LAI Exclusive
Paul Zikopoulos
VP of Skills Vitality at IBM, Author, and Future Trends Expert
- Published author of 22 books on Data and AI, trusted for turning complexity into clarity
- Entertaining, high-energy speaker who makes technology engaging and practical
- Translates AI advancements into actionable insights and strategic frameworks for smarter growth
- Inspires audiences with real-world case studies and storytelling that show how to turn disruption into opportunity
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About Paul Zikopoulos
Download Profile“Every day, we walk by solvable problems, leaving opportunities untapped.” This quote from future trends expert Paul Zikopoulos perfectly encapsulates his work at IBM and his inspiring talks on AI, big data, innovation, and leadership. An energetic, easy to follow, and effortlessly engaging speaker, Paul uses stunning visuals and real-time demos to captivate audiences with the sheer potential of AI and digital transformation.
Paul leads from the front as VP of Skills Vitality at IBM, driving real outcomes with strategic learning and upskilling initiatives. His successful, hands-on expertise equips audiences with the knowledge to anticipate disruptions and leverage technology for success. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, he unveils the gambit of game-changing technology trends shaping our world right now and customizes insights for industries.
Paul has been featured on 60 Minutes and published over 360 articles and 22 books, including AI Value Creators and The AI Ladder. Recognizing his authority in the field, Paul was invited to speak to NATO leadership on AI and data strategies for next-generation command and control. He has also appeared on multiple “Top AI and Big Data Influencers” lists, including Analytics Insight’s “Top 100 Global AI and Big Data Influencers.” In addition, Paul serves on the board of “Coding for Veterans”, helping military personnel transition from deployment to employment, and is a board member for Queen’s University’s prestigious Masters of Management Analytics and AI program.
Video Gallery
Paul Zikopoulos Speaker Reel
Paul Zikopoulos: Generative AI with Humans in the Loop
Paul Zikopoulos: Ethics, Bias and Things That Go Bump in an AI Night
Paul Zikopoulos: Excelling in Times of Rapid Change
Speech Topics
Download TopicsThe AI conversation has outgrown chatbots and prompts. It’s now time to talk about agentic AI, which are systems that respond and act. These intelligent agents are already transforming how work gets done, from resolving IT tickets to managing supply chains and processing insurance claims. They orchestrate workflows across systems, reason about priorities, and improve over time, keeping business operations moving without constant human nudging. This keynote explores how agentic AI is reshaping productivity, emphasizing both its transformative power and the need for strong governance and trust. Generative AI showed us what machines can write; agentic AI shows us what they can do—automating busywork so humans can focus on the thinking that drives growth.
This introductory keynote takes you from what many might know about AI—personal use through ChatGPT—and shifts you into the AI-for-business mindset to create a whole new art of the possible. This visually captivating talk is fast, funny, and packed with real business demos—workflows turbo-boosted by AI for cutting-edge efficiency. It’s also tuned for your industry, with examples and applications that make the lessons directly relevant to your world. You’ll learn how to spot the good uses of AI that supercharge your business, the bad habits that waste time, and the questions to ask yourself before betting on a use case.
An unfortunate truth: every day, employees walk by problems that could be solved—or at least improved—with technology. But do they even know those problems are solvable? What would a business look like if everyone was empowered to act because they knew solutions were within reach? That’s the opportunity AI is opening up.
In this high-octane, customized for your industry demo-rich keynote, Paul Zikopoulos—award-winning author, speaker, and global thought leader on Data and AI—shows audiences what comes next. Known for awe-inspiring imagery, thought-provoking insights, and even making IT topics funny, Paul delivers the future of AI in a way that both entertains and informs.
This isn’t AI 101. It’s a front-row seat where execution, strategy, and humor collide. And perhaps the most important shift: the knowledge you need to move from +AI (where AI is bolted onto existing workflows) to AI+ (where workflows are re-designed with AI at the core). That’s how organizations change the curve. This talk shows exactly how to make that leap.
AI represents a 10 to 20 trillion-dollar productivity unlock over the next decade. The value is there, but as Thomas Edison put it, “Vision without execution is hallucination.” And as Paul will tell you, there are a lot of people (and AI models, for that matter) hallucinating. In this AI moment, execution means two things: having the skills to pick the right use cases and empowering people with the skills to bring them to life.
Paul is doing this today at IBM, where he leads its enterprise-wide reskilling and upskilling programs and helps clients transform their businesses. He stresses that that real impact comes when skills are democratized across the many and tied directly to impactful use cases. With years of experience and trusted leadership, Paul’s talk gives audiences a portfolio of use cases, a skills plan that leaders can take to their teams to implement immediately, and a clear path to move from dabbling with AI to embedding it into the DNA of your business.
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