Priya Lakhani OBE

Priya is the founder and CEO of CENTURY Tech, an award-winning education company that aids the implementation of AI and machine learning in classrooms. She is part of the AI Decoded team on BBC News, sharing her expertise in tech and business.

Priya founded CENTURY Tech in 2013 with the vision to use technology to tackle low achievement rates in schools. Now operating in over sixty countries, CENTURY personalises learning for both students and educators, using AI to enhance student performance through offering real-time insights that aid their educational needs being met.

Exploring how leaders can not only understand disruption but implement the change required to respond to it, Priya addresses vital strategic questions. From creating a culture where innovation can thrive to how to maximise return on investment in the age of AI and technological transformation. Priya guides and challenges organisations on how to think about disruption, apply that thinking to their own context, and translate it into practical, high-impact growth strategies.

Priya is also actively involved in non-executive advisory roles. She co-founded the Institute for Ethical AI and served as a Non-Executive Board Member at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and on the UK Government's AI Council. Priya also worked with Sir Patrick Vallance and the Chancellor's team on the Government's review of AI regulation. She now sits on the UK Prime Minister’s Council of Science and Technology.

Prior to launching her career in tech, Priya had a varied career as a barrister and serial entrepreneur. She has since become a recognised authority in AI and education, with honours and awards including being named a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, The Spectator's National Economic Innovator of the Year, and an honorary doctorate from Coventry University's engineering faculty. She is also the author of Inadequate: The System Failing our Teachers and Your Children.