Although approach to AI have been evolving for years, researchers continue to develop new technologies that can change the world - or at least particular parts of it. Our judges are looking for the best of these solutions, paying particular attention to the challenge that they aim to overcome and how they accomplish it.

This award will go the AI solution that most impresses the judges with its ability to bring something genuinely new to its users. It could be the result of a major breakthrough or advance in technology, or simply a new way of looking at an old problem. Details of the innovation itself, how it was created, and how it differs from its rivals, should be included, along with customer references if possible.

This award will go the machine learning solution that most impresses the judges with its ability to bring something genuinely new to its users. It could be the result of a major breakthrough or advance in technology, or simply a new way of looking at an old problem. Details of the innovation itself, how it was created, and how it differs from its rivals, should be included, along with customer references if possible.

A subset of the wider world of automation, RPA relies on software robots or AI workers, which work in the front-end, instead of APIs; lowering the barrier to entry for automation for many firms. We are seeking the solution, in use in the world today, that enables significant levels of automation in any area: that could be data entry, security, machine operation or anything else. This is not a marketing pitch: case studies are vital.

Cyber security is essential to modern businesses but staying ahead of attackers is a constant struggle. Automating some or all of that security to watch for attacks and respond in real time can remove a significant burden from overworked staff. The judges are looking for real-world examples of the technology in action; customer case studies will be given more weight than a sales pitch of the product.

Data is acknowledged as the lifeblood of every organisation, but it's worthless without the ability to unlock its value. This award will go to the data analytics solution that demonstrates superior capabilities and features. Evidence of strong market performance and customer references will be taken into account.

Traditionally, managing enterprise workloads in the cloud has been a time-consuming manual process. Offloading the work of provisioning virtual machines, load balancing and management can dramatically raise efficiency. Our judges are looking for the tool that has the largest impact on the IT team in terms of saving time and stress, and the business for lowering errors and saving money.

Automation helps organisations to free its staff up from repetitive tasks, potentially unlocking their creativity. The Automation Technology Provider of the Year award will go the firm that most impresses the judges with its offering; this could be due to its functionality, uniqueness, market share, performance or some combination of these traits. Real world use cases and customer references will help.

Artificial intelligence has been under development for years, but the industry keeps finding new ways to use it. This award will go to the company that can demonstrate a truly industry-leading approach, that has changed the way that the business or a department operates. Case studies are strongly encouraged.

Automation is essential in businesses large or small, freeing staff up to focus on added-value tasks while also removing complexity and modernising or replacing legacy tools. This award will go to the project that has made a significant difference in a company's efficiency, ability to perform and/or mode of operation. Providing details on RoI or other quantifiable benefits is encouraged.

The majority of firms have at least started their digital transformation, in the sense of moving essential data and services to the cloud. Business transformation using AI, automation and machine learning is the next step. We are looking for an in-depth explanation of how has your organisation has implemented or is implementing these technologies to improve processes and raise efficiencies. Extra weight will be given to entries that describe their state before and during/after the transformation, as well as business outcomes.

Artificial intelligence is a common feature in both our personal and professional lives: from self-driving cars to cyber defences. But the technology is still in its infancy, and many companies claim to be doing AI when all they really have is a fancy algorithm. A truly intelligent system is one that can learn on its own, growing more adapt over time. We are looking for examples of self-learning systems that have made a practical difference to peoples' lives; our judges will want to see descriptions of why the system was built or adopted, its function and its successes. Extra weight will be given to customer stories.

There are many uses for AI and ML, from automating data entry to teaching a car to drive itself. The winning project must have accomplished something radically different, which a manual approach would struggle or be unable to accomplish. Note that this award is not limited to the office; all types of AI/ML projects are welcome.

The consumer world is rapidly adopting speech-based AI – but these systems, which can engage with users like a human to capture context and accomplish tasks, also offer a step-change in how we utilise enterprise IT. They can accomplish data entry, but also book meetings, answer questions, manipulate data and much more. Our judges want to know where you implemented conversational AI in your business, why you chose to do so and what quantitative effect it has had, as well as the challenges you overcame along the way.

Marketers have always looked for ways to raise efficiencies, and automation is the latest tool in their arsenal. Using a single platform to manage every aspect of a campaign from start to finish enables seamless and simplified omnichannel marketing, improves sales efficiency and frees the marketing team up to focus on adding value to their other work. We are looking for evidence of how automation has changed and improved your or your customer’s marketing efforts – case studies, with outcomes, are essential.

Robotic process automation relies on software robots, acting as a slightly simpler start on the automation journey. However, businesses can still achieve highly advanced implementations using such tools, using RPA for everything from form-filling to natural language processing and machine learning. We are seeking the best execution of RPA, where it has been implemented swiftly and solved a significant challenge. Details on the aims and scale of the project, and its outcomes, are important.

Predictive and prescriptive analytics technologies, which use statistical models and algorithms to help organisations gain valuable insight from data, can answer important questions for every type of organisation. Judges will be looking for genuine use cases, showcasing the benefits these tools have brought. Details around the RoI of any specific tools you've used, and what behavioural changes they have driven, will help.

The applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare hold the promise of faster diagnosis, higher success rates and lower costs. Recent years have seen successful early trials, and this space is set for high growth in the near future. The winner of this award will demonstrate a compelling use of AI in a healthcare setting, with provable results. Note that the entry must include a case study.

With the rise of legislation like the General Data Protection Regulation, AI can no longer be a simple black box; companies must be able to provide the reasoning behind AI decision-making. This award will go to the company that has made the most progress in adding transparency to their AI processes.

AI and ML have been described as the big opportunity of our age for organisations of all types. This award will go to the startup (a company founded within the last five years) that is either developing an AI/ML solution to sell, or which relies on AI/ML technology for the services or solutions it sells. Explanations of the role AI plays in the organisation and the impact this has on its customers is required.

AI’s impact on the UK’s businesses, universities and other institutions will be profound over the coming years. From growth and transformation to security and recovery, artificial intelligence will change how we work and act. A strategy to deal with this change is a must, and we will award the best one our coveted prize. We are looking for information on plans that cover the short- and long-term impact of AI and support the organisation’s transition to an AI-based future. The strategy must be in use today, either throughout a team or across the whole organisation.

No project can succeed without the effort and application of talented individuals. This award will go to the team that is working, or has worked within the last 12 months, on an AI/ML project. Judges will want to hear about the business benefits of the project, as well as how it uses AI/ML. Explain how this use is different and new for your organisation, and what the team did to bring about its success. Did the team perform in some especially innovative or extraordinary way?

Data scientists represent the bridge between hardcore data analytics and the rest of the business, and without them, the success of leading-edge analytics work is severely compromised. We're looking for the greatest example of an individual who is at the peak of their game when marrying business and technology.

AI professionals are much in demand, with the explosion in AI/ML projects across a wide variety of organisations currently ongoing. This award will go the individual who most impresses the judges with his or her performance across the last 12 months; this could be due to a specific project or collection of projects, work on a product or several products, or some other form of AI-related professional activity. Examples of value created and references from colleagues will help.