Big Data LDN 2025: Key Takeaways for Brands in an AI World
Couldn’t make it to Big Data LDN 2025? Zeno’s Anes and Ayushi were on the ground for two days of gem-packed sessions, cutting-edge tech and even a robot dog demonstrating the power of data in action.
The Opening Note We Won’t Forget
We squeezed into Professor Brian Cox’s keynote – and he did not disappoint. His line that stuck: “Data + complexity = new frontiers. The more we understand data at scale, the closer we get to reshaping our understanding of existence.” A sharp reminder that data transcends business - it’s how we make sense of the world.
AI Takes Centre Stage
It came as no surprise that AI dominated nearly every conversation. What was striking, however, was the maturity of the discussion. While mainstream awareness surged with ChatGPT, the technology’s roots stretch back decades. That long history of development shaped the depth of debate around regulation, environmental impact, governance and digital ownership.
From software demos that compressed hours of work into a few clicks to a Women in Data showcase, where an AI convincingly delivered a CEO’s public speech, the potential felt both exciting and cautionary. The old saying “with great power comes great responsibility” rings true: a theme that ran throughout sessions on privacy, trust and sustainability.
Three Sessions That Stood Out
1. The Future of Marketing in an AI World – Andy Cabirdassou, CTO, Publicis Media
The conventional consumer journey in five years' time will look drastically different to today’s. For brands pivoting to an AI-powered consumer, here are the key takeaways:
- Browser reboot: The biggest UI shift will be the browser being reimagined, with ChatGPT and other chatbots becoming entry points into the internet, much like Google and search engines did
- AI eats the mid-funnel: AI tools are positioned to take over the “consideration stage” of the customer journey. Rather than researching multiple options, consumers may simply ask an AI to recommend the best fit
- Social becomes fan fiction, not fact: By 2026, as much as 90% of online content may be AI-generated. This will blur the line between fact and fiction, turning social media into a space primarily used for entertainment rather than for communication or information
- Voice in, visual out: VIVO interaction will become more popular due to convenience and speed (i.e. users speak commands and receive a visual response). Audio AI assistants are set to become true personal assistants, with adoption already significant in the U.S.
- Gaming as a gateway: Gamers are forming deep relationships through online personas, showing how gaming could be a new entry point into AI relationships
Brand POV: Build hard-hitting, emotive alongside AI-readable content (clear specs, claims, comparisons, availability, sustainability attributes) to convince hearts and minds.
2) How to Maximise the Business Value from AI — Simon Asplen-Taylor (CEO, Valstr)
- Value before models: Most failures start as tech-first pilots, not strategy-led programmes
- Avoid the ad-hoc trap - 99% of AI is run in disconnected projects; the 1% that scale treat AI as a business transformation tool.
- Use a 5-level maturity ladder - From Google Search for answers to full business automation, use this to benchmark progress and ambition.
- Trust is infrastructure: Governance, measurement and change management unlock the leap from dashboards to decisions
Brand POV: Start every brief with a Value Hypothesis (business KPI + data you’ll need + guardrails). Then pick the lightest AI required to prove it.
3) Using Sustainability Analytics to Drive Growth — The Crown Estate & Elsevier
- Evidence first: Survey data + in-house AI platforms surfaced the sustainability moves that actually matter
- Standards are messy, progress is possible: Even with inconsistent ESG frameworks, aligned teams delivered outcomes
- AI is already delivering value - from land use optimisation to sustainable supply chain decisions
Brand POV: Shift ESG from reporting lane to growth lane - connect sustainability signals to product, operations and brand proof.
Final thoughts:
If Big Data LDN made one thing clear, it’s this: the brands that succeed will go beyond adopting AI by evolving to meet shifting consumer, media and business landscapes.
As the space continues to mature, events like Big Data London underscore the pressing need for diverse voices and perspectives to ensure AI is for the many, not the few. If the signs from the event are anything to go by, it seems like genuine progress is being made in making AI safe, accessible and representative. Not just in how it is built, but in how it is used too.
For more info on how to pivot into an AI-optimised business see our article on GEO: the future of search.
