ARTIFICIAL intelligence could be worth billions of pounds to businesses who use it well, according to the organisers of an event which aims to make sure Hampshire is not left behind.

Southampton Science Park is to host AI In Action on Wednesday, September 11.

Registration for the event has opened.

The event is aimed at anyone with a commercial interest in AI, whether expert or newcomer.

Peter Birkett, chief executive of Southampton Science Park, said: “AI, as it is commonly known, has been identified by the government as key to ensuring that the UK is at the forefront of the future global economy.

“Consequently, right across the country, the race to embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning is on.

“From retail to education, from banking to healthcare, from leisure to utilities, applied artificial intelligence and machine learning is evolving faster than humans can.

“Yet, while some businesses are confidently innovating in the AI arena, many more have been slow to respond.

“Potentially worth billions of pounds to companies that successfully apply AI to their products or services, it is incredibly important that the business community in the south doesn’t get left behind and this is why we have created this event.”

Organisers say delegates will understand why AI has evolved so quickly, see how it is being applied to real world problems, assess its potential value to their own organisations and learn about benefits, risks and opportunities of AI, directly from people who have used it.

Lindsay Herbert, IBM’s digital transformation leader and the author of the book Digital Transformation, will be the keynote speaker.

She will tell how organisations are succeeding with AI innovations.

The aim will be to ensure delegates leave knowing the critical actions they can take to get innovation working in their own organisations.

She said: “When companies claim to be focusing on the ‘digital experience’ of their customers, the majority are just making tweaks to their existing products and services.

“This means major challenges remain unsolved, threats grow, staff feel less relevant and there’s an ever-mounting list of big, scary problems that need addressing.

“When it comes to technology like AI, most assume it’s a field best left to computer scientists but this is not the case and I shall be explaining why,” she added.

Other speakers will include Matt Inada-Kim of Hampshire Hospitals, Andy Dollin of Tonic Analytics, Harriet Rees of Starling Bank and Ben Park from Sopra Steria.

They will explore how AI is being used across the healthcare, transportation, financial services and retail sectors.

To register for the event, search for AI in Action at Eventbrite.co.uk