Keynote on AI and human thinking
AI keynote speaker: Timeless thinking for an artificial age.
No tour of the latest tools and models. A journey through time, from the Stoics and the printing press to Silicon Valley and ChatGPT. About what happens when writing and thought become easy to outsource. And how AI can also strengthen what makes us human.
Practical
The keynote in brief.
- For boards, management teams, conferences, client events and company gatherings
- A 60–90 minute keynote plus 15–30 minutes of Q&A
- English or Dutch, in person
- A preparation call and adaptation to your context and audience
- €2,950 excluding VAT and travel
Previous clients
About working with Thomas · translated from Dutch
“Thomas effortlessly thinks big about the impact of AI, then just as easily helps you apply it in your work tomorrow.”
What happens when we outsource our thinking?
At the companies I work with, I see developers with brainfry after heavy AI use. Pen and paper disappear. More thinking moves into a chat. It fascinates me. It also worries me.
€2,950 excluding VAT and travel · 60–90 min + 15–30 min Q&A · English or Dutch, in person
From the Stoics to Silicon Valley.
Keynote
Timeless thinking for an artificial age.
I take the audience through philosophy, history and technology. We zoom out to earlier shifts, then back in to what AI is doing to work and thought today. Sometimes through a philosophical idea, sometimes with a Stoic exercise. Not a history lesson. A way to see the present more clearly.
Request a bookingThe tension
I believe AI can strengthen the qualities that make us human.
A model can make connections at a scale we cannot. Used well, that can make us more resourceful and creative. Outsource every first idea, sentence and judgment, and those muscles get less practice.
What are we gaining, and what are we giving away?
After the last slide.
Something to think about
Humour
Let the room breathe
Serious questions do not need a solemn story.
Humanity
Keep it about us
Not what the next model can do, but what its use does to people.
Realism
Leave easy answers at home
AI brings real opportunity and real risk. Both belong in the room.
Questions before you book.
What does a keynote by Thomas Damen cost?
A keynote costs €2,950 excluding VAT and travel. The fee includes a preparation call, adaptation to your audience, 60 to 90 minutes of keynote and 15 to 30 minutes of Q&A. A different scope or a special assignment receives a tailored quote.
How long does a keynote take?
The keynote runs for 60 to 90 minutes, followed by 15 to 30 minutes of Q&A.
What topics does Thomas speak on?
The human question behind AI: what happens to our thinking and creativity when nearly everything can be prompted? I connect philosophy and history with what AI is doing at work today. This is not an update on the latest tools.
What language is the keynote in, and where does it take place?
English or Dutch, in person. I am willing to travel.
What kind of audience does this keynote work for?
Boards, management teams, conferences, client events and company gatherings that want something other than another AI update. The story is deliberately non-technical.
Do we get a story tailored to our organisation?
Yes. Before each keynote, I speak with the client and adapt the examples to the organisation, sector and audience. The thread of the story stays the same.
What is the difference between a keynote and training?
A keynote takes a room through a surprising story about AI and human thinking. In training, a team practises with its own work: attention, creativity and independent judgement. Training can follow a keynote.
Book
Give the room more than the next AI update.
Tell me who will be there and what is going on around AI.