Mike Walsh Speaker

Mike Walsh Keynote Speaker

  • Thought leader on the digital future
  • Founding Director, Tomorrow - a global innovation lab (2006)
  • Best selling author, "Futuretainment" (2009)

Mike Walsh's Biography

Mike Walsh is a futurist for leaders, internationally renown for his visionary and pragmatic insights on how organizations can leverage AI for reinvention.

A regular columnist for the Harvard Business Review, a strategic advisor to Fortune 50 corporations, and a global nomad – he has a rare talent for connecting emerging technologies, cultural shifts, and commercial strategies — crafting insights that bridge the present to the future with clarity, relevance, and a compelling touch of wit.

Mike previously founded Jupiter Research in Australia and also held senior strategy roles at News Corporation in the Asia Pacific region. He was a board member and strategic investor in The North Alliance, a Scandinavian digital marketing group (2014–2015).

Mike’s best-selling book, Futuretainment (2009), explores the seismic effect digital technology and the internet have had on commerce and the media, and looks ahead to new opportunities. His book The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas (2015) explores 88 ideas in science, technology, and business that are shaping the 21st century and highlights the “dangerous ideas” likely to emerge next. His newest book, Abundant Intelligence: How Digital Labor Will Rewrite the Rules of Business, due for release in January 2027, examines how the rise of AI agents and other forms of autonomous intelligence will transform how companies create value and compete.

Mike maintains the popular blog “Disruptive Future” with thousands of subscriptions from media and entertainment professionals. Combining his insights into emerging markets, breakthrough technologies and business transformation, he is a prolific writer on the growing influence of BRIC consumers and their increasing impact upon the internet.

His views have appeared in a wide range of international publications including Business Week, Forbes and Wallpaper Magazine.

Read More

Mike Walsh's Speaking Topics

  • AI Agents: Unleashing the Digital Workforce That Will Change Our Organizations Forever

As AI evolves from simple automation to autonomous decision-making, we stand on the brink of the most profound organizational transformation since the Industrial Revolution. This shift, driven by the emergence of AI agents capable of independent thought, decision-making, and action, will redefine everything from personal interactions to the very fabric of how businesses operate. AI Agents are not just the next step in digital transformation; they will also have significant economic and societal impacts. The question is no longer if AI will transform organizations but how quickly leaders can prepare to harness its full potential.

In this provocative keynote, Mike Walsh draws on cutting-edge research and real-world case studies to illustrate a future where companies reconfigure themselves as networks of billions of AI agents capable of tackling problems at a speed and scale unimaginable today. Walsh will present a compelling vision for how leaders can reimagine their operating models, governance frameworks, and workforce strategies to unlock unprecedented levels of agility and performance. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and a roadmap for integrating AI agents into their organizations, empowering them to thrive in an age of unparalleled innovation and disruption.

  • The AI-Powered Decade Ahead

AI should change what we do, not just how we do it. Over the next decade, we have a unique opportunity to fundamentally reimagine customer experiences, redesign how organizations work, and rethink how to solve problems more effectively. This is a defining moment for leaders, and our biggest risk is not machines taking over, but rather lacking ambition when it comes to the future. Many are already focused on deploying new tools and applications, rather than embracing a more radical vision for what might be possible.

Futurist Mike Walsh offers a compelling roadmap to 2035, exploring how AI, algorithms and automation will fuel a Fifth Industrial Revolution. Technology is only part of the story; real transformation requires a new cultural operating system. The next decade will not simply be about smarter workplaces or more efficient industries. It will be a decade of reinvention, where the foundations of the modern world are reengineered through next-generation AI infrastructure and new ways of getting things done.

  • The Future Favors The Bold

In a world reshaped by technological breakthroughs, shifting customer behaviors, geopolitical tensions, and the rise of machine intelligence, success belongs to those who dare to adapt, experiment, and learn at scale. Incremental improvements won't cut it. Progress demands radical reinvention—bold ideas that challenge convention, create new markets, and combine technologies in unexpected ways.

Transformation is not a checklist; it’s a journey paved by courageous decisions. It could mean championing a provocative idea, breaking a long-held rule, or hiring someone who challenges deeply held assumptions. The future isn’t an upgrade of the familiar—it’s an entirely new frontier. In an age of uncertainty, only bold leaders and even bolder teams will shape what comes next.

Read More

Why Book Mike Walsh as a speaker?

  • He advises Fortune 50 companies on how AI and emerging technologies will reshape strategy and competitive advantage.

  • He translates the rise of AI agents and digital labour into clear strategic implications for business leaders.

  • He connects technological disruption, cultural change and commercial strategy with clarity and practical insight.

  • His keynotes challenge leaders to rethink how organisations create value and compete in an AI-driven economy.

  • His briefings help executives anticipate disruption and identify new sources of growth.

Videos of Mike Walsh

How Much Supervision Should Companies Give AI Agents?
The AI-Powered Decade Ahead
The Futurist For Leaders
Enterprise Sovereignty Is the Real AI Battleground
How AI Will Change Knowledge Wor
Chartwell Bites - Mike Walsh (2020)

Books by Mike Walsh

Abundant Intelligence

Check Mike Walsh's speaking fees and availability

Discover other speakers

Susie alegre header photo
Susie Alegre Speaker
Exclusive
Susie Alegre
Author of "Human Rights, Robot Wrongs - International Human Rights Lawyer
Paul Armstrong Speaker
Exclusive
Paul Armstrong
Leading strategist, advisor, author and speaker on the future of technology and how to get ready to face change in your business.
Pia Lauritzen Speaker
Exclusive
Pia Lauritzen
Danish philosopher and tech entrepreneur, Founder of Qvest
Colin Rhys
Colin Rhys Speaker
Exclusive
Colin Rhys
Entrepreneur, Founder and Innovation Strategist
Valentina D’Efilippo Speaker
Exclusive
Valentina D’Efilippo
Expert on Data Storytelling, Information Design and Visual Communication
Dr Gareth Thomas MRSB Speaker
Gareth Thomas Speaker
Exclusive
Gareth Thomas
Biodiversity & nature strategy expert
james beacham
James Beacham Speaker
Exclusive
James Beacham
Particle physicist and science storyteller
Camille Fournier Speaker
Exclusive
Camille Fournier
Former Chief Technology Officer, Rent The Runway
Henrik von Scheel speaker
Henrik von Scheel Speaker
Exclusive
Henrik von Scheel
Leading strategist, Futurist and Industry 4.0 Originator
Mike Isaac Speaker
Exclusive
Mike Isaac
Technology Journalist and Reporter for The New York Times