We Attended Evolve[25], Here’s What Stood Out

Recently, I travelled down to Brighton to attend Evolve[25], Silicon Brighton’s flagship conference. After a day packed with high-calibre speakers and thought-provoking discussions, I can confidently say this was one of the best events I’ve attended this year.

The quality of speakers was exceptional and kudos to Silicon Brighton for arranging such an impressive lineup. If the event runs again next year, we’ll definitely be back with a bigger contingent from the Filter team.

I spent most of my time at the Pioneers stage, where several keynotes particularly stood out.

Matt Holman delivered what was genuinely one of the better sessions I’ve ever seen. This keynote took the audience on a century-long journey through AI evolution, from codebreakers to copyright and from machine logic to machine learning.

Starting with Alan Turing’s groundbreaking ideas in the 1930s and culminating in today’s rapidly shifting regulatory landscape, the session explored how intelligent systems have shaped and been shaped by society. Key questions included:

• How did we get from theoretical computing to AI that now influences everything from war to wellness?
• What does the AI Act signal for the future of regulation, innovation and trust?
• What lessons can businesses, founders and citizens learn from the road behind us to navigate what lies ahead?
• Is AI a climate villain or its unexpected hero?

The insight into law, governance, ethics and societal implications was exceptional. It challenged assumptions, demystified policy and prompted a more grounded conversation about the future we’re all building.

Jason Smith‘s session was a timely reminder that encouraged me to ensure our teams have AI services available to play with, learn and improve efficiencies.

In a rapidly changing world, generative AI isn’t just a trend – it’s a foundational shift that’s already reshaping how we work, learn, create and communicate. From ChatGPT to Claude, DeepSeek to NotebookLM, a wave of new tools is transforming industries at speed.

The session focused on practical readiness:

• What generative AI is (and isn’t) – cutting through the hype to focus on real capabilities
• Which industries and roles are already feeling the impact and what’s likely to come next
• How to evaluate tools and opportunities without being overwhelmed
• What steps individuals and teams can take now to experiment safely, build literacy and prepare for change

Whether you’re leading a team, running a business, or just trying to keep up, this session offered a grounded introduction to generative AI with a focus on readiness, resilience and practical action.

Milo Bowman presented an interesting view on building platforms for tomorrow while maintaining control with a decentralised base. From Web 2.0 building the platform to Web 3.0 building on the platform, this session explored the future of internet infrastructure.

Half of all internet traffic ends up in the hands of just 5 companies, which extract value away from the users, creators and entrepreneurs that produce it. The next era of the internet – Web3 – is changing that.

Services built on blockchains are producing abundant opportunities for the next generation of creatives, entrepreneurs and users, who can now create pieces of the new internet and capture a slice of the profit. The session covered:

• How Web2 consolidated so much power into so few companies and how Web3 shifts value away from the protocols and towards creators
• How decentralised protocols enable you to build your own services, tools and front ends – and earn a share of revenue from day one
• Why the most exciting and disruptive era of the internet is just beginning and why Big Tech won’t be the one building it: we will

Will big tech monopolies become a thing of the past: with a future owned and created by us?

Evolve[25] brought together a fascinating mix of historical perspective, current innovation and future possibilities. From understanding how we got here with AI regulation to imagining a decentralised internet future, the event perfectly balanced technical depth with practical insights.

The common thread running through all sessions was the importance of being proactive rather than reactive in our approach to emerging technologies. Whether it’s implementing AI tools in our workflows, preparing for agentic systems, or considering how decentralised platforms might reshape our industry, the message was clear: the future is being built now and we all have a role to play in shaping it.

If you attended Evolve[25] too, we’d love to hear what stood out to you, or if you’d like to speak to us about your next digital project, get in touch.