I spent the start of this week at Wales Tech Week, and what stood out wasn’t the size of the event; it was the tone. The conversations were grounded, thoughtful and very much centred on people. AI was everywhere, but the focus wasn’t on the spectacle. It was on the impact.
As someone who’s worked in PR for over 10 years now, and as someone from Wales, it was genuinely encouraging to see these discussions happening here. The Welsh tech scene isn’t “up and coming” anymore. It’s here, it’s confident, and it’s asking the right questions.
AI and ethics: Finally treated as the same conversation
One recurring theme was the need to balance ethics and innovation. Not as competing priorities, but as part of the same process.
A lot of what I heard echoed things we see across our own client work, where teams are trying to move quickly without losing sight of responsibility, transparency or human oversight. It’s familiar territory:
– Making sure people understand how decisions are being made
– Ensuring the tech serves a real purpose
– Avoiding the temptation to automate for automation’s sake
It reinforced something I think a lot of us feel instinctively: the next phase of AI isn’t just technical. It’s cultural.
The future of work: Trust is becoming the differentiator
What struck me across the workplace-focused discussions was how much of the tension around AI isn’t logistical; it’s emotional.
People aren’t afraid of AI. They’re unsure about sudden change, unclear expectations, and systems they’re told to trust without much explanation. I hear variations of this in my day-to-day work with tech teams trying to communicate new tools internally. The challenge isn’t convincing people AI is useful; it’s helping them feel confident using it.
When AI is introduced with clarity and purpose, it creates space for more thoughtful work. When it’s rushed, it fragments teams and fuels uncertainty.
It’s clear from conversations I’ve had this week that trust is very much the variable that decides whether AI lands well.
A personal note, and why this mattered to me
Wales Tech Week made me think about how far the tech community here has come. The quality of the conversations, the mix of voices, and the confidence behind the ideas all signalled a shift.
These weren’t surface-level debates or generic panels. They were relevant, honest, and connected to the challenges businesses are facing right now. And for me, as a Welsh PR professional working with tech brands every day, it was meaningful to see that reflected here, so close to home.
It feels like Wales is no longer watching the UK tech conversation. It’s contributing to it.
