Sustainable transformation demands more than technology - it requires robust governance, cyber resilience, and leadership alignment. This session examines Derby’s AI journey, which originated as a response to severe financial pressures and evolved into a city-wide strategy for service automation and digital growth.

With insights into risk management, ethical decision-making, and protecting citizen rights, speakers will discuss how the city created the organisational conditions to deploy generative and agentic AI safely and at pace. From building high-level advocacy to overcoming internal resistance, the conversation will unpack how to maintain trust, strengthen security, and deliver innovation that genuinely reduces cost and demand. Participants will gain practical guidance on embedding robust governance while still moving fast enough to bridge budget gaps and improve services.