From Alan Turing to agentic AI, decentralised platforms to regulatory landscapes, here’s what we took away from one of the year’s most impressive tech events.
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:
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:
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:
Will big tech monopolies become a thing of the past: with a future owned and created by us?
The quality of speakers at Evolve[25] was exceptional – genuinely one of the best events I’ve attended this year.
CEO, Filter
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.
CEO & Founder
An experienced business and digital leader, Olly has an extensive track record of working to develop businesses through smart strategic thinking. With a strong reputation for providing outstanding solutions, he’s an advocate for exacting standards and focusing on performance outcomes.
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