Dr Laura Gilbert CBE

Dr Laura Gilbert is a leading expert in artificial intelligence, data science, and digital transformation in government. Amongst other roles she has served as the Head of the AI for Government Program at the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), as an Expert Advisor in AI to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and works in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute as Senior Director of AI.

Laura also held senior roles at the heart of UK government, where she was the founding Director of 10DS, the Downing Street Data Science and Analytics team, Director of the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI), and joint Chief Analyst for the Cabinet Office. Her teams delivered cutting-edge data-driven modelling, AI solutions, and analytical support for policymaking, while spearheading a radical digital transformation agenda across Whitehall. Laura also founded the Evidence House programme, a government-wide initiative providing technical skills and AI-powered solutions to public services, delivering thousands of hours of free training and driving innovation. She led national programs on AI for Public Good, critical service automation, and infrastructure modernisation.

Prior to joining government, Laura spent a decade as CTO of a medical technologies company, leading innovations in wearable tech, data integration, and AI, and holds four patents—two as lead inventor. Earlier in her career she worked in financial services and asset management and construction.

Laura holds a doctorate in Particle Physics and Computing from the University of Oxford and undergraduate degrees from the University of Cambridge. She is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, and a Fellow of both the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Analytics, throughout which she has honed her skills as an accomplished communicator of complex ideas and cutting edge research.