Shannon O’Neil
Bestselling Author, The Globalization Myth. Leading authority on Global Trade, Supply Chains, Mexico & Latam
Ajay Agrawal
Economist & Professor, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto | Founder, Creative Destruction Lab | Co-Author, Prediction Machines & Power and Prediction | Member, Order of Canada
Ajay Agrawal built the world's largest AI startup incubator, co-authored the two defining books on AI economics, and advises governments on both sides of the Pacific — all while co-founding a company building the world's first human-like general-purpose robots. As a speaker, he gives senior leaders the strategic framework they need to stop treating AI as a tool and start treating it as the most significant power shift of their lifetime.
Want to book Ajay Agrawal as a speaker for your event? Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:
Ajay Agrawal biography
Ajay Agrawal is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the economics of artificial intelligence — an economist, institution-builder, and entrepreneur whose work has shaped how governments, corporations, and investors understand the strategic implications of machine intelligence. A professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a Member of the Order of Canada, he combines the rigour of academic research with the hands-on perspective of someone who has built one of the most influential AI ecosystems on the planet.
AI speaker Ajay Agrawal is best known as the founder of the Creative Destruction Lab, a not-for-profit program operating across more than a dozen universities globally that accelerates science-based startups at the earliest and riskiest stage of their development. Since its founding in 2012, CDL has supported over a thousand companies spanning medical devices, quantum computing, biotech, autonomous vehicles, agriculture, energy, and pharmaceuticals — generating over $50 billion in equity value across its global network. It is the largest AI startup incubator in the world, and its alumni represent a who’s who of the most consequential technology companies to emerge from the past decade.
Agrawal’s intellectual framework for understanding AI is captured in two bestselling books published by Harvard Business Review Press. Prediction Machines introduced the idea that AI is fundamentally a radical reduction in the cost of prediction — and that this simple economic insight unlocks a clear-eyed view of which jobs, industries, and strategies will be disrupted and which will be strengthened. Its successor, Power and Prediction, goes further: arguing that when AI shifts decision-making, it doesn’t just change efficiency — it reallocates power between individuals, firms, industries, and nations. Former World Bank Chief Economist Lawrence Summers called it the best book yet on what AI will mean for everyone who participates in the economy.
Government Advisor, Robotics Co-Founder, and the Frontier of AI
Beyond the lab and the lecture hall, Agrawal has advised the U.S. government as a member of a National Academies committee on Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century, and currently advises the government of Japan as a member of the International Advisory Committee for the National Institute for Information and Communications Technology. He is co-founder of Sanctuary AI — a Vancouver-based company on a mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots — and founder of Mind Lab 56, a studio building enterprise AI solutions that leverage generative AI. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, an advisory council member at the Brookings Institution, and a faculty affiliate at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto.
As a speaker, Ajay Agrawal delivers what few AI voices can: a framework that is simultaneously grounded in economic theory, tested by real-world startup experience, and calibrated for senior decision-makers who need to act — not just understand. His central message is direct: being second in the AI race is not good enough. Organizations that treat AI as a productivity tool rather than a strategic inflection point will be disrupted by those who don’t. Audiences leave with a sharper understanding of where power is shifting, how to allocate capital and talent in response, and what decisions need to be made at the CEO level — before the window closes.
Ajay Agrawal Speaking Videos
Ajay Agrawal - Not Just Algorithms, Data, and Compute: AI Complements
The Simple Economics of AI: Ajay Agrawal
Ajay Agrawal Keynote Topics
AI is not simply making existing processes faster — it is shifting power between people, companies, industries, and nations. In this keynote based on his landmark book, Agrawal explains the disruptive economics of machine intelligence: how AI's ability to predict at low cost redistributes decision-making authority across every sector, and what that means for competitive strategy. With case studies drawn from his work at CDL and his advisory roles with the U.S. and Japanese governments, he maps where power is moving — and what leaders must do today to be on the right side of that shift.
