Richard Yonck is a globally recognized futurist helping organizations navigate AI, exponential change, and the future of human intelligence.
5.00 of 5
Top rated!5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck is one of the most prominent voices exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, human intelligence, and exponential technological change. With decades of experience across technology, media, science writing, and futures consulting, he helps leaders and organizations look beyond short-term trends to understand what lies ahead. His work asks a fundamental question that resonates across industries and cultures: what kind of future do we truly want to build? Through compelling keynotes and strategic insight, Richard equips audiences to anticipate disruption, rethink opportunity, and shape a future where technology serves humanity rather than the other way around.
Richard Yonck is internationally recognized for his ongoing research into emerging technologies at the convergence of artificial and human intelligence. His work goes far beyond surface-level trend analysis. Instead, he examines how intelligence itself is evolving - not as a purely technical phenomenon, but as a force reshaping business models, institutions, culture, and personal identity. From artificial intelligence and automation to hybrid intelligence and next-generation biotech, Richard explores how these advances will redefine what it means to work, decide, and even feel in the decades ahead.
His approach is grounded in deep technical understanding combined with a rare ability to communicate complex ideas in vivid, accessible ways. Audiences leave his sessions with a clearer sense of not just what is coming, but why it matters and how to respond.
When you book Richard Yonck for your event, you bring in a speaker who combines rigorous analysis with clarity, urgency, and imagination. His keynotes are designed to challenge conventional thinking and help organizations prepare for exponential change rather than defend outdated models. He speaks to executives, policymakers, innovators, and researchers who understand that the future will not be linear and that resilience depends on foresight.
Richard’s presentations are consistently described by attendees as awe-inspiring, passionate, and mind-blowing. He does not rely on hype or fear. Instead, he helps audiences confront uncomfortable questions, explore emerging possibilities, and think strategically about long-term impact.
Richard Yonck’s insights are informed by a diverse professional background spanning systems analysis, science writing, consultancy, and the founding of a futures consulting firm. This breadth allows him to bridge disciplines and industries with ease. As a keynote speaker and advisor, he has worked with Fortune 500 multinationals, governments, institutions, universities, and NGOs around the world.
His client and audience list includes organizations such as Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, Xerox, Naturipe, Fast Company, Atotech, the U.S. State Department, UNDP, NATO, and Georgetown University, among many others. Whether addressing global conferences or closed executive forums, Richard brings a deeply informed vantage point on emerging technologies and strategic futures.
At the core of Richard Yonck’s work is a human-centric perspective. While he closely follows advances in AI, healthcare, quantum technologies, agritech, automation, and workforce transformation, his focus remains on how these developments affect people, values, and society. He examines not only what technology can do, but what it should do and who gets to decide.
This perspective makes his work especially relevant for leaders facing ethical, strategic, and cultural questions about technology adoption. Richard helps organizations think through the second- and third-order consequences of innovation, enabling more responsible and resilient decision-making.
Richard Yonck is also a widely published author and thought leader. He has written for leading publications including Scientific American, Fast Company, World Future Review, GeekWire, Salon, and American Cinematographer. His ideas and research have been featured and quoted in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, BBC News, Wired, Puget Sound Business Journal, and Investor’s Business Daily. He regularly appears on radio programs and podcasts, contributing to public discourse on technology and the future.
He is the author of two internationally acclaimed nonfiction books, Future Minds and Heart of the Machine. These works explore how intelligent machines may evolve and how humanity itself could be transformed in the process. In Heart of the Machine, Richard examines technologies capable of perceiving and influencing human emotion. In Future Minds, he looks further ahead to a world where artificial and human intelligence evolve together.
His science-fiction thriller Mindstock approaches these themes from a different angle, using storytelling to explore alternative futures and uncover insights that traditional analysis might miss.
Richard Yonck does not position himself as a predictor of the future. Instead, he helps organizations understand the forces shaping multiple possible futures and make informed choices about which paths to pursue. His work empowers leaders to move beyond reactive thinking and actively participate in shaping outcomes that align technological possibility with human values.
For organizations seeking clarity in an era of rapid change, booking Richard Yonck offers more than inspiration. It provides a framework for thinking, a language for complexity, and a roadmap for navigating the uncertain terrain ahead.
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“Your presentation was absolutely great!”
Soo Nam Exhibition Team Manager, Lee Convention, Korea Maritime Institute
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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 Yonck
5 of 5
“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
5 of 5
“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”
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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 Yonck
5 of 5
“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.
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
“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
5 of 5
“Your presentation rocked the house!”
Brent Britton Author of "How to Use AI Without Getting Fired, Sued, or Arrested"
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
Richard shared with us perhaps one of the most awe-inspiring, intriguing presentations on new technologies – so much so that we invited him back for a follow-up presentation. One of the things that differentiates Richard is he’s truly passionate and knowledgeable about technology past, present and future.”
Tolga U. Ural, MBA CEO, Imagine Media Partners President, Rotary Club of Seattle Metropolitan
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
Richard Yonck is a futurist, researcher, writer, and communicator of exceptional talent and high professional standards.”
Cynthia G. Wagner Editor, The Futurist Magazine
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
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
Richard Yonck
5 of 5
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
Richard Yonck
Keynote by Richard Yonck:
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.
Keynote by Richard Yonck:
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?
Keynote by Richard Yonck:
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?
Keynote by speaker Richard Yonck:
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.
Keynote by speaker Richard Yonck:
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?
Keynote by Richard Yonck:
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.
Keynote by Richard Yonck:
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?
Watch Richard Yonck in action!
Watch Richard Yonck in action!
Watch Richard Yonck in action!
Watch Richard Yonck in action!
Watch Richard Yonck in action!
Watch Richard Yonck in action!
