‘The Innovators’

‘The Innovators’ Journey

Events within the 2023 ‘Our Futures’ programme

1) Their first stop was Steve Does Tours, who took them on an engaging exploration of Bankside, showcasing how innovation and creativity have shaped the area's growth.

Steve introduced them to hidden locations where technology meets history, demonstrating how tech-driven solutions have enhanced the community and transformed everyday experiences.

This insightful tour inspired the Innovators to consider how AI and technology could further contribute to local development.

3) Their next visit was Borough Market, where the Innovators sampled delicious foods, including cheese from The Trethowan Brothers and a variety of nuts from Food and Forest.

They learned how technology plays a crucial role in optimising the market’s security and communication systems.

Additionally, the visit provided valuable insights into the complexities of running and managing one of the UK's most popular and vibrant markets.

5) Next, the Innovators visited Mindshare, where they explored marketing and advertising through the lens of AI.

They enjoyed a hands-on experience collaborating with the Mindshare team, designing an engaging ad campaign for Halloween sweets.

Learning about diverse applications of AI, including prompts and apps, provided valuable insights and inspired them with creative ideas they could incorporate into their own event.

7) Their next stop was Chatham House, where the Innovators learned about its history, global mission, and the famous Chatham House Rule .

They participated in a stimulating debate about concerns surrounding technology and AI, particularly examining its implications for democracy and society.

The engaging discussion encouraged critical thinking about the ethical challenges of tech innovation.

9) At King's College London (KCL), the Innovators enjoyed an interactive session on categorisation using teachable machines, where they created, trained, and tested their own AI models.

They also took an engaging tour around the university, exploring its facilities and rich history, while gaining valuable insights from the personal experiences of current KCL students.

11) The Innovators met with Damien Cheetham, a local resident and expert in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR).

Damien introduced the group to the ZAPPER app, showcasing how AR technology can transform images and text into engaging, interactive experiences. He shared stories from his extensive career in immersive theatre and hospitality, including his recent work at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Inspired by Damien's insights, the students explored how to incorporate VR and AR into their own interactive workshops, aiming to make AI and technology accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities.

13) The Innovators visited Bloomberg, exploring their impressive, sustainable headquarters and learning about Bloomberg’s diverse professional services across Finance, Technology, Media, and Research.

They gained insights into how AI and technology are integrated within the building itself and across Bloomberg's various offerings.

The group particularly enjoyed touring Bloomberg's TV studios and their on-site museum, which showcases fascinating Roman artifacts discovered during the building's construction.

15) At Lancaster House, the Innovators enjoyed an insightful tour and learned about the role of AI, technology, and innovation within government and high-level events.

They particularly appreciated visiting the iconic rooms used as filming locations for renowned productions like The Crown and Bridgerton, gaining a behind-the-scenes perspective on this historic venue.

17) At Giffgaff, the Innovators participated in an engaging deep-dive session exploring how Machine Learning and Generative AI are shaping the future of employment.

They also discussed potential career paths in tech, gaining insights into the growing demand for digital skills and learning from the inspiring career journeys shared by the Giffgaff team.

This visit left the students motivated and equipped with valuable perspectives for their future careers.

2) Next was Live Group, where the Innovators discovered how technology and AI can create engaging and insightful events.

They were challenged to explore how tech-driven solutions could accommodate diverse attendee personalities, enhancing audience experiences through innovation and thoughtful digital engagement.

4) The Innovators then visited Tate Modern, exploring the media networks collection and viewing iconic artworks by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Cildo Meireles.

They engaged in thoughtful discussions about the emotional impact of the pieces and how each artwork represented technology, AI, and innovation across different decades and cultures.

The diverse displays, from abstract sculptures to vibrant imagery, inspired the students to further investigate the intersection of tech, AI, and innovation within the creative industries.

6) The Innovators then visited Grey, gaining insight into the creative design process and understanding the significant role AI plays within the industry.

They explored various forms of Creative Tech, including its innovative use in music videos, the metaverse, and immersive sensory projects, highlighting how these methods effectively engage diverse audiences.

The students particularly enjoyed creating their own campaign aimed at making creative tech careers more accessible to young people.

8) At PwC, the Innovators participated in an interactive session exploring the firm's pivotal role in emerging technology, discovering how PwC leverages powerful tools to support their clients in developing and improving their businesses.

The workshop featured an introduction to emerging technologies, an inspiring fireside chat about career journeys and the importance of personal branding, an insightful session on effectively utilising AI, a talk highlighting apprenticeship opportunities, and hands-on experience using cutting-edge technology.

10) At TP Bennett, the Innovators learned about the significant role AI, technology, and innovation play in modern architecture.

They explored the intersection between sustainability and design, particularly how architecture can help tackle climate change. The group enjoyed sketching their dream homes and transforming their designs into detailed visuals using Midjourney, a generative AI tool.

Working collaboratively, they also built their own sustainable architectural models, combining creativity with practical innovation.

12) At Shakespeare's Globe, the Innovators explored how authenticity and tradition are thoughtfully balanced with modern innovation.

They discovered how AI and technology enhance various elements of performances—including lighting, sound, and set design—without sacrificing the theatre’s timeless atmosphere.

This integration inspired the group, demonstrating how tech-driven advancements can enrich audience experiences and elevate artistic presentations.

14) The Innovators visited Fabrix at The Bottle Factory, discovering how Fabrix revitalises historic sites and collaborates with local communities.

They learned about London’s gin heritage at Thames Distillers Ltd, explored an art exhibition by OHSH Projects, and toured Hey Coffee’s upcoming HQ.

The visit concluded with an engaging photography and videography workshop, highlighting innovative applications of AI.

16) At JP Morgan, the Innovators explored the application of Machine Learning and AI in financial and corporate industries.

They enjoyed experimenting with AI using Teachable Machines, deepening their understanding of categorisation, sector-specific applications, and the technology’s limitations.

The session provided valuable insights into using AI with HTML, Java, CSS, Python, and Machine Learning, inspiring the students with ideas for their upcoming celebration event and legacy project—AI4All.

At the final event, The Innovators presented key learnings and insights gathered from various company workshops attended throughout the programme. They also showcased a short promotional film created to highlight and promote the themes of AI, technology, and innovation.