Once again the demonstration of AI innovation at AWS Summit was staggering.
While last year focused on breaking through barriers to make Generative AI easier to use, scale and deploy, 2025 saw a demand to prove ROI and ensure initiatives are well supported and adopted. This is a challenge we see across the enterprise, ensuring that investments are maximised and hardwired to the overall goals of the organisation.
It was a packed out day on the Mesh-AI stand - where it was a privilege to welcome Alison Kay, VP of the UK & Ireland, to discuss how we’re strengthening our partnership and game-changing delivering solutions for our enterprise clients on AWS.
Our very own Byron Allen and Sergei Batishchev. They presented to a packed theatre of leaders on building AI Content Curation systems on AWS. This is an incredible use case that makes sense of a deluge of unstructured data, helps organisations overcome time-consuming manual curation, and resulted in a significant efficiency uplift and risk reduction for our financial services client.
Here are my highlights from another incredible AWS Summit.
Alison Kay opened with this clear message. From life sciences to climate change, the technology is moving from experimentation to deployment. But there are still barriers: one in three people lack the digital skills needed to fully adopt AI, highlighting the urgency of talent-focused initiatives like the AWS Skills to Jobs Alliance.
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) stood out as a strong example of this shift. Working with AWS, LSEG is modernising the infrastructure behind financial markets. Their work in risk intelligence – from KYC to anti-money laundering – shows how AI is being used for better data curation and self-service automation, giving LSEG greater operational resilience and better customer outcomes.
A number of sessions I attended focused on the future of AI and the prevalence of agent-based systems. One from Faculty AI cited a recent Gartner survey, which estimates 33% of enterprise software will be using Agentic AI by 2028, compared to less than 1% use it today. While this is still a nascent technology, it’s being developed, tested and deployed across the enterprise.
We are successfully deploying Agentic AI across some of the largest and most complex regulated enterprises, delivering results for more efficient market commentary, enhanced bid response in construction and more accurate and effective risk scanning in financial services. It’s no surprise there was a strong appetite for sessions focused on Agentic AI, given its game-changing potential. It’s exciting to see AWS offering multi agent collaboration through Bedrock, which we expect will help grow adoption at pace.
But it’s also clear many are figuring out where and how to start with the new technology – an experienced partner is integral to maximising your investment in Agentic and ensuring your initiatives deliver value for the business.
At Mesh-AI we have long focused on improving the data foundations and infrastructure of our clients, to ensure they’re in the best possible position to capitalise on AI opportunities.
The Generative AI developments on show at AWS Summit 2025 were impressive, but they also highlighted the importance of high quality, accessible, reliable data – without this, it’s almost impossible to derive long-term value from AI initiatives.
We’ve helped some of the most complex enterprises build stronger data foundations, deliver early value and set them on the path to transform how they approach data. We partnered with National Grid Ventures to make sense of vast amounts of unstructured data from multiple sources and power innovation. OceanBrain, an AI-powered tool that safeguards critical national infrastructure, predicts and mitigates risks to underwater cables, reducing outages and ensuring uninterrupted power supply.
There is a reason most AI initiatives focus on efficiency – it’s the easiest way to prove AI investment is worth it. But while automation offers immediate gains, businesses that focus solely on cost savings risk missing out on AI’s broader impact.
AI will make the biggest impact driving innovation and strategic decision-making and more enterprises are waking up to this. For leaders deciding where to dedicate resources, those who prioritise long-term value creation will set themselves ahead of the competition.
It was clear from across the summit that Agentic AI has a significant role to play in moving enterprises beyond automating the tactical, and helping provide business value on a whole new level.
The breadth and wealth of talent at AWS Summit is quite incredible. This is reassuring for leaders concerned with attracting the right talent. But the current talent pool also wants to be inspired and work on impressive projects.
For those we spoke to, they want the space and tools to succeed, to work in a data literate business and where data is seen as a strategic asset. Enterprises should position data leaders in strategic roles, so they can influence product, operations and communications, and not just IT.
Despite all the hype and buzz of previous years, Generative AI still dominated the agenda across the day. But this year, we noticed a new and important shift: a growing emphasis on proving the ROI of Gen AI investments.
Expectations for most users are shaped by free, consumer-grade Gen AI tools. However, enterprises face a very different reality when it comes to investing in and building their own solutions. Developing bespoke Gen AI capabilities requires significant resources – time, talent, infrastructure, and funding. Without clear and measurable returns, it becomes increasingly difficult to drive broad adoption, secure ongoing senior leadership support, and justify continued investment.
The pace of change dictates that enterprises should act now, as early adopters have already understood how to see an ROI from Gen AI investments and gained competitive advantage. As Gen AI becomes simpler to adopt and more seamless in its integration, seeing a return on investment will be easier – it’s time to work it out, experiment and execute.
Proving value early is critical. Enterprises need to anchor Gen AI initiatives directly to tangible business outcomes—whether it's boosting productivity, improving customer experience, or creating new revenue streams. Without a strong, well-communicated ROI story, Gen AI risks becoming another innovation experiment that struggles to scale within the organisation.
There’s an urgency to capitalise on the opportunities at hand. If you’re not experimenting or deciding where to invest, the time is now. Understanding the best place to start demands a collaborative partner, so please get in touch.
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