Context Is All You Need: What comes after the current wave of AI

In 2017, Volker spoke about AI and the future of work before the current wave of AI broke into the mainstream. Now he returns to explore what comes next: context, physical AI and how real-world intelligence may reshape business, work and society. 

In 2017, Volker gave a TEDx Manchester talk entitled AI and the Future of Work, three months before the publication of the transformer paper Attention Is All You Need, which helped unlock the present wave of AI. 

Over the past two years, many of the ideas that once felt distant have started to play out in the mainstream. Generative AI is now part of everyday business conversation, reshaping how people think about work, productivity, creativity, decision-making and competitive advantage. 

This session, Context Is All You Need, looks beyond the current wave. It will explore how AI may move from text, prompts and digital tools into systems that better understand context, environment and the physical world. 

The talk will examine the emerging field sometimes referred to as physical AI, where real-world data, embodied systems, sensors, robotics and intelligent infrastructure start to bring AI closer to the environments in which people, businesses and machines actually operate. 

It will also ask what might come after that, and what leaders should be thinking about now as AI moves from digital capability to more context-aware, real-world intelligence. 

Who should attend

This session is for founders, CEOs, investors, technologists, innovation leaders and anyone trying to understand where AI may go next. 

It will be especially relevant for people looking beyond today’s AI tools and wanting a clearer view of how future developments could affect business models, work, productivity, automation, infrastructure and competitive advantage. 

It will also appeal to leaders in sectors where AI may increasingly interact with the physical world, including manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, transport, energy, construction, robotics, smart infrastructure and advanced technology. 

Why it’s relevant

The current AI wave has already changed how businesses think about productivity, knowledge work and digital capability. But the next shift may be even more significant. 

As AI becomes more context-aware and starts to connect more deeply with the physical world, its impact could extend far beyond chat interfaces, content generation and software workflows. 

For leaders, the challenge is to understand not only what AI can do today, but what it may make possible next. Businesses that can anticipate this shift will be better placed to adapt, invest, experiment and build advantage as the technology evolves. 

This session is relevant because it connects the present AI moment to the next frontier, helping attendees think beyond current applications and start considering how context, embodiment and real-world intelligence could shape the future. 

What you’ll take away

You will leave with a clearer view of what may come after the current wave of AI, and why context could become one of the most important ideas in the next stage of development. 

The session will provide insight into physical AI, how real-world data and environments may become part of intelligent systems, and what this could mean for businesses, sectors and society. 

You will also gain a more strategic perspective on how leaders should think about AI beyond today’s tools, including the opportunities, risks and questions that may define the next phase of adoption.