Gen AI is out, Agentic is In: Reflections from IBC 2025

Walking into my very first IBC, I felt both excited and curious about what the world’s biggest media and tech conference would bring. I’d heard the stories, but experiencing it in person was something else entirely. And the biggest takeaway? The industry has already moved on from last year’s obsession with generative AI. The new conversation is about Agentic AI: systems that don’t just create but act, adapt, and deliver real outcomes.

I’ve spent more than a decade working in cloud technologies across SAP, AWS, Azure, and GCP, with the past five years focused specifically on the media sector as Head of Data Operations at the BBC. Attending IBC was a fantastic opportunity to explore the latest innovations, reconnect with old friends from AWS, and build new connections.

The Numbers That Matter

64% of tech spend is flowing into AI & ML.

43% into cloud infrastructure.

24% of the industry’s current ‘dip’ is tied to wider macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures.

The message was clear: AI and cloud are converging into one story. But the real differentiator? Skills. The organisations that keep pace will be the ones that invest in their people as much as their platforms.

Gen AI vs Agentic AI: What’s the Difference?

One of the most valuable lessons I took away from IBC was the distinction between generative AI and agentic AI:

• Generative AI is all about creation. It can generate text, images, video, and more at incredible speed and scale. For example, it can automatically draft a news script, create a highlight reel from a football match, or generate subtitles in multiple languages. It inspires new possibilities but often still needs a human in the loop to guide, validate, or act on its outputs.

• Agentic AI goes a step further. It doesn’t just create, it acts. It can take outputs, make decisions in real time, orchestrate workflows, and adapt to new data or contexts without waiting for constant supervision. For example, it could monitor live sports footage, automatically cut and distribute clips to social channels, update metadata for search and discovery, and even optimise ad placement all without someone manually pressing a button.

In short, generative AI shows us what’s possible. Agentic AI shows us what’s practical.

My Key Takeaways from IBC 2025

👉 Data quality is everything. No matter how advanced the tools, messy data equals messy results.

👉 Fix the foundations first. Clean and stabilise data platforms before chasing advanced AI. It’s not glamorous, but it’s critical.

👉 Metadata is the hidden power. It ties content, data, and distribution together and drives discoverability, personalisation, and monetisation.

👉 Invest in people. We can’t just talk tech. Cross-skilling, upskilling, and role models are what will carry this industry forward.

Highlights That Stood Out

🎤 Speaking on the talent panel during my first IBC was unforgettable. Huge thanks to James McKeown & Oisin Lunny for giving me the space to share thoughts on how we prepare for the skills revolution.

💡 Reconnecting with AWS was another highlight. The booth tour and their panel of incredible women shaping AI, cloud, and media reminded me how powerful representation is.

🤝 Listening to Simon Farnsworth (ITV) and Avi Saxena (Warner Bros. Discovery) at the CTO roundtable reinforced just how vital leadership buy-in is for meaningful change.

🚀 Conversations with Kathleen Mitford & Silvia Candiani (Microsoft) about Agentic AI made me realise just how quickly this new chapter is opening.

📺 Chats with Julie Triolo (Fox Corporation) & Justin Gupta (Google) on advertising and partnerships sparked ideas I’ll carry forward.

🌟 Connecting with Vanessa Archinard on BBC Women in STEM (WiSTEM) was another highlight, reminding me that building communities is just as important as building platforms.

Final Reflection

For a first IBC, the experience was nothing short of eye-opening. The future of media isn’t just about the tech we adopt, it’s about the mindset we bring to it. AI + Cloud are the tools, but it’s Agentic AI + People that will drive true transformation.

If there’s one message I’d pass on, it’s this: invest in your foundations, invest in your people, and approach the future with both curiosity and courage. That’s where the change really happens.