Richard Yonck Keynote Speaker

• Thriving in an Age of AI Disruption 


The next advances in AI will transform nearly everything about our world, allowing us to interact with our technologies in ways we can barely imagine. But these advances won’t come without their costs and challenges. In this enthralling talk by the best-selling author of Future Minds and Heart of the Machine, Richard explores the future of AI that goes beyond the hype, looking at how we can navigate this brave new era. From the next stages of artificial intelligence to the ways it will transform society, this is a presentation audiences will talk about for a long time to come.

Audience takeaways: Learn to separate AI hype from reality. Discover where AI will really create value. Find out how to be ready for the rise of human-AI collaboration. Gain organizational insights into how to prepare for AI disruption.

• Working Futures: AI & the Future of Work

We’re continually hearing that AI will destroy jobs faster than they can be replaced, giving rise to mass unemployment. How can we adapt to a changing world where many of the jobs people have always done are no longer needed? How will we prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist? What changes need to be made in our approaches to education, work and upskilling? In this crucial presentation, you’ll gain a new perspective on where the true risks and opportunities lie for AI and the future workforce.

Audience takeaways: Which jobs will AI replace and which will it augment? What new roles will emerge and how soon? How do we prepare our workforce? Why will “Retrain and Retain” be the smart approach for redundant positions? How can we transform institutions and society to support this new era of work?

• Keeping the Future Human

AI agents now hire human workers to perform physical tasks for them. Employees work longer and harder to keep up with their accelerating digital workflow. Social media harvests our attention and sells it to the highest bidder. Chatbots hand us easy answers, while undermining our ability to think for ourselves.

For much of human history, technology has been designed to improve society. But is that really what we’re doing now or are we overly focused on the quick fix, the quarterly results and the exit strategy? Are we on the path to a future where technology serves humanity? Or is it the other way around? This presentation asks and answers the question: Are we really building a better future, and if so, whose future is it?

Audience takeaways: How can we protect ourselves from dehumanizing technologies and trends? Learn why human judgement remains our greatest superpower. Discover how to leverage our uniquely human strengths. Find out how to manage hybrid human-AI teams while protecting workers’ mental wellbeing.

• Innovating the Innovation Ecosystems of Tomorrow


Innovation has always been critical to how we build our world. What new forms of intelligence, creativity, discovery, team building, financing, and infrastructure will soon drive the startups of tomorrow? How will we manage the accelerating pace of change, even as we propel it still faster? Perhaps most importantly, how will we innovate innovation itself?

Audience takeaways: Discover what makes innovation the most powerful force in the world. What are the misconceptions about innovation that we have to overcome? Why are networks force multipliers that frequently yield new synergies? How are we already building the innovation ecosystems of tomorrow?