Back

Azeem Azhar

Best known for:

Azeem Azhar is an award winning entrepreneur, analyst, strategist, investor and #bestseller geopolitics author. He produces Exponential View, the leading newsletter and podcast on the impact of technology on our future economy and society.

Summary:

Global Futurist, Exponential Thinker and Expert Investor; Founder, Exponential View; Visiting Fellow, Oxford Martin School; Executive Fellow, Harvard Business School; Digital Fellow, Stanford Digital Economy Lab; Host, “Exponentially,” Bloomberg TV; Co-Chair, Global Futures Council on Complex Risks, World Economic Forum; Award-Winning, Bestselling Author, “The Exponential Age”; Named one of Vox’s 2023 Future Perfect 50.

Biography:

Azeem Azhar is a keynote speaker on the impact of technology on society and how it is changing the way we live. He is an award-winning entrepreneur and has over 30 years’ experience working as a strategist, analyst and investor in the tech industry.

Understanding the impacts of emerging technologies on business and society isn’t just about becoming familiar with the latest gadgets or artificial intelligence (AI) like generative programs ChatGPT and DALL-E. In the 21st Century, says Azeem Azhar, futurist, prize-winning technology analyst, founder of the popular Exponential View newsletter and podcast and host of “Exponentially” on Bloomberg TV, it’s critical that leaders anticipate how technology on the fringes will change the world in the not-too-distant future.

A former corporate executive and a top advisor to business, government and societal leaders and current Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Martin School and an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, Azhar possesses unmatched expertise on exponential technologies – including AI, computing, climate tech and synthetic biology – that are leading the transformation of the world economy, business and society over the next 20 to 30 years. Having been involved in emerging technologies as a researcher, investor and regulator since the early 1990s, his instant bestseller, “The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology is Transforming Business, Politics and Society” (Diversion Books, 2021), lays out a framework for thinking about a future that business and government leaders have no choice but to embrace as they plan forward.

Highly praised by executives at Spotify, LinkedIn and Accenture, as well as by economists and academics alike, “The Exponential Age” was named to best-of lists for 2021 by the Financial Times, London Times, MIT Technology Review and Harvard Business Review. A venture capitalist whose tech expertise is highly sought-after by governments, consultancies and financial firms around the world, Azhar has been a senior advisor to Hong Kong’s mass transit authority, MTR, consulted on AI and advanced technologies at Accenture and McKinsey & Co., and he’s advised PwC on climate technologies.

“We’re in the midst of a rapid and radical societal shift that’s being driven by a series of exponential technologies transforming how we live and interact with each other and the world around us,” explains Azhar, who was named one of Vox’s 2023 Future Perfect 50 and to the Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2022. “They are taking off at the same time, launching us into a whole new world that will challenge the economic and social fabric of business and society in chaotic ways, including how we work and learn.”

Speaking Topics include:

Technology
Digital Transformation, Leadership, Ethics, Regulation
Business Models
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Geopolitics, Political Economy and Society
Climate Change, Humanity
The Future
Cryptocurrency
Business, Commerce and Enterprise
COVID-19 Research, Data, Impact, Post COVID-19

Fee range:

Please Enquire

Testimonials:

I love the way Exponential View carefully brings together and celebrates many different perspectives, and I look forward to being challenged and inspired by it every week.

Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder, DeepMind

Exponential View is a must read and always provides a thoughtful perspective on our exponential world.

Daniel Ek, Founder Spotify

While populist politicians lower the standards of public discourse and cynically ignore science and shun data-driven debate, Azeem reminds us each week in Exponential View what the curious mind can learn.

Tom Glocer, Former CEO of Thomson Reuters

The juiciest source I know for what’s new in the world of artificial intelligence, biotech, and the near future.

Kevin Kelly, Senior Executive Editor at Wired Magazine

Still blown away by Azeem's newsletter. Excellent and useful aggregation of AI and 'exponential tech' news.

Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large at TechCrunch

Azeem's talk on the the impact of artificial intelligence on humanity was a captivating blend of history, philosophy and technology.

Ciaran O'Leary, General Partner Blueyard Capital, Berlin

Azeem delivered a high-energy, authoritative overview of artificial intelligence that hit the sweet spot for our audience.

Andrus Virg, Director, Estonian Space Office

Azeem delivered a knowledgeable presentation on artificial intelligence to a demanding audience. He brought humour and in-depth understanding to this key topic.

Neil Murray, NordicNext

Azeem Azhar delivered a riveting talk on exponential change and what it means for global business. He left us inspired and ready to act.

Lars Silberbauer, Senior Global Director at LEGO Group