From POCs to Production Webinar: The AI Skills UK Companies Are Struggling to Hire

This expert-led webinar explored the practical challenges organisations faced when moving AI from proof of concept into reliable, scalable production systems, and the skills gaps that most often stalled progress.

We looked at why so many promising AI projects stalled after the POC phase, even when the models were strong, and what was typically going wrong behind the scenes. This often included hiring the wrong profiles too early, gaps in data and infrastructure, and a lack of clear ownership once systems needed to operate in the real world.

Hosted as a short, practical session, the webinar brought together practitioners and leaders working at the intersection of AI delivery, engineering, and hiring to share clear insight into what was working, what was not, and how teams were building AI capability that scaled beyond demos. 

What attendees learned

• The difference between research, platform, and MLOps talent and when each is truly needed

• The most common data and infrastructure challenges that slow or block production
• Why strong models don’t always translate into production success
• What people who’ve genuinely shipped AI tend to look like in real teams, not just on CVs
• How UK organisations are structuring teams to move beyond POCs

Receive the highlights & key takeaways

Although this webinar has now taken place, you can still benefit from the insights shared during the session. Fill out the form to receive a summary of the key highlights and takeaways, including practical perspectives on why AI projects often stall after the proof-of-concept stage, the skills UK organisations are struggling to hire, and how teams are successfully moving AI into reliable, production-ready systems.