Best AI Keynote Speakers in the US (2026): Pick by What the Audience Leaves With

Two things before the names. I wrote this list and I'm on it, so read my entry with a pinch of salt. And this is a shortlist worth considering, not a ranking of who's best: I've sorted people by the result a talk is built to produce, and I haven't put anyone at number one.

A note on geography, because the title says US. Allie K. Miller's site puts her in New York City and Rohit Bhargava's site footer lists Washington DC. Where a speaker's own page gives no location, I haven't stated one. Every speaker below lists speaking at events, so check availability for your US date before you fall for a name.

Most organisers start with a list of famous faces and work backwards. I'd start with the sentence you want attendees to say on the way to the car park. "Now I know which AI pilots to run" is a different booking from "I finally get why the board's nervous about AI". Pick the outcome first and the shortlist gets short very quickly.

What should people walk out with?

Your audience should leave with	Start with	The honest trade-off
Marketing and sales plays they can run next quarter	Paul Roetzer, Jay Baer	Roetzer is marketing-specific; Baer puts customers first and AI second
A strategy the executive team can act on	Allie K. Miller, Rohit Bhargava	Miller books through an agency; for Bhargava, AI is one trend among several
New day-to-day habits with AI	Conor Grennan	Built for training and behaviour change, less a big-stage inspirational talk
A clear grip on ethics, risk and trust	Nell Watson	Leans technical and policy; not a sales or marketing talk
Practical AI a small business or marketing team can use this month	Lilach Bullock (me)	Not a household name; I wrote this list

Everything below comes from each speaker's own website, read as of Nov 2026. When I say a site "calls him" or "lists" something, that's their claim in their words, not my verdict. I've left out fees, client logos and awards on purpose.

Plays for marketing and sales teams: Paul Roetzer and Jay Baer

Paul Roetzer

Paul Roetzer's site calls him an AI keynote speaker and says he's given over 300 conference keynotes and private engagements. It says he turns AI developments into practical strategies for piloting and scaling AI, and his listed titles include "5 Essential Steps to Scaling AI" and "How AI Will Transform Your Company and Career". His site names INBOUND, Content Marketing World and Social Media Marketing World among the events he's presented at, and says he created the Marketing AI Conference.

He suits a marketing leadership room or an agency event where people want steps, not sci-fi. The trade-off: his focus is marketing and business leaders, so a deeply technical or purely creative crowd may want someone else. His site publishes fees, so check them there; I haven't printed them.

Jay Baer

Jay Baer's keynotes page is headed "AI, Customer Experience, Marketing Keynote Programs". His AI-era programme, "How to Keep it Real and Win in This Age of Automation", argues that investing in human connection beats chasing automation. His site describes him as a New York Times bestselling author and lists other programmes on loyalty, speed, word of mouth and handling complaints, plus emcee and host work.

He's the pick when your sales or service team needs to leave thinking about customers rather than tools. If the room wants a hands-on AI demo, he isn't the obvious choice, and that's fine: his angle is the human side of automation, and some audiences need exactly that reminder.

A plan the executive team can act on: Allie K. Miller and Rohit Bhargava

Allie K. Miller

Allie K. Miller's site headline describes her as an AI business leader and international speaker in New York City. Her site says she's delivered over 200 talks on AI around the world, that she advises on global AI public policy, and that she launched the first multimodal AI team at IBM. Listed topics include "Building an AI-First Business", "AI Path to Value" and "AI in the Enterprise".

For a US leadership team that wants to leave with a view on where AI creates value in the business, she's an obvious name to look at. The trade-off is the process: bookings go through a CAA page, so expect an enterprise-style enquiry, and her site doesn't say what a smaller event can expect.

Rohit Bhargava

Rohit Bhargava's site describes him as a keynote speaker on trends, innovation, marketing, trust, AI and the future. It says he's a bestselling author of eleven books, founder of the Non-Obvious Company and an adjunct professor of storytelling at Georgetown University, and it promises a reply to booking enquiries within 2 hours.

He fits a strategy or innovation day where AI is one of several shifts the audience should act on. If you want an hour that's all AI, look elsewhere: his page gives little detail on specific AI topics. The real pro is breadth, which helps when your executives need to see AI next to everything else changing in their market.

New habits for the whole team: Conor Grennan

Conor Grennan's site says his keynotes are for organisations that are done with hype, and that people should leave knowing what to do differently. The talks he lists as the ones he gives most include "Stop Treating AI Like a Search Engine", "The Behavior Gap" and "The Four Horsemen of AI Adoption Failure". His site describes him as a former NYU Stern Chief AI Architect and says he also offers enterprise training and online courses, and has spoken at company offsites and L&D summits.

