Artificial Intelligence isn’t a buzzword anymore—it’s the backbone of the next economy. It’s reshaping industries, rewriting job descriptions, cutting costs, creating new revenue streams, and yes—keeping executives up at night. Companies are investing billions in AI transformation, but most teams are still stuck in PowerPoint purgatory.
That’s why booking the right AI keynote speaker isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s mission-critical. The right speaker doesn’t just entertain; they challenge assumptions, connect the dots, and help your audience actually understand what AI means for them—today, not ten years from now.
Below, we spotlight the top artificial intelligence keynote speakers who go beyond hype. These are real-world builders, AI practitioners, futurists, and thought leaders who deliver substance, not sci-fi. If you’re looking for someone to fire up your event with insight, edge, and actionable strategies—these are the speakers who bring the algorithm to life.
MICK EBELING
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Mick Ebeling isn’t your average AI keynote speaker. He’s an inventor, humanitarian, and the founder of Not Impossible Labs—a company hell-bent on using AI and emerging tech to solve real human problems. From building eye-tracking software that lets paralyzed artists draw again, to creating 3D-printed prosthetics for war victims, Ebeling doesn’t just talk innovation—he delivers it, with purpose.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Ebeling applies artificial intelligence to make the world more accessible, equitable, and human. His work lives at the intersection of bold creativity and bleeding-edge technology. He’s a rare voice in the AI space who can move hearts and shift business strategies. Whether he’s breaking down machine learning in healthcare or showcasing wearables powered by AI, he makes complex tech feel personal—and actionable.
If you want your audience to stop seeing AI as abstract and start seeing it as a tool for meaningful impact, Ebeling’s your guy. His energy is infectious. His message sticks. And his stories spark action.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for healthcare innovators, tech-forward enterprises, product teams, executive leadership, and purpose-driven organizations.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
Live Events: $50,000 – $100,000
VISUALS & VIDEOS
ERIK QUALMAN
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
If your organization is drowning in digital noise, Erik Qualman brings the signal. A five-time bestselling author—including Socialnomics and Digital Leader—Qualman helps companies decode how digital behavior, AI, and emerging tech are transforming leadership, trust, and performance. He’s not just tossing buzzwords; he’s translating AI into strategy you can use Monday morning.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Qualman is the rare AI keynote speaker who speaks both executive and engineer. He bridges the C-suite and the data lab, connecting AI disruption to real-world decisions across marketing, leadership, and culture. His iconic “Keyboard vs. Face-to-Face” framework continues to shape how companies blend technology and humanity.
He doesn’t hype artificial intelligence—he humanizes it. From ethical AI adoption to behavior-driven innovation, Qualman gives audiences the clarity and confidence to lead through digital chaos. And his delivery? Think Netflix documentary meets business bootcamp.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for C-suite leaders, digital marketing teams, HR execs, and IT professionals focused on trust, innovation, and company culture in the age of AI.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
Live Events: $35,000 – $50,000
VISUALS & VIDEOS
PETER DIAMANDIS
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Peter Diamandis is the go-to futurist for Fortune 500 CEOs who don’t just want to understand the future—they want to build it. As the founder of XPRIZE and co-founder of Singularity University, Diamandis has helped launch global initiatives at the bleeding edge of AI, robotics, space tech, and biotech. He’s not speculating—he’s engineering the future in real time.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Diamandis plays at the intersection of exponential technologies—and he shows how artificial intelligence is the keystone driving transformation in every major sector, from healthcare and transportation to education and manufacturing. His “Abundance Mindset” reframes how we think about scarcity, growth, and innovation, helping leaders trade fear for foresight.
As an AI keynote speaker, he brings data, vision, and energy in equal measure. You won’t just hear about flying cars—you’ll learn when to expect them, how they’ll scale, and what role AI plays in making it all happen. Expect your audience to walk away with a future-forward blueprint—and a shot of adrenaline.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for corporate strategy teams, VC-backed startups, enterprise innovation labs, R&D leaders, and forward-thinking executive audiences.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
Live Events: $75,000 – $100,000
VISUALS & VIDEOS
CHAD E. FOSTER
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Chad E. Foster doesn’t just inspire—he equips. As the first blind executive to graduate from Harvard Business School’s leadership program, Chad knows how to adapt fast and perform under pressure. In a world rocked by AI disruption, he shows audiences how to turn adversity into advantage.
He’s keynoted AI conferences around the globe—from Dubai to Denver, Milan to Madrid, New York City to São Paulo—helping leaders reframe uncertainty, rethink capability, and respond to change with conviction. Chad also built software Oracle said was impossible while directing financial strategies that generated billions in revenue—with his eyes closed. When he talks about leading through disruption, it’s not fluff—it’s fire-tested.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Forget fluff. Foster is the AI keynote speaker for teams who need a mindset upgrade that sticks. His message? The future doesn’t belong to the most talented—it belongs to the most adaptable. His battle-tested frameworks and raw storytelling help audiences weaponize discomfort, embrace uncertainty, and build belief through behavior. And it’s not just talk—Foster literally fights resistance. He trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and skis black diamond slopes blind, proving that discomfort isn’t a theory—it’s a lifestyle.
His approach to artificial intelligence is simple and powerful: disruption is inevitable—so stop fearing it and start leading with it. He turns AI from a threat into a competitive advantage, especially for organizations navigating transformation, sales disruption, or innovation fatigue.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for sales teams, corporate leaders, innovation departments, and high-performing organizations ready to ditch excuses and drive results.
