AI is going back to the future

About The Data Crowd

The Data Crowd is an inclusive community providing a secure space for Data Professionals to share ideas and experiences, build relationships and learn from industry experts.

The group will run regular in-person meetups throughout the UK, hosted by our partners Oakland

For more information, you can request to join The Data Crowd LinkedIn community.

Thursday 2nd October - Doors open @ 12.30pm - 6.30pm

Venue - Flutter HQ, 4 Wellington Pl, Leeds LS1 4AJ

The Data Crowd at Leeds Digital Festival

Leeds Digital Festival is back, and so is our annual Data Crowd DAY OF DATA!

Join us to celebrate all things Data, Leeds, and Diversity. The Festival of Data brings together a host of amazing speakers, including some of the brightest Data minds on the globe; this event truly showcases Leeds as a leader in the UK Data landscape.

This year's theme?? Back by popular demand

2025: AI is going back to the future...

The last year has gone by in the blink of an AI. At our 2024 session, we explored the hype, hope, and hands-on examples of AI in action. But as the dust settles, one truth is becoming increasingly clear: AI can’t deliver on its promise without strong data foundations.

Enter 2025, and organisations are starting to feel the strain - AI projects are stalling, models are drifting, and demonstrating value is becoming increasingly challenging. Why? Because we’ve rushed headlong into the future without checking, we packed the essentials. Good data. Shared language. Trusted processes. Skilled people.

It’s time to rewind - not to stall progress, but to fuel it properly.

Join The Data Crowd for an unmissable afternoon of exploration, challenge, and connection as we dive into the opportunities (and hard truths) of data and AI in practice.

Whether you’re a data-curious graduate, a data team leader, or a Chief Data Officer shaping strategy at scale, this event will inspire new thinking, offer real-world lessons, and challenge assumptions.

Together, we’ll ask: Are we building AI that’s useful, responsible, and truly human-centric?

This is THE AI event you can't miss.

Agenda

12.45pm - Welcome to The Data Crowd Does Leeds Digital Festival 2024

Session 1: Back to Basics: Don’t Make AI Another Failed Experiment

The opening session will set the tone for the day: clear-eyed, human-focused, and grounded in reality. We’ll revisit the principles that make data and AI work for people, not just for technology’s sake.

Session 2: Collaborative AI: Building better, together

A panel of leaders and practitioners share how organisations are putting customers first and designing AI-powered solutions through cross-functional collaboration. Expect tangible examples, lessons learned, and real ROI stories.

Session 3: Garbage In, Garbage Out - Why foundations matter (and what to avoid)

AI isn’t magic - and it can’t fix bad data. This session explores what not to use AI for, and outlines the key data capabilities you need, whether you're just starting out or scaling advanced applications.

Panel Discussion: Rethinking Education in the Age of AI

AI is transforming the workplace from entry-level roles upward. How do we prepare for a future where skills, not just jobs, are constantly evolving?

We’ll bring together voices from academia, industry, and policy to explore the role of education, training, and talent strategy in an AI-powered world.

Closing note from our hosts

Nibbles & Networking 🍾

If you have any questions about this event or want more information about how you can get involved in The Data Crowd, please email nicola@thedatacrowd.com

Can't wait to see you there!