The Physiopedia team takes PAI to Wales at CSP Conference #Physio2025

The Physiopedia team headed to Newport, Wales, for the CSP Conference 2025 last week, kicking off our PAI (Physiopedia AI Assistant) roadshow. Over 2 days we met physiotherapists from across the UK, with many sharing how Michael Rowe’s Founders’ Lecture shifted their perspective on AI in physiotherapy.

The UK’s Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) conference was held on 21–22 November 2025 in Newport, Wales, and turned out to be a real highlight for the Physiopedia team attending last week. Conference opened with Michael Rowe, Associate Professor in the School of Health and Care Science at the University of Lincoln (UK) and Physiopedia Plus Instructor, delivering the prestigious CSP Founders’ Lecture Context Sovereignty: A Framework for Professional Development With AI. Throughout the rest of the conference, delegates were stopping by the Physiopedia exhibition stand to share how the presentation had changed their thinking. Several people told us they’d arrived at the conference sceptical about AI, viewing it as irrelevant to their practice, but the lecture prompted them to reconsider how these tools might actually support their clinical work, and indeed how they could get the most out of them.

That shift in perspective led to some really interesting conversations at our exhibition stand over the 2 days. We chatted about AI and education, and how AI can best be used in clinical practice too – exploring how physiotherapists can integrate these technologies whilst maintaining their professional autonomy. There was lots of discussion about data privacy and security too – with Physiopedia’s Tony Lowe explaining how this had been built into our own Physiopedia AI Assistant. One particularly practical idea came from a delegate whose NHS trust provides subscription to Plus to their team. She’s planning to have her team complete Michael Rowe’s AI Masterclass for Healthcare Professionals Programme on Plus individually, then bring everyone together to discuss how they might use the Physiopedia AI Assistant (PAI) in their specific clinical setting. It’s a nice example of how teams can explore these tools in a way that fits their working environment.

The Physiopedia team also enjoyed catching up with friends throughout the event. From keynote speakers to Plus instructors, to member organisation leaders and Physiopedia volunteers we had some great discussions. ICSP President Gillian Walker talked about the longstanding partnership with Physiopedia, which gives access to Plus for all their members. This sparked some useful ideas about helping their members to engage with all the resources available to them.

Something that is a joy at every conference is hearing how widely Physiopedia is used in clinical practice – from students through to experienced physiotherapists. We are also hoping to have recuited a few interested physiotherapists to volunteering to help update Physiopedia content – we rely on our excellent team of skilled volunteers to keep the platform current and relevant for the global rehabilitation community.

What struck us across those 2 days was the thoughtful approach people are taking to AI. The questions were considered, the conversations were detailed, and delegates shared some genuinely useful ideas about how AI tools might fit into their practice. CSP Conference 2025 showed us that UK physiotherapists want to understand how AI can support what they already do well, rather than replace clinical expertise. As our PAI roadshow continues, the conversations we had in Newport will help inform how we develop and present PAI for physiotherapists around the world.