delivering the economic outcomes our customers expect. At Sopra Steria, we are trusted to deliver critical services across public and private sectors that affect the lives of millions of the UK population. With this privileged position, we simply must act with the highest levels of integrity and trust, ensuring each solution is delivered ethically; that is best for our customers and the UK public. With this background, we’re in a strong position to address challenges surrounding AI on trust, bias and explainability. In addition, our technology partnerships with Microsoft, AWS, ServiceNow and Salesforce give us excellent access to skills and capability to support our customers’ needs.
What is your vision for the future, and how would you like to shape the experience for our customers?
I believe AI will become an integral part of most aspects of life, and being a part of such a massive technology revolution is exciting for everyone involved. I would like to see us working closely with our customers to deliver practical AI solutions that deliver real value to them and their customers alike, translating into real value for our UK economy. There are so many challenges we face, whether it be climate change, rising living costs, or increasing pressure on public services – with effective use of AI we can really help to tackle some of these big problems, and I would like Sopra Steria to be a trusted partner to our customers as they navigate this journey.
Who is your inspiration? Who has changed the way you think about the future?
Cheesy I know, but my children inspire me every day – I love the way they adapt to change so quickly and learn so fast. Their ability to adopt new technology at pace is mind blowing and sets the bar for how organisations should be looking at new revolutionary technology like AI – put it in the hands of those that need to use it, and with the right safety barriers in place coupled with excitement and enthusiasm, it will become second nature before you know it!
Connect with Neil on LinkedIn to discuss more about our AI practice.