Your agents have a spending problem (and your platform can't stop for a rebuild)
Hosted by Future Form: Practical Talks on Data, AI & Design + Nearform
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What to look forward to
This Future Form will tackle the practical challenges of controlling AI inference costs and modernising critical systems without disrupting the business. QuantumBlack partner Joe Petterson will demo cost and quality trade-offs across 16 models, while BlackRock vice president Sandra Clarke will share lessons on operational discipline, distributed ownership and safe transformation at scale.
Inside the event
Token prices have collapsed, yet the AI bill keeps going up. Meanwhile, the platforms underneath still need modernising, and the business can’t pause while you do it.
This Future Form covers two unglamorous problems that decide whether AI holds up in production: what it costs to run, and how to change critical systems safely while everything keeps moving. Expect a closer look at the tools, approaches and trade-offs involved, with ideas you can take back to your own projects.
Hosted by BlackRock. Pizza and drinks included.
Joe Petterson, Partner, QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey
Your agents have a spending problem
Why most teams burn through their AI budget by mid-year, and the engineering levers that cut inference cost by about half. Live demos: 16 models head to head on one task, quality against cost, and the point where self-hosting actually pays back.
Sandra Clarke, Vice President, Invested Compliance, BlackRock
The end of engineering heroics
How do you modernise a critical platform, embrace AI, and keep the business running? Sandra shares practical lessons on moving beyond engineering heroics: distributing ownership, strengthening operational discipline, and using AI and modern technology to enable transformation safely at scale
If you’re working hands-on with AI tools or responsible for how software gets delivered, this session is for you.
London, United Kingdom
Venue listed by the organizer · London, UK. Confirm the final address before traveling.
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Last checked: Nov 7, 2026. Confirm current availability before making plans.
Organizer page checked: Nov 7, 2026. Check registration for the latest details.