If your problem is that people have licences and don't use them, he's the name on this list built for that. It reads less like a big-stage inspirational talk and more like the start of a change programme. Ask for his session outline before you book, as you would with anyone.

A grip on ethics, risk and trust: Nell Watson

Nell Watson's speaking page says her keynotes cover AI ethics, agentic safety and what machine minds mean for business and society. It says past audiences range from the World Bank and the United Nations to the Royal Society and SXSW. Her home page says she chairs IEEE 3152 and IEEE 3173 and is Vice-Chair of IEEE 7001, so the standards work is real and current.

There's a good reason to give a US audience this hour. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology's AI Risk Management Framework says NIST built it "to better manage risks to individuals, organizations, and society associated with artificial intelligence (AI)", and the same page says it's for voluntary use. Your attendees' risk and legal teams are reading material like that, so a speaker who can explain the thinking earns their place.

Her listed talks include one on agentic AI for boards and technology leaders and a plain introduction called "Hitting the ground running with AI". She isn't a marketing or sales speaker, and the content leans technical and policy, so brief her on your audience's level.

Where I sit

I'm Lilach Bullock, British, and I speak in person and online. I've got 23 years in marketing and I've spoken at over 100 events internationally, including TEDxBolton and Oxford University. My talks are practical AI for business owners and marketing teams: what AI can take off their plate this month, in plain English, from what I've tried in my own business. I've got a page for US conferences that want an AI marketing speaker.

Now the honest bit. I wrote this list and put myself on it, so weigh that. I'm not a household name, I don't have a bestselling AI book on the scale of some people above, and I can't point to a famous-brand main stage here. I'm not an academic, I'm not a futurist and I'm not a bureau. I'm a working practitioner who uses AI in my own business, and the audience leaves with things they can try on Monday. Formats on my speaking page run from a 45 to 60 minute keynote to a workshop of 90 minutes to a full day, plus panels and webinars.

What to ask any AI speaker before you book

Fame tells you very little about whether a talk fits your room. Ask for a full recording, not a sizzle reel, and ask how the session changes for your audience. If you want a fuller checklist, I've written up how to choose an AI keynote speaker and, once you've booked, how to brief them so the talk lands.

Then check three things. Does the outline name the outcome you picked? Does the speaker cover trust and risk, even briefly? And is there a follow-up option, such as a workshop, for the people who want to go further? A no to all three is a no.

Here's my verdict. I'd shortlist two names from the row of the table that matches your outcome, watch one full talk from each, and skip anyone who can't send you a session outline before you sign.

If you want this, start here

1. If your marketing or sales team needs plays for next quarter, start with Paul Roetzer, then Jay Baer for a customer-first angle.
2. If your executives need a plan they can act on, start with Allie K. Miller, then Rohit Bhargava if AI is one of several trends on the agenda.
3. If staff have the tools but haven't changed how they work, start with Conor Grennan.
4. If your board or risk team needs a careful hour on safety and trust, start with Nell Watson; if you want practical AI for a small business or marketing crowd, talk to me.

If you'd like the hour on stage to turn into changes your team keeps making, that's the part I enjoy most. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the best AI keynote speakers in the US?

This is a shortlist, not a ranking, and I wrote it. I'm Lilach Bullock and I've included myself alongside Paul Roetzer, Jay Baer, Allie K. Miller, Rohit Bhargava, Conor Grennan and Nell Watson. Which one fits depends on what you want your audience to leave with: marketing plays, an executive plan, new habits or a grip on risk.

Which AI keynote speaker suits a sales kickoff?

For a sales kickoff I'd look first at Jay Baer, whose AI-era programme is about keeping human connection while automating, and Paul Roetzer, whose listed talks are about piloting and scaling AI in marketing and business. Watch a full talk from each before you decide.

How do I choose between a strategy talk and a hands-on team session?

Decide who needs to change. If it's the leadership team's plan, a strategy talk such as Allie K. Miller's fits. If it's what staff do every day, a behaviour-change session like Conor Grennan's, or a keynote followed by a workshop, will stick better.

Should an AI keynote cover ethics and risk?

Briefly, yes, for almost any audience, because attendees' legal and risk teams are already asking about it. If risk is the whole point of the session, Nell Watson's talks on AI ethics and agentic safety are built for boards and policy audiences.

What should I ask an AI speaker before I book them?

Ask for one full recorded talk, a session outline that names the outcome you want, how they handle trust and risk, and whether they offer a follow-up workshop. Skip anyone who can't send an outline.

Can a speaker do a keynote and a follow-up workshop?

Some can. Conor Grennan's site lists enterprise training alongside keynotes, and my own formats run from a 45 to 60 minute keynote to a workshop of up to a full day. Ask each speaker directly.