Track 3
Stepping into the AI-enabled Workplace of Tomorrow
IDC’s global Future of Work study shows that generative AI usage has jumped from 55% in 2023 to 75% in 2025, underlining how quickly AI copilots are becoming part of everyday work. As AI copilots become embedded in email, meetings, documents, chat, and search, knowledge work shifts from “creating from scratch” to reviewing, refining, and decision-making. Natural language interfaces replace traditional navigation, automating routine tasks and significantly reducing time spent on summarising and drafting.
This evolution raises performance expectations, prioritising judgement, quality, and speed over simple task execution. IDC’s 2026 FutureScape for the AI-enabled Future of Work predicts that by 2026, around 40% of roles in the G2000 will involve direct engagement with AI agents, fundamentally changing how entry, mid-level, and senior jobs are designed. Roles are reshaped as boundaries blur and handoffs diminish, requiring employees to develop new skills like prompt literacy and critical evaluation of AI outputs.
Without targeted training, productivity gaps may widen between AI-fluent employees and others, while over-reliance on AI risks undermining core competencies.
The emergence of AI-enabled PCs further accelerates this shift, providing on-device processing power to support copilots, real-time transcription, summarisation, and intelligent assistance directly at the edge. By running more AI workloads locally, organisations can achieve improved performance, lower latency, enhanced privacy, and reduced reliance on constant cloud connectivity. However, market demand for AI PCs is currently constrained by global memory and high-performance chip supply limitations, which may slow large-scale refresh cycles and necessitate careful planning of deployment and investment strategies.
In this session, delegates will learn to integrate AI into their workflows and develop essential skills for an AI-driven environment. They’ll explore strategies for building trust and governance around AI systems. Additionally, delegates can connect with partners to discover the latest innovations in AI-enabled PCs, gain insights into practical AI applications, and establish a foundation that drives long-term resilience and success.
This track unites a select group of strategic partners to showcase the foundations of the intelligent enterprise, giving you the chance to move beyond high-level roadmaps and experience firsthand the technologies that transform ‘AI potential’ into ‘operational performance’ for your business
Meike Escherich
Associate Research Director, European Future of Work
IDC
Read bio
Meike Escherich
Meike Escherich is an associate research director with IDC’s European Future of Work research service, based in the UK. In this role, she provides coverage of key technology trends across the Future of Work, specializing in how to drive and monitor productivity in a flexible work environment. This includes research into workforce management, agile performance measures, employee engagement/innovation programs and AI driven wellness solutions.
Prior to joining IDC, Meike was a Principal Analyst at Gartner (20 years) – covering Personal Computing, IT Services and Consumer Technologies – and a freelance consultant working with several UK analyst firms and international technology providers (3 years). An expert at identifying and solving strategic pain points Meike has worked with C-level executives across a multitude of industries such as IT, Education, Government, Health, Media, and Finance.
Having studied in Germany (University of Konstanz), Switzerland (University of Geneva, ERASMUS) and the UK (University of Exeter, ERASMUS) Meike holds a bachelor’s degree in Law as well as a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.
Leonardo Freitas
Research Manager, European Skills and Cloud Strategies
IDC
Read bio
Leonardo Freitas
Stefan O’Connor
UK Senior Solutions Director
Insight
Read bio
Stefan O’Connor
Technical Design Authority with 25+ years’ experience in IT architecture and solution design, specialising in Microsoft technologies. Stefan works across public and private sectors to define business requirements and translates them into secure, scalable solutions. He designs and implements complex on‑premises and cloud services, aligning technology with organisational risk and goals. With deep technical expertise and experience leading major digital transformation programmes, Stefan brings a collaborative, pragmatic approach focused on delivering clear business outcomes.
Sheetal Mistry
Senior Change & Adoption Consultant
Insight
Read bio
Sheetal Mistry
A Change & Adoption specialist with over 20 years of experience supporting organisations through complex digital transformations. Combining strategic insight, digital expertise, and a people-centred approach to facilitate the implementation of sustainable change across all facets of organisational development.
With extensive experience guiding people through digital change initiatives and fostering successful cloud transformation projects, I focus on empowering individuals within organisations to embrace innovation and adapt to new ways of working. My approach centres on supporting teams as they navigate change, ensuring that their growth and engagement drive lasting transformation and foster a culture of innovation.
In this current era of AI, I am supporting clients and their teams through practical enablement initiatives, providing clear strategic direction, and clarifying AI concepts to make them accessible and impactful. By developing readiness strategies, unlocking value, and fostering sustained momentum, I help drive meaningful organisational change.