[Keynote] Building Sovereign and Resilient ICT Systems

As ICT systems have become basic infrastructure for our societies, providing essential services to all citizens, it is becoming ever more critical to build these systems in a secure and resilient manner, and to future proof these major investments. This talk outlines the challenges in building sovereign systems that stay resilient across the entire spectrum, and provides high-level advice that help organizations succeed with their strategic projects. [30-45 minutes]

This keynote also exist in an extended edition delivered as a lecture, see https://sessionize.com/s/christopher-frenning/lecture-building-sovereign-and-resilient-ict-syste/86332

[Keynote] A Data Strategy for Norway

"Data is the new oil" has a very special resonance in Norway. Norway benefits from a highly modern ICT infrastructure, decades of public and private sector projects that have created a highly digitized society, yet see challenges with education, access to competency and may not always have the speed we'd like to see when comparing to other countries. How can we future proof Norway, maintain our leading position in digitalization, move from digitization to digital transformation, collaborate internationally when appropriate, and ensure we make the most of the data we have in a safe, responsible manner in the Age of AI? [20-40 minutes]

[Keynote] Responsible AI at Microsoft

As AI is affecting us all and being used pervasively by businesses and citizens alike, approaching the area with a responsible attitude is crucial. Microsoft started its Responsible AI journey in 2016, and has developed a solid framework for corporate guidance, a set of principles for all AI work at Microsoft, and concrete guides and standards for putting our Responsible AI principles into practical use.

In this talk, Christopher Frenning introduces Microsoft's approach to Reponsible AI, shares the Microsoft journey and learnings, and will act as an inspiration to organizations that are embaring on their Responsible AI journeys. [30-45 min]

[Lecture] Implementing Responsible AI in Your Organization

As AI is affecting us all and being used pervasively by businesses and citizens alike, approaching the area with a responsible attitude is crucial. This lecture gives an overview of the current state of AI, why it is a major challenge to approach the area responsibly, and finally how organizations can do so through the use of frameworks and standards from NIST and ISO, and how legislation may affect AI projects moving forward. [45 minutes]

Panel Discussions

I frequently participate in panel discussions, with Tech Policy, Competency, Infrastructure Resilience, and of course AI as expert domains.

[Keynote] How Microsoft is innovating in the age of AI

From a small team building an operating system to decades on the list of the world's most valuable companies, yet the New York Times said in 2010: "unless it regains its creative spark, it’s an open question whether it has much of a future".

Microsoft is still here, thriving as never before, and has the eye of just about everyone after striking gold with AI. How did this come about, and how is Microsoft working with culture, leadership and innovation to stay on the forefront of technology as yet another tectonic shift has hit technology companies - and even promises to change every industry? [45 minutes]

[Keynote] What are Frontier Firms?

You line up for a 100 meter sprint, tense, waiting for the start signal. You give it everything you've got, a few millimeters ahead of competition as you get close to the finish line... then you realize you're in a marathon, not a sprint, and the other runners keep on going in the same speed.

Adopting AI, and getting real results, is a marathon, not a sprint. Organizations that learn, invest, iterate are changing how they work. Summer 2025 a 1-person tech company was acquired for 80MUSD after only 6 months in operation. Big organizations are changing their processes, optimizing, and doing more than ever with AI. [30-45 minutes]

But not everyone gets it. This separates Frontier Firms from the crowd. How can your organization become frontier - ie what does it take to succeed with AI in 2026?

[Keynote] AI in 2026: Time to become an Agent Boss

The advent of generative AI, a new general purpose technology, marks a revolution across all industries, being a step-change in performance and productivity. This paradigm shift transforms interaction models from rigid command-based systems to fluid, intent-driven dialogues. As we speak, AI evolves from models that predict, classify, or answer questions to dynamic agents, being an extension and enhancement of our human capabilities. This is laying the groundwork for a new epoch in computing, affecting us in our private lives, our education, at work, in collaboration with others, and not the least how we will consume products and services in the future. [25-45 minutes]

Talk supported by slides and a couple of video snips that benefit from audio.