Kay Firth-Butterfield
CEO, Good Tech Advisory, Former Head of AI at the World Economic Forum & World’s First Chief AI Ethics Officer
Kay Firth-Butterfield
CEO, Good Tech Advisory, Former Head of AI at the World Economic Forum & World’s First Chief AI Ethics Officer
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Biography
Kay Firth-Butterfield is the CEO of Good Tech Advisory. She is the former Head of Artificial Intelligence and member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum and is one of the foremost experts in the world on the governance of AI. In 2024, she won one of four TIME100 impact awards, was named Forbes over 50 innovation award & included in Whos Who and won their innovation award.
She is a Barrister, former Judge and Professor, technologist and entrepreneur who has an abiding interest in how humanity can equitably benefit from new technologies, especially AI. She was the world’s first Chief AI Ethics officer in 2014.
Kay’s recent book Coexisiting with AI: Work Love and Play in a Changing World was published in January 2026 and is licensed to be a musical play in Summer 2008. She has also authored books on Human Rights, AI and Modern Slavery. Kay was Vice-Chair of The IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems and was part of the group which met at Asilomar to create the Asilomar AI Ethical Principles.
Among other appointments she sits on the Polaris Council for the Government Accountability Office (USA), the Advisory Board for UNESCO International Research Centre on AI, the AI Advisory Board for SwissRE & The Allodial Foundation . Also, on the Boards of EarthSpeciesProject and Humma.
Kay has advanced degrees in Law and International Relations and regularly speaks to international audiences addressing many aspects of the beneficial and challenging technical, economic and social changes arising from the use of AI. Kay is an Associate Barrister (Doughty Street Chambers), Master of the Inner Temple, London and served on the Lord Chief Justice’s Advisory Panel on AI and Law.
She has been consistently recognized as a leading woman in AI since 2018, was featured in the New York Times as one of 10 Women Changing the Landscape of Leadership and participated in the NYT Davos debate 2026. Kay Firth-Butterfield works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.
Speaker Videos
Discover the Power of A.I. When Its Edge to Cloud
John Schultz, HPE & Kay Firth-Butterfield, WEF | HPE Discover 2022
Intersection of International Relations and AI | Kay Firth Butterfield | DSC Europe 2022
Kay Firth-Butterfield Is Shaping Responsible AI Governance
⭐ How AI Fights Wildfires #WEF23 #Davos
Season 1 Ep 3 AI Governance with Kay Firth-Butterfield
Speech Topics
Innovative Thinking with AI: Why Responsible Technology is Becoming a Decisive Business Asset
For years, organizations viewed AI ethics as a compliance challenge. Today, forward-thinking leaders recognize that trust has become a competitive advantage. Customers, regulators, investors, and employees increasingly expect organizations to deploy technology responsibly. Those that fail to meet these expectations risk losing trust, market value, and opportunities for growth.
Drawing on her pioneering work in global AI governance, Kay demonstrates how organizations can transform ethical principles into measurable business outcomes. Through compelling examples and practical insights, she shows how responsible technology can strengthen innovation, reputation, and long-term success.
AI, Geopolitics and Regulation: How Leaders Can Navigate Regulation, Uncertainty, and Global Change
The rules governing artificial intelligence are evolving rapidly across the world. For many organizations, the pace of change feels overwhelming. Having helped shape global conversations on AI governance, Kay Firth-Butterfield offers a rare insider perspective on how regulation, policy, and innovation are converging. Rather than focusing on legal complexity, she provides leaders with a clear framework for understanding what matters most and how to prepare. This keynote helps audiences move beyond fear and uncertainty by translating emerging governance trends into practical business strategies.
Leading Through the AI Revolution: What Every Executive Needs to Know About the Next Era of Business Transformation
The AI revolution is not a technology story. It is a leadership story. As generative AI reshapes industries, business models, and workforce expectations, leaders must navigate uncertainty while making decisions that will define their organizations for years to come. In this thought-provoking keynote, Kay explores the forces reshaping the global economy and explains how leaders can prepare for a future in which human and artificial intelligence increasingly work side by side. She provides a balanced and optimistic perspective grounded in real-world experience at the forefront of global AI governance. The result is a powerful call to action for leaders who want to thrive in a world of constant disruption.
Coexisting with AI: Work, Love, Play and Life in a Changing World
A provocative exploration of how AI is reshaping every stage of human life. From childhood to education, work, healthcare, relationships, and aging, artificial intelligence is becoming woven into the fabric of daily life. But are we intentionally shaping that future or simply allowing it to happen?
Based on the themes from her acclaimed book Coexisting with AI, Kay takes audiences on a journey through the profound social, business, and human questions emerging from the AI revolution.
This keynote is both inspiring and deeply practical, encouraging leaders to think carefully about the choices that will define the future for themselves, their organizations, and the next generation.
The Future of Work in the Age of AI: How Organizations Can Augment Human Talent Rather Than Replace It
Artificial intelligence is changing work faster than any technology in history. Yet the organizations seeing the greatest success are not those replacing people with AI. They are the organizations using AI to help people perform at higher levels. In this energetic and pragmatic keynote, Kay explores how leaders can prepare their workforce for an AI-powered future through reskilling, AI literacy, and human-centered adoption strategies. Rather than focusing on fear, Kay demonstrates how organizations can unlock productivity, creativity, and innovation while preserving the uniquely human capabilities that drive long-term success.
Does Your Board Understand AI?: The Questions Every Board, Executive Team & Leader Should Be Asking Now
Artificial intelligence is no longer an IT initiative. It is a board-level issue. Many organizations are investing heavily in AI, yet leadership teams often lack the understanding needed to govern its use effectively. As a result, boards risk missing opportunities, overlooking vulnerabilities, and failing to prepare for a rapidly evolving future. In this executive-focused keynote, Kay provides leaders with a practical roadmap for governing an AI enable business wisely while creating value across the organization.
AI Governance as a Competitive Advantage: Why Responsible AI is No Longer Optional & Why Trust May Become Your Greatest Business Asset
Most conversations about AI governance focus on risk, compliance, and regulation. The best organizations understand that governance is also a strategic advantage. As customers, employees, investors, and regulators demand greater accountability, organizations that build trustworthy AI systems will be better positioned to innovate, compete, and grow. Drawing from her experience advising global corporations, governments, and international institutions, Kay explains how forward-thinking organizations are transforming AI governance from a compliance exercise into a source of resilience, trust, and long-term value.
Human-Centered AI: Building a Future We Actually Want
The decisions leaders make today will shape the relationship between humans and AI for generations to come. We hear constantly about the age of AI. But perhaps we should be talking about the age of humans. As artificial intelligence transforms business, government, education, healthcare, and everyday life, leaders face an increasingly urgent question: What kind of future do we want to create? What will be best for our business?
In this thought-provoking keynote, former Head of AI at the World Economic Forum and TIME100 Impact Award recipient Kay Firth-Butterfield explores how leaders can harness AI’s extraordinary capabilities without losing sight of the human values that make progress worth pursuing in the first place.
Drawing on more than a decade at the forefront of AI governance, Kay challenges audiences to think beyond technology and focus on what truly matters: trust, human agency, purpose, and the future of society.