Zack Kass: Global AI Advisor
AI futurist, keynote speaker, and former OpenAI GTM leader Zack Kass helps organizations harness artificial intelligence, drive innovation, and prepare for the future of work.
Quick Facts:
- Former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI
- Global keynote speaker on AI and future of work
- Expert in AI adoption, innovation, and business strategy
- Focus on ethical and responsible AI implementation
- Formats: Keynote Speaker, AI Futurist, and Strategic Consultant
- Audiences: Executives, technology leaders, innovators, and organizations seeking to understand AI, drive transformation, and prepare for the future.
- Outcomes:
- Understand how AI will impact business and the future of work
- Identify opportunities to innovate using emerging technologies
- Build strategies for responsible and effective AI adoption
- Travels from: Santa Barbara, CA
- **Fee range: $50,001 - $75,000
Talent Services
Keynote Topics:
The Next Renaissance
The Next Renaissance is Zack Kass’s signature keynote and the culmination of 16 years at the vanguard of AI. It is built on firsthand experience shipping frontier technology, three years inside OpenAI, research roles at two leading universities, and more than 500 meetings inside Inc. 5000 boardrooms. The talk invites audiences to examine AI through a new lens and to make specific choices about how they will lead.
At its center is Zack’s groundbreaking theory of Unmetered Intelligence. Just as water, electricity, and the internet transformed access to power and information, AI is driving the cost of cognition toward abundance. When thinking becomes cheap and everywhere, the source of advantage shifts. The question is no longer how smart a team can be on its best day. The question becomes where humans create irreplaceable value.
Zack maps that shift with a set of clear ideas and tools
- Unmetered Intelligence where cognitive capacity becomes abundant. Expect deflation in the cost of discovery, iteration, and decision support.
- Behavioral Adaptability and the K-curve is the scarce asset is the willingness and ability to change behavior repeatedly. People and firms bend up or calcify.
- The Adoption Gap when technology races ahead of norms and institutions. Leaders must close the gap with standards, training, and review rituals.
- The Natural Language Operating System, work moves from software interfaces to conversation and agentic execution with human approval gates.
- The Automation Boundary, a practical line between what machines should do and what humans must own, grounded in risk, value, and acceptability.
The keynote covers the good, the bad, the ugly, and the wonderful. It celebrates the breakthroughs that abundance unlocks and addresses real risks like dehumanization, identity displacement, and empowered bad actors. Attendees leave with a simple plan that scales from the C-suite to the front line.
What audiences gain
- A shared mental model for AI that reduces hype and focuses action
- A method to select three high-leverage workflows and run ten low-cost pilots
- An automation boundary that protects human judgment and customer trust
- Review checklists and rituals that make agents safe and useful
- Language to align strategy, technology, and culture
Formats and add-ons
- 30, 45, or 60 minutes with Q&A
- Optional live micro-demo
- Custom industry examples for finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, public sector, or education
- Follow-on workshop available: pilot design, governance, and measurement
The Next Great Company
Artificial Intelligence is transforming work as we know it—and the stakes for organizations couldn’t be higher. Individuals and companies that don’t adapt run the risk of being left behind. How can you prepare for what’s coming?
As the former Head of Go-To-Market for OpenAI and global AI advisor, Zack Kass has helped hundreds of leaders rethink their AI strategy. In this compelling talk, Zack will deliver a comprehensive roadmap on how to build, develop, motivate, and retain high-performing teams and companies in an AI-driven world.
Audiences will come away understanding the importance of soft skills, constant learning, and a culture of adaptability to thrive in the new business landscape.
The Next Great Company is a 30-40 minute keynote
Societal Thresholds
Throughout history, we embraced innovation when it clearly made life better—think fire, electricity, antibiotics, the internet. But today, this phenomenon has shifted. As AI races forward, the biggest barrier is no longer what technology can do, but what society is willing to accept.
In this provocative keynote, Zack Kass explores the growing gap between technological possibility and societal readiness. Drawing from his experience at the forefront of AI’s evolution, Zack unpacks why cultural, ethical, and institutional resistance—not technical limitations—will define the pace of progress. Audiences will come away with a powerful framework for navigating resistance, rethinking innovation, and leading through one of the most pivotal moments in human history.
Societal Thresholds is a 20-25 minute keynote
Talent Short Bio
Zack Kass is a globally recognized AI futurist, keynote speaker, consultant, and educator focused on helping organizations navigate the rapidly evolving intersection of technology, innovation, and human potential. With a background in leadership roles within artificial intelligence, he brings a rare combination of technical insight and real-world business application.
As the former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, Zack played a key role in bringing transformative AI technologies to market. His work involved bridging the gap between cutting-edge innovation and practical business adoption, giving him firsthand experience with both the opportunities and challenges of AI at scale.
Today, Zack advises organizations across industries on how to strategically implement AI, enhance productivity, and drive long-term innovation. His work emphasizes not only growth and efficiency but also responsible and ethical AI adoption.
Talent Videos
Zack Kass – An Abundant Future: Why AI Will Make Us More Human
In this 3-minute talk, Zack Kass shares why AI represents abundance, not dystopia, urging us to focus on human qualities that technology can never replace.
Video Summary & Key Moments
Zack Kass delivers an optimistic, fast-paced keynote on the profound changes AI is ushering in. He begins by framing AI as the catalyst of the most significant industrial revolution in human history, one that will transform industries and societies at a pace few can imagine. Rather than fearing dystopia, he urges audiences to see AI as a tool for abundance and human empowerment.
