Ben Feringa
2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry | Jacobus van't Hoff Professor, University of Groningen | Inventor of the Molecular Motor | Pioneer of Photopharmacology
Nataliya Kosmyna
Research Scientist, MIT Media Lab | Visiting Faculty at Google | Brain-Computer Interface Pioneer | Lead Author of Your Brain on ChatGPT | UNESCO Neurotech Ethics Expert
Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna is a research scientist at MIT Media Lab and one of the world's leading voices on brain-computer interfaces. She has spent over 16 years building systems that read brain activity to help paralyzed patients communicate and to sharpen focus and learning. She also led the widely discussed MIT study on the cognitive cost of writing with AI. On stage, she shows how technology can amplify human intelligence rather than replace it.
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Nataliya Kosmyna biography
Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna works at one of the most consequential frontiers in technology: the direct connection between the human brain and the machines around it. An MIT Media Lab research scientist with more than sixteen years in brain-computer interfaces, she builds systems that read brain activity in real time, and she asks a question most of the technology industry would rather skip: what does using these tools actually cost us?
AI speaker Nataliya Kosmyna is a research scientist in MIT Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces group and a visiting research faculty member at Google. Her work spans decoding mental images from brain signals, measuring engagement and fatigue as they happen, and building interfaces that let people with ALS and other conditions communicate with their families or control their environment. She became one of the most cited voices in the global AI conversation as lead author of the MIT study “Your Brain on ChatGPT,” which used EEG to examine what happens in the brain when people write with an AI assistant, and introduced the idea of “cognitive debt” into