How to choose your artificial intelligence speaker?

Since the arrival of ChatGPT at the end of 2022, the number of self-styled "AI speakers" has exploded. Many are simply riding the wave with no real experience to speak of. A poor conference on artificial intelligence can produce the opposite of the intended effect: confusion, scepticism, even anxiety. Here is how to choose the right speaker.

1. Real expertise, not just a good story

The first criterion is hands-on experience. A speaker who actually deploys AI projects can tell you what works, what fails and why — someone who merely follows trends simply repackages press articles. Ask how long the speaker has been working on AI, and on what types of projects.

According to the OECD, AI adoption in business is accelerating but remains highly uneven: a good speaker knows how to distinguish genuinely mature use cases from empty promises.

2. The ability to make AI simple

For a business audience, the ability to communicate clearly matters more than technical prowess. The world's best AI expert is useless if the room is lost after five minutes. Look for a speaker who can explain a complex concept with a well-chosen analogy and deliver live demonstrations that make AI tangible. Ask to see a video excerpt or feedback from previous events: speaking style, pace and clarity can be assessed in a matter of minutes, and a poor communicator gives themselves away by stringing together slide after slide of technical jargon.

3. Adaptation to your sector

Artificial intelligence is not told the same way to bankers, healthcare professionals or manufacturers. A good speaker builds their examples around your industry. That is what transforms a generic presentation into a moment that truly resonates with your audience. Beyond the examples, the entire analytical framework must be adjusted: the concerns of an HR director are not those of an operations director, and the barriers to AI adoption differ significantly from one sector to the next.

4. The format that fits your objective

Do you want to inspire, give people hands-on experience, or provide in-depth training? A keynote of 45 minutes does not serve the same purpose as a full-day workshop. Clarify your objective before choosing the format — a good speaker will help you do so. Also consider the size of the audience and the time of day: an opening plenary for several hundred people calls for a different treatment than a small-group afternoon workshop.

5. Questions to ask before booking

• How long have you actually been working with AI, and on which projects?
• Can you tailor the talk to our sector?
• Do you offer live demonstrations?
• Can you present in English if required?
• Do you have references from comparable events?
• Is it possible to follow up with a workshop or training session?

6. Pitfalls to avoid

Steer clear of speakers who are purely doom-and-gloom ("AI will destroy everything") as much as those who are purely messianic ("AI will solve everything"). Reality is nuanced, and it is precisely that nuance which has value. Be wary too of speakers who cannot cite a single concrete use case from your sector. One final warning sign: a speaker who refuses any preparatory conversation or asks no questions about your context — the personalisation of a good talk begins well before taking the stage.

To explore further: discover the AI conference formats offered by Romain Rissoan, or explore the sector-specific options.