- Chief Revenue Officer, Technology CompanyThe amount of positive praise I received after [his] message was truly remarkable and nothing like I have ever seen from a guest speaker at a sales conference. [His] messaging around staying positive, not being bitter, own your outcomes and do not let people define your vision perfectly resonated to our sales kickoff theme of “Double Down!” I look forward to our future discussions with [him] and to extend [his] “blind ambition” message with our customer and partner community!
Post Keynote Outcome: We had a very good Q1…over 40% in YoY growth and we are looking to do the same for Q2 so the team is exceeding and achieving expectations.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
VISUALS & VIDEOS
WHITNEY JOHNSON
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Whitney Johnson knows that artificial intelligence doesn’t just disrupt systems—it disrupts people. A former Wall Street analyst turned innovation coach, Johnson is the bestselling author of Disrupt Yourself and Smart Growth. Her trademark S-Curve learning model helps organizations pinpoint exactly where their people are on the change curve—and how to move them forward with confidence.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Johnson blends emotional intelligence with technological transformation. She teaches leaders how to guide their teams through discomfort, take calculated risks, and form new habits that drive real AI adoption. Her take on AI is less about coding—and more about behavioral change, leadership development, and long-term growth.
In a world overwhelmed by disruption, she offers something rare: a clear, human roadmap. Her frameworks help leaders move teams from frozen to fearless—and turn resistance into resilience.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for learning and development leaders, HR executives, transformation strategists, and forward-thinking C-suite audiences navigating AI adoption.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
Live Events: $35,000 – $50,000
VISUALS & VIDEOS
JOSH LINKNER
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Josh Linkner is a five-time tech entrepreneur, jazz guitarist, and AI keynote speaker who delivers innovation with the urgency of someone who’s actually been in the trenches. He’s helped launch and lead companies, raise capital, and scale fast—and now he shows others how to harness AI-powered agility to do the same.
His message? AI isn’t just for data scientists—it’s a tool for creative problem-solvers, fast movers, and bold leaders. Whether you’re a scrappy startup or an enterprise looking to reboot, Linkner helps you tap into AI to move faster, not just smarter.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Linkner doesn’t speak in theory—he speaks from the front lines of entrepreneurship. He challenges executives to ditch red tape and think like startups, using AI for predictive analytics, marketing automation, customer experience, and operational efficiency. His sessions are high-energy, hands-on, and designed to spark action—not just applause.
He’s one of the few speakers who can explain a neural net to a CMO and have the CFO genuinely excited about machine learning ROI.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for mid-market to enterprise innovation teams, startup accelerators, and sales/marketing departments seeking high-impact AI applications.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
Live Events: $25,000 – $50,000
VISUALS & VIDEOS
LISA BODELL
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Lisa Bodell is the simplification expert every company needs before they can even think about successful AI adoption. As the author of Why Simple Wins, she helps organizations cut through bureaucracy, kill unnecessary complexity, and make room for real transformation. Her message? You can’t scale artificial intelligence in a culture that’s still drowning in spreadsheets and red tape.
UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
Bodell doesn’t romanticize AI—she makes it practical. She reframes artificial intelligence not as a shiny tool, but as a strategic advantage that only works when the groundwork is clear. Her keynotes are part wake-up call, part roadmap—teaching leadership teams how to create the cultural and operational clarity AI needs to thrive.
She’s particularly impactful across cross-functional teams—whether she’s talking to compliance officers, HR leaders, or enterprise operations—because her message cuts through the noise: simplify, or fall behind.
VALUE AS A SPEAKER
Best for enterprise leadership, ops teams, risk and compliance professionals, HR strategists, and executive decision-makers preparing for AI transformation.
SPEAKER FEE RANGE
Live Events: $30,000 – $50,000
VISUALS & VIDEOS
COMMON MISTAKES WHEN BOOKING AN AI KEYNOTE SPEAKER
1. Prioritizing tech jargon over tactical strategy
If your audience leaves more confused than fired up, you didn’t book a thought leader—you booked a lecture. Fluency in buzzwords doesn’t equal fluency in real-world AI impact. The best AI speakers translate complexity into clarity—and leave people with tools, not headaches.
2. Hiring based on brand, not relevance
Famous doesn’t always mean current. Just because a speaker has a big name or TED Talk doesn’t mean they’ve done anything meaningful with AI or machine learning lately. Make sure they’re doing the work, not just name-dropping ChatGPT to stay booked.
3. Ignoring the emotional side of disruption
Artificial intelligence isn’t just a systems challenge—it’s a people challenge. If your AI keynote speaker can’t connect emotionally, shift mindset, and get buy-in from teams across the org chart, you’ve wasted the slot.
WHAT THE RIGHT AI SPEAKER DELIVERS
✅ Tactical frameworks your team can implement next week—not next quarter
✅ Cross-functional relevance that resonates with IT, HR, Ops, and Sales
✅ Mindset shifts that move people from fear and resistance to ownership and action
✅ Proof, not platitudes—think case studies, battle scars, and real results
THIS ISN’T ENTERTAINMENT—IT’S STRATEGIC FIREPOWER
AI keynotes aren’t just inspiration—they’re ignition. You need someone who lights a fire and hands your team a roadmap before the smoke clears. A great artificial intelligence keynote speaker makes your audience laugh, squirm, rethink, and act.
PRO TIP: Want someone who’s built billion-dollar businesses, did it blind, and still makes AI disruption feel like a competitive edge instead of a crisis? Chad E. Foster should be your first call. He doesn’t just talk transformation—he lives it.
Because the future isn’t going to wait until you’re ready.
