Stephen Witt

Bestselling Author of The Thinking Machine, Financial Times Business Book of the Year

Stephen Witt

Bestselling Author of The Thinking Machine, Financial Times Business Book of the Year

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Biography

New Yorker contributor Stephen Witt is one of the leading historians of artificial intelligence. His book The Thinking Machine, a history of Nvidia, hit the bestseller lists in multiple countries and features half a dozen exclusive interviews with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. He has unparalleled insight into what made Jensen one of the most successful business leaders of his era and what made Nvidia one of the most valuable corporations on Earth. He also explains how Jensen’s counterintuitive strategies—like the “speed of light” or the “zero-billion dollar market”—can be applied to any organization, with transformative results.

A clear and direct communicator with a humorous, conversational style, Witt worked in finance for a decade before turning to journalism and has practical, hands-on knowledge of what makes businesses succeed. He has interviewed many of the major figures in the field of AI and has deep, intimate knowledge of the technologies and people that have made modern AI possible. His presentations blend original research with narrative history to weave compelling stories about the most important technology of our time.

He is also an award-winning television producer, and his previous book, How Music Got Free, told the story of the underground mp3 revolution. He has unique insight into how AI will affect the creative industries and how producers can position themselves to take advantage of this generational technological shift. He speaks directly to the challenges AI presents to writers, musicians, filmmakers, and creatives of all kinds.

Stephen Witt continues to write full-time about AI. He recently covered the data center boom and the emerging market for AI risk analysis. In addition to his work with The New Yorker, he appears regularly on NPR and in the opinion pages of The New York Times.

A highly sought-after speaker, Stephen Witt presents to corporations, universities, and organizations, translating complex developments in artificial intelligence into clear, actionable insights for leaders and teams. He helps audiences understand how AI is reshaping industries, creativity, and decision-making in real time. Stephen Witt works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.

Speaker Videos

Mad Scientists and Hondas

The Wright Brothers Moment

Ai & The First Out in the First Inning

The Thinking Machine

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Speech Topics

Our AI Future

AI can write code. It can crack impossible math problems. It can spot illness, discover drugs, and teach machines to move through the real world. Soon, it will learn to improve itself. Drawing on years of reporting inside the AI industry, Stephen Witt explains what is coming next, from humanoid robots to cures for disease to recursive, self-augmenting super-intelligence. A thrilling tour of a future arriving much sooner than expected, this talk can be tailored to the needs of your audience or organization.

Is AI Beyond Our Control?

The world was shocked when OpenAI revealed that a rogue, experimental AI had hacked out of its containment system and started committing real-world cybercrimes. The damage was relatively limited, but what happens when the more capable machines of tomorrow start acting beyond our control? This talk explores the risks we face from AI: fraud, hacking, job loss and even threats to our existence. Stephen Witt moves beyond hypotheticals to give concrete examples of what can go wrong, and what we can still do about it.

What I Learned From Jensen Huang

In this talk, Stephen tells the story of how a small-time vendor of video-game hardware transformed itself into the most valuable corporation on Earth. He delves into the incredible story of Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, and his rise from Denny’s dishwasher to the emperor of AI. He reveals the secret strategies Jensen learned along the way, and how his counterintuitive business philosophy produced the most revolutionary technology of modern times. This fascinating story also shows shares lessons that businesses can apply to their own organizations and how you can leverage Jensen’s philosophy in your own life.

Testimonials

“Stephen was such a delight last Thursday and ended our conference on a high with his energy and presentation. He has appeared many times on our audience feedback questionnaire as the highlight.”

- Schroders

"Stephen Witt delivered an incredibly engaging and thought-provoking session, bringing the NVIDIA story and Jensen Huang’s journey to life with remarkable insight and authenticity. His perspective on AI, innovation, politics, and sensitive geopolitical issues was eye-opening, honest, and refreshingly different. A captivating storyteller who left us inspired and with plenty to think about."

- SAP

“Stephen was great! His was the best attended session of the day and was a really interesting opener to the event. A great perspective to have, especially as so many of our sessions naturally leant into gen AI.”

- With Intelligence

“He was an absolute rockstar on and off the stage. Our clients and senior management team were extremely impressed with his perspectives and fresh insights….”

- General Reinsurance