Travels from Seattle, Washington, USA
Richard Yonck's speaking fee falls within range: $15,000 to $20,000
Recognized globally for his ongoing research at the nexus of artificial and human intelligence, Richard has been helping audiences and businesses better understand the implications of exponential progress for decades— all while asking the question: What kind of future do we really want?
Drawing from a wealth of hands-on experience in technology, media and consultancy — from systems analysis and science writing to founding a futures consulting firm — Richard translates deep technical understanding into vivid foresight, exploring how advances in AI, healthcare, automation and workforce issues, quantum technologies, agritech, hybrid intelligence, and next-generation biotech will shape business, society, and personal identity. All while maintaining a human-centric focus on how we build the world of tomorrow.
As a keynote speaker and advisor, Richard has engaged audiences all over the world. His diverse list of clients includes Fortune 500 multinationals, governments, institutions, top universities and NGOs, such as Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, Xerox, Naturipe, Fast Company, Atotech, U.S. State Department, UNDP, NATO, Georgetown University, and many others. Speaking at international conferences and industry summits, he offers a unique, deeply informed vantage point on emerging technologies and strategic futures.
Richard’s presentations — described by attendees as “awe-inspiring,” “passionate,” and “mind-blowing” — are grounded in rigorous analysis and delivered with clarity and urgency. He assists businesses, governments, and organizations in anticipating coming disruptions and building resilience — not by defending the status quo, but by helping to shape a future that aligns technological possibility with human values.
As a leading expert in emerging technologies and trends, Richard has written for top publications such as Scientific American, Fast Company, World Future Review, GeekWire, Salon, and American Cinematographer. His work has been featured and quoted in publications such as Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, BBC News, Wired, Puget Sound Business Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, and many more. He also regularly appears on radio programs and podcasts.
Richard is the author of two internationally-acclaimed nonfiction books — Future Minds and Heart of the Machine — that examine not only what machines will become, but how people might be transformed as a result as well. In Heart of the Machine, he explores machines capable of perceiving and influencing human emotion; in Future Minds he peers further ahead into a world where intelligence — artificial and human — evolves together. His latest science-fiction thriller, Mindstock explores some of these technologies through a very different lens, in order to better anticipate other possible futures.
Future Thinking: Spatial AI, Agentic Assistants and the Future of Hybrid Intelligence
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. As we enter this new phase of techno-human collaboration, what are the questions we should be asking ourselves and how can we ensure the technology benefits our lives, helping us to build a better tomorrow? 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.
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 the innovation ecosystems of tomorrow?
Working Futures: Automation, Employment & the Future of the Workforce
Augmented Reality Docent. Genetics Interpreter. Digital Reputation Scrubber. VR Addiction Counselor. These are just a few of the new job titles we’re likely to see in the near future. At the same time, we’re told that many of today’s jobs will soon disappear. How will we adapt to a changing world where many of the jobs people have always performed are no longer needed? Just as importantly, how do we prepare for the jobs that don’t yet even exist?
Healthcare 2045: The Amazing Era of Hyper-Personalized Medicine
Next-generation gene therapies. Micro-interventions. mRNA-based cancer vaccines. Vastly extended healthspans and lifespans. Discover how the emerging technologies of AI, biotechnology, regenerative medicine, bionics and more are transforming the future of health care, wellness and longevity.
The Era of Emotion AI: When Machines Understand Our Feelings
Our devices are becoming increasingly capable of reading, interpreting and influencing our emotions. Learn about the amazing future of emotion AI from the author of the best-selling book, Heart of the Machine. What will be the repercussions of such technology? How could it alter our society and our personal relationships? Ultimately, what can – and can’t – we expect from these technologies and what can we do to prepare ourselves?
FutuResilience: Preparing Your Organization for Unexpected Tomorrows
The 2020 pandemic broke the global supply chain and it took years before it was fully functional again. How can we improve our future resilience to better weather the next worldwide crisis? Resilience isn't merely reactive; it needs to be proactive as well. Anticipating, understanding and preparing for various kinds of disruption often makes the difference between shutdown, survival and success. In this keynote presentation, Richard identifies vulnerabilities and opportunities that can help you tackle tomorrow's challenges and build your future success.
Exponential Technologies that Power Exponential Organizations
Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, solar power, 3-D printing - all of a sudden, our world seems to be filled with exponential technologies. Why is this happening now and more importantly, what exactly is an exponential technology? Why do they seem to overtake our world overnight? How can we leverage its explosive growth in our businesses and other parts of our lives?
“Your presentation rocked the house!” – Brent Britton, Author of How to Use AI Without Getting Fired, Sued, or Arrested
“A brilliant talk! Richard has a wonderful way of explaining complex concepts that are critical to our understanding of how humans and machines can work together. He really got everyone thinking more deeply about these important topics.” – Tim Stock, Parsons School of Design – The New School
“Richard Yonck is an intuitive thinker, shedding light on many possible futures that are unfolding in the automotive world. His depth of content was rich and his dialogue compelling. We had many positive comments on the content and presentation put forth by Richard from the automotive OEM attendee’s, which catalyzed a number of deeper conversations outside of our conference. We look forward to hearing from Richard again in the not too distant future.” – Steve Kocka, Business Director GMF North America, Atotech
“We are so thankful to you for making our event one to remember! Our team and customers continue to tell me how much they enjoyed your presentation. We also appreciate that you arrived early to have conversations with our partners and customers. It was an absolute pleasure to work with you from the very beginning.” – Taylor Click, Event Coordinator, Right! Systems, Inc.
