Which AI Speakers Should You Book for Conferences and Corporate Events in 2027?

An AI keynote can leave a non-technical room lost, or it can give everyone a shared language to work with. The speaker you choose decides which. The right fit depends on whether your audience needs strategy, technical grounding, a view of how work is changing, or a serious conversation about ethics. If you're not sure where to start, begin with what you want people to do differently afterward, then pick the focus area that gets you there.

Key takeaways:

• Choose by focus area first: business strategy, building and research, future of work and learning, or ethics and safety
• A futurist shows where AI is heading, while a practical expert shows how to use it now
• For non-technical audiences, look for plain language, stories, and live examples
• Ask early about technical needs like screens, internet access, and microphones
• Have your date, location, format, budget range, and audience details ready before you request a shortlist
• A booking agent handles the offer and agreement, and the logistics team assists with travel

Choosing an AI Speaker by Focus Area

Who are the top AI speakers to book for a conference or corporate event in 2027? That depends on your audience and goal, so this guide sorts ten AI speakers by what they focus on. For more options, browse our artificial intelligence speakers.

Which AI speakers focus on business strategy, research, the future of work, or ethics? Each area has speakers below:

• Business strategy and adoption: Zack Kass, Ethan Mollick, and Sol Rashidi
• Builders and researchers: Andrew Ng, Andrej Karpathy, and Mira Murati
• Future of work and learning: Mike Walsh and Sal Khan
• Ethics and safety: Joy Buolamwini and Stuart Russell

Their backgrounds include former tech executives, university researchers, and advisers to governments. Matching that background to your event's theme matters more than picking the biggest name.

AI Strategy and Adoption Speakers

These three help leaders decide how to put AI to work in a real organization. For more, browse our innovation experts.

Zack Kass

Zack Kass is an AI futurist and the founder of ZK.AI Advisory. He's the former head of go-to-market at OpenAI. He helps organizations and governments build AI strategies that lead to practical implementation, and his talks simplify AI concepts while pointing to next steps.

Best for: executive teams planning how to adopt AI.

Ethan Mollick

Ethan Mollick is an associate professor of management at the Wharton School and co-director of Wharton's Generative AI Labs. He studies how AI affects work and education and wrote Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, named a TIME 100 Must-Read.

Best for: business and education audiences learning to work alongside AI.

Sol Rashidi

Sol Rashidi is an AI executive consultant and the author of Your AI Survival Guide. She's a former executive at companies including Amazon, IBM, and Merck, and she promotes human-centered frameworks for responsible AI adoption.

Best for: operations and technology leaders weighing practical next steps.

AI Builders and Researchers

If your audience wants to understand how AI is made, a speaker who has built it can explain it best. For more, browse our technology speakers.

Andrew Ng

Andrew Ng is the founder of DeepLearning.AI and a Stanford computer scientist known for his work in machine learning and robotics.

Best for: engineering teams and leaders who want grounding in how machine learning works.

Andrej Karpathy

Andrej Karpathy is an AI researcher and educator. He was a founding member of OpenAI and later led AI and Autopilot Vision at Tesla. His "Zero to Hero" video series teaches how neural networks work, and he founded Eureka Labs to teach large language models.

Best for: developer and product teams.

Mira Murati

Mira Murati is an engineer and tech executive who served as chief technology officer of OpenAI and led development of projects including ChatGPT and DALL-E. She later started her own AI company, Thinking Machines Lab.

Best for: conferences about building and launching AI products.

Future of Work and Learning Speakers

These two look at how AI changes the way people work and learn. For more, browse our futurists.

Mike Walsh

Mike Walsh is a futurist and author and the CEO of Tomorrow, a consultancy that helps businesses navigate the digital age. He speaks on technology trends, innovation, and leadership.

Best for: leadership teams planning how the business will change.

Sal Khan

Sal Khan founded Khan Academy, the nonprofit that offers free online lessons, and speaks on AI in education. He started by tutoring his cousin online before posting lessons on YouTube.

Best for: education, nonprofit, and learning and development audiences.

AI Ethics and Safety Speakers

If your event covers responsible use of AI, these two speak to it directly.

Joy Buolamwini

Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist at the MIT Media Lab and the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League. Her research found racial and gender bias in AI services from companies including Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon, and her TED Featured Talk on algorithmic bias has more than 1 million views.

Best for: audiences focused on fair and inclusive technology.