Drawing on his experience in over 300 Fortune 1000 boardrooms, Zack explains that leaders and everyday people share the same concern: what comes next, and will humanity be okay? His answer is emphatic—yes. He predicts that AI will enable plentiful food, clean energy, water, and even breakthroughs like curing cancer.
Kass emphasizes that preparation requires more than automation. He encourages people and organizations to practice first principles thinking, questioning assumptions and re-examining processes. As AI commoditizes knowledge and routine skills, he argues, individuals should invest in cultivating qualities that machines cannot replicate—vision, wisdom, courage, creativity, and curiosity.
The keynote closes with a call to embrace AI as a human amplifier. Kass insists AI lacks purpose and values, but humans do. By harnessing AI responsibly, society can build a future where technology frees people to focus on what truly matters: creating, connecting, and solving humanity’s greatest challenges together.
Key Moments
00:00 Opening: AI as the start of the most profound industrial revolution
00:35 Countering fear: AI as abundant and transformative
01:10 Predictions: energy, food, water, and curing cancer
01:50 Preparing through first principles thinking and re-examining systems
02:30 Human skills over machine skills: vision, wisdom, and curiosity
03:10 Closing: AI should amplify humanity, not diminish it
Zack Kass – The Abundant Future: Why AI Will Redefine What It Means to Be Human
In this 6-minute keynote, Zack Kass, former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, explains why AI will create abundance, free time, and a more human-centered future.
Video Summary & Key Moments
Zack Kass delivers a powerful keynote highlighting AI as the catalyst for the most profound industrial revolution in human history. He frames the next decade as a time of abundance, not scarcity, predicting breakthroughs in energy, food, water, and even cures for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Far from being dystopian, he argues, AI will accelerate improvements in the human experience.
He urges audiences to adopt first principles thinking, using AI’s rise as an opportunity to rethink broken systems and outdated processes. Instead of asking how AI can automate tasks, individuals and organizations should ask deeper questions about what work truly matters and why.
Kass stresses that AI will commoditize many skills and forms of knowledge, making it vital to double down on qualities machines cannot replicate—vision, wisdom, courage, curiosity, and creativity. These humanistic traits will define our future relevance.
He emphasizes that AI’s greatest promise lies in giving people back time, allowing them to rediscover what it means to be human. He envisions a future where work and life are redesigned so people can focus on spending time with family and friends, nurturing relationships, and pursuing meaningful activities.
The talk closes with a call to embrace AI as a tool that makes us more human, not less a technology that enhances rather than diminishes our capacity to live fully and authentically.
Key Moments
00:00 Opening: AI as the most profound industrial revolution in history
01:00 Predictions: abundance in energy, food, water, and disease cures
02:05 Preparing with first principles thinking and questioning processes
03:10 Human rediscovery: AI gives time back to focus on relationships and purpose
04:25 Preparing for a future where AI commoditizes skills and knowledge
05:10 Immutable human qualities: vision, wisdom, courage, curiosity
05:45 Closing: AI as a force that makes us more human, not less
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Overview of User Reviews for AI Strategy Planning and Presentation
Strengths:
- Expertise and Understanding: Reviewers consistently highlight Zack's deep understanding of AI and its applications, noting that he effectively tailored his approach to meet the needs of various industries, including life sciences and analytics.
- Engaging Presentations: Users praised Zack's presentation skills, describing them as excellent and compelling. His ability to make complex topics relevant and engaging was particularly noted, with one attendee claiming it was the best session of the day.
Weaknesses:
- No significant weaknesses or criticisms were mentioned in the reviews.
Overall, Zack is highly regarded for his expertise in AI strategy and his ability to deliver impactful presentations that resonate with diverse audiences.
Talent FAQ's
Do speakers charge a flat fee or by the hour?
Speaker fees can vary depending on factors such as expertise, demand, and event specifics. While some speakers may charge a flat fee for their services, others may have hourly rates. It’s best to discuss fee structures directly with the speaker or their representative to understand the pricing model.
What is the typical duration of a keynote speech and what is included?
Keynote speeches typically range from 30 to 90 minutes, with the duration determined by the speaker’s expertise, the event’s agenda, and audience preferences. Keynote speeches often include a combination of inspirational stories, practical insights, and actionable advice tailored to the event’s theme or objectives.
Does the scale of the event and audience size affect a speaker’s fee?
The scale of the event and audience size can indeed impact a speaker’s fee. Larger events with a broader reach or higher attendance may command higher fees due to increased exposure and demand. Conversely, smaller events or niche audiences may offer opportunities for more flexible pricing arrangements.
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Additional tips and takeaways
- Virtual speaking appearances are a cost-effective alternative to high speaking fees, often 10-50% cheaper than in-person rates.
- There is typically no difference in fee for a 15-minute speech versus a 60-minute speech.
- Some motivational speakers are open to discounting their fee if hired for more than one event by the same organization.
- When browsing speakers, consider their location to keep travel costs down.
- Personal connections to your organization or event location can increase your chances of securing a renowned speaker.
- Be upfront about your needs and expectations to ensure a successful partnership.
- Speaker bureaus like Speakers Inc help guide you through the booking process to negotiate the best deal with favorable terms.
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Fee Range Information
All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.