“Your speech inspired many startups and attendees and your participation helped make the event a success. I’m looking to forward working with you on our startup ecosystem, and I hope to see you more often in Busan!” – Michael Kim, Coordinator, Fly Asia 2022, Director, Busan TechnoPark
“Richard is a brilliant speaker, writer, and futurist. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear his ideas about AI and emotional machines.” – Dr. Cindy Frewen, FAIA, Architect and Urban Futurist
“You left our workforce deans with plenty of food for thought as they navigate the complex education and employment world we’re preparing students for.” – Nancy Dick, Director, Workforce Education, WA State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
“I thought you were so professional and with such a command of your topic. It was a joy working with you.” – Prof. William E. Halal, PhD, George Washington University, President, TechCast Global
“Recently we organized the first-ever Emotion AI Summit: featuring 28+ speakers and 300+ attendees at the MIT Media Lab. Richard joined tech leaders in the day-long event as a panelist on our “Future of AI: Ethics, Morality and the Workforce” panel. Richard helped make the Ethics of AI session one of my favorite of the event.” – Ashley McManus, Director of Marketing, Affectiva
“In “The Future of Emotional Machines,” Richard Yonck posed weighty questions about what our near future may look like with increased machine learning and artificial intelligence, which are playing more and more of both an underlying and overt role in our lives. We loved the thorny issues that were raised by this subject, including the tension between greater freedom from mundane tasks and the loss of control and privacy that such intelligent machines may dictate.” – Katharine Norwood, Odopod, #1 – “10 Things We Loved About SXSW 2017 Interactive”
“One of the things that differentiates Richard is he’s truly passionate and knowledgeable about technology past, present and future. This is even further evidenced as he indulges the audience’s Q&As on both actual and hypothetical issues. Richard’s presentations provided us with a leapfrog perspective of the shape of things to come, helping us better prepare for the days ahead.” – Tolga U. Ural, MBA, CEO, Imagine Media Partners
“Richard Yonck is a futurist, researcher, writer, and communicator of exceptional talent and high professional standards.” – Cynthia G. Wagner, Editor-in-Chief, The Futurist Magazine
“Richard took time to build a bridge from what we know is possible now to thinking about what could be possible with an emerging world of interconnections between human and machine and human to human. His ideas and messages were captivating, inspiring, and intellectually nourishing and his delivery engaging and accessible.” – Stacey Aldrich, President, COSLA
“Richard Yonck knows his stuff, and what he knows can be disturbing. However, he finds a good balance between hope and fear in his content. His talk to our Senior Executive Program members was engaging and easy to digest, but the implications for our future will remain long after.” – Claire Booth, President, BCAMA
“Richard inspired our Leadership Team to think about the future and the impact that impending changes might have on our world – not just our industry. Thorny issues about the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning helped shape our own discussions around ethics in our own business and personal lives. We look forward to working with Richard again.” – Kurt von Wasmuth, President/CEO, RMLS
“I have to tell you that we are getting very positive feedback about the Conference and your keynote! Thank you again, so very much!!” – Cheryl Oncea, Event Producer, Hawaiian Business Leadership Conference
“Your presentation was absolutely great!” – Soo Nam, Exhibition Team Manager, Lee Convention, Korea Maritime Institute
“You were fabulous and I really enjoyed your talk, which I believe it was the case for everybody as there was very lively discussion and many questions afterward.” – Kateřina Anna Magnna, Co-Founder, Czech Women in AI
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Future Minds: The Rise of Intelligence from the Big Bang to the End of the Universe
For Readers of Michio Kaku and Stephen Hawking, an Epic Journey through the Intelligent Universe
With the ongoing advancement of AI and other technologies, our world is becoming increasingly intelligent. From chatbots to innovations in brain-computer interfaces to the possibility of superintelligences later this century, our reality is being transformed before our eyes. This is commonly seen as the natural result of progress, but what if there’s more to it than that? What if intelligence is an inevitability, an underlying property of the universe?
In Future Minds, Richard Yonck challenges our assumptions about intelligence–what it is, how it came to exist, its place in the development of life on Earth and possibly throughout the cosmos. Taking a Big History perspective–over the 14 billion years from the Big Bang to the present and beyond–he draws on recent developments in physics and complexity theory to explore the questions: Why do pockets of increased complexity develop, giving rise to life, intelligence, and civilization? How will it grow and change throughout this century, transforming both technology and humanity? As we expand outward from our planet, will we discover other forms of intelligence, or will we conclude we are destined to go it alone? Drawing on conversations with scientists and researchers at the forefront of AI, physics, cognitive neuroscience, complexity and other fields, Future Minds seeks to understand where all of this has come from and more importantly, where it is headed.
Heart of the Machine: Our Future in a World of Artificial Emotional Intelligence
Imagine a robotic stuffed animal that can respond to a child’s emotional state, a commercial that can change based on a customer’s facial expression, or even a company that can create feelings as though a person were experiencing them naturally. Heart of the Machine explores the world of affective computing and the next giant step in the relationship between people and technology: computers that can recognize, respond to, and even replicate emotions.
Futurist Richard Yonck argues that emotions–the first, most basic, and most natural form of communication–are how we will soon interact with our technologies. And that instilling emotional awareness into computers is the next leap in our centuries-old obsession with creating machines that replicate humans.
But with every step forward, there are pitfalls. Technology that can manipulate our feelings could open doors to unprecedented levels of mass control. And there is still our deep-seated anxiety about what might happen if machines could actually feel–only to break free from our control.
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