Stuart Russell

Stuart Russell is a computer science professor at UC Berkeley and directs its Center for Human-Compatible AI. He co-wrote the textbook Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, researches AI safety, and has advised governments.

Best for: policy, legal, and executive audiences thinking about AI risk.

AI Keynote Topics for 2027: Futurist or Practical Expert?

What are the most in-demand artificial intelligence keynote topics for corporate conferences in 2027? No one can reliably rank which topics will be most requested, so treat any ranking with caution. The speakers above cover themes such as:

• Adopting AI in a real organization
• Working alongside AI day to day
• How AI systems are built
• AI in education and learning
• Safety, bias, and responsible use

How do I choose between hiring an AI futurist and a practical machine learning expert for my event? A futurist looks ahead, and a practical expert shows how to use AI today. Zack Kass and Mike Walsh are listed as futurists on our site. Mollick, Rashidi, Ng, and Karpathy lean toward hands-on adoption and education. Use your goal to decide:

• Choose a futurist when your leaders are setting direction and want to see what's coming
• Choose a practical expert when your team needs to start using AI soon
• Ask for a talk outline if you want a mix, since many speakers do both

Choosing a Speaker Your Non-Technical Audience Will Follow

What qualities make an AI speaker truly engaging and accessible for a non-technical corporate audience? The best ones explain AI without leaning on jargon. Look for these signs:

• Plain language: the speaker defines terms and avoids acronyms
• Stories and analogies: ideas are tied to everyday work
• Live examples: demos or case studies show AI in action
• Audience interaction: a Q&A or poll keeps the room involved

Watch recent footage of each speaker you're considering. It shows their energy, humor, and ability to read a room better than a bio can.

AV, Logistics, and Booking an AI Speaker

What specific AV and technical setups do AI speakers typically require for their presentations? Needs vary by speaker and format, so ask your agent about technical requirements early. Items worth confirming include:

• Screens and slides: one screen or two, and whether video will play
• Internet access: a reliable connection if the speaker plans a live demo
• Audio: the type of microphone and sound for any clips
• Q&A setup: a roving microphone and who moderates
• Recording: whether the session can be recorded or livestreamed

Will a partner like Speaker Booking Agency manage all the complex travel logistics and contract negotiations for our event? Two groups at Speaker Booking Agency cover this. Your booking agent negotiates the fee and prepares the offer and agreement, and our logistics team assists with travel once the speaker accepts and the agreements are complete. The booking process page walks through each stage.

What specific event details and budget information do I need to have ready before initiating the final booking process? The booking request form asks for your event date, location, and format (in person or virtual), plus a budget range, any speakers or speaker types you prefer, and a short description of your audience and what you want the talk to achieve. An agent typically follows up within 24 hours.

Find the Right AI Speaker for Your 2027 Event

Not sure whether you need a futurist or a hands-on expert? Tell an agent about your audience and goals. Send a booking request, call Speaker Booking Agency at 1-888-752-5831, or write to bookings@speakerbookingagency.com. The full artificial intelligence speakers page has more names to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the top AI speakers to book for a conference or corporate event in 2027?

It depends on your goal. Zack Kass, Ethan Mollick, and Sol Rashidi suit AI strategy and adoption. Andrew Ng, Andrej Karpathy, and Mira Murati suit technical and product audiences. Mike Walsh and Sal Khan suit future of work and learning themes. Joy Buolamwini and Stuart Russell suit ethics and safety.

How do I choose between hiring an AI futurist and a practical machine learning expert for my event?

Choose a futurist when leaders are setting direction and want to see what's coming. Choose a practical expert when your team needs to start using AI soon. If you want both, ask for a talk outline first.

What qualities make an AI speaker truly engaging and accessible for a non-technical corporate audience?

Look for plain language, stories and analogies tied to everyday work, live examples, and audience interaction. Watch recent footage to judge energy and delivery.

What specific AV and technical setups do AI speakers typically require for their presentations?

Needs vary by speaker. Confirm screens and slides, internet access for live demos, microphone and audio, Q&A setup, and recording permissions with your agent early.

Will a partner like Speaker Booking Agency manage all the complex travel logistics and contract negotiations for our event?

Your booking agent negotiates the fee and sends the offer and agreement, and the logistics team assists with travel once the agreements are complete.

What specific event details and budget information do I need to have ready before initiating the final booking process?

The request form covers your event date, location, and format, a budget range, preferred speakers or types, and a description of your audience and goal. Send it in, or call 1-888-752-5831.