Many organizations have deployed AI for efficiency gains. Far fewer have grasped what it means when AI doesn't just optimize the current business model but makes it obsolete. Agrawal draws on the economic frameworks from Prediction Machines and Power and Prediction to help senior leaders ask better strategic questions: Where in our industry is AI shifting power? Which decisions currently made by humans will be better made by machines — and what happens to the people and organizations whose authority rested on making those decisions? A session designed for boards and C-suites who need to set AI strategy, not just AI policy.
Since 2012, the Creative Destruction Lab has backed over a thousand science-based startups and watched them generate more than $50 billion in equity value. In this keynote, Agrawal distills the patterns he has observed across thousands of pitches, hundreds of companies, and over a decade of frontier AI development. What makes a science-based startup succeed? What do most corporations get wrong when trying to innovate? And what does the current generation of AI startups tell us about where the technology is actually headed? A grounded, data-rich session for investors, innovation leaders, and anyone trying to understand where value will be created in the AI economy.
As co-founder of Sanctuary AI — which is building the world's first general-purpose robot with human-like intelligence — Agrawal offers a rare insider perspective on the convergence of AI and physical automation. In this forward-looking keynote, he examines what humanoid robots will mean for labor markets, industrial strategy, and the global economy over the coming decade: which jobs are genuinely at risk, which will be augmented, and how leaders should be thinking about workforce planning in a world where the supply of intelligent labor is no longer fixed.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Ajay Agrawal
Why Ajay Agrawal?
Booking Ajay Agrawal means bringing to your event the rare combination of world-class academic credibility, real-world entrepreneurial authority, and genuine on-stage clarity on AI. He doesn't just explain what AI is — he explains what it means for strategy, power, and competitive positioning in terms that senior leaders can act on immediately. As founder of the world's largest AI startup incubator, co-author of the two most important business books on AI economics, advisor to the U.S. and Japanese governments, and co-founder of a frontier robotics company, he speaks from a vantage point that no commentator or theorist can replicate. For events where AI is on the agenda and the audience needs more than hype, Agrawal is the definitive choice. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check his availability for your next event.
What is the Creative Destruction Lab?
The Creative Destruction Lab is a not-for-profit startup accelerator founded by Ajay Agrawal at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management in 2012. Unlike traditional accelerators, CDL focuses exclusively on science-based companies at the earliest, most high-risk stage of development — connecting founders with world-class mentors, scientists, and investors in a structured program designed to help them transform scientific breakthroughs into scalable businesses. CDL now operates at more than a dozen universities across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and beyond, and its alumni companies have generated over $50 billion in equity value across sectors including AI, quantum computing, biotech, and clean energy.
What is the core argument of Prediction Machines and Power and Prediction?
Prediction Machines argues that AI's most important economic effect is to dramatically reduce the cost of prediction — the ability to fill in missing information and anticipate what will happen next. When prediction becomes cheap, its value shifts to the complements of prediction: data, judgment, and action. This framework gives leaders a clear lens through which to evaluate which parts of their business AI will automate, augment, or transform. Power and Prediction extends this by examining what happens when AI doesn't just improve existing processes but shifts decision-making authority — and with it, power — between people, companies, industries, and nations. Together, the two books form the most rigorous and accessible guide available to the strategic economics of AI.
What topics does AI speaker Ajay Agrawal cover?
Ajay Agrawal speaks on the economics of artificial intelligence, AI strategy for executives and boards, the competitive implications of machine intelligence, how AI shifts power across industries and nations, the future of work, and how to allocate capital in an AI-driven economy. His keynotes are tailored for C-suite leaders, investors, boards, and policymakers who need frameworks for high-stakes decisions rather than general overviews. Aurum Speakers Bureau can advise on the format and focus best suited to your event's objectives and audience.
How to book Ajay Agrawal as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Ajay Agrawal as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Ajay Agrawal's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Ajay Agrawal or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Ajay Agrawal speaking fee?
Ajay Agrawal speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Ajay Agrawal to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Ajay Agrawal.
How can I contact Ajay Agrawal?
We only work with Ajay Agrawal on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Ajay Agrawal and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Ajay Agrawal speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Ajay Agrawal for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Ajay Agrawal for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Ajay Agrawal is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Ajay Agrawal for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
