In this episode of Futurise, Rob Price is joined by Michael Herron, CEO of Atos UK & Ireland, who joined the company in January 2025. Michael talks with Rob about Atos’s recent investments, including a Sovereign Orchestration Hub, a Digital Agentic Centre and a Sovereign Digital Enablement Centre. These developments are especially timely, given the recent UK Government commitment to AI Growth Zones.
Michael highlights how these initiatives are shaping the future of AI adoption, focusing on sovereign models that allow organisations to balance security and flexibility in their AI infrastructure. The Sovereign Orchestration Hub provides a secure environment for enterprises to run critical workloads, while the Digital Agentic Centre enables Atos to create custom autonomous agents to streamline internal and client-facing operations. The Sovereign Digital Enablement Centre supports highly secure government clients with fast deployment for mission-critical services.
One of the most compelling discussions is around the evolution of the workforce in an Agentic-powered world. Michael believes that the future of careers will not rely solely on technical expertise but on versatility and adaptability. In this new world, “versatilists” — individuals who can work across multiple disciplines — will thrive as autonomous agents take on specialist tasks. Michael also shares his vision for AI-proof careers, in which organisations must evolve their talent models to retain and develop the right skills for a future in which humans and agents work side by side.
This conversation provides valuable insights into how organisations can scale AI responsibly while preparing for the evolving future of work. As a first step, leaders looking to scale AI should establish a task force to evaluate current AI capabilities and identify key areas where AI can add value. It’s also recommended to invest in training programs that enhance employees’ versatility and adaptability, preparing them for collaboration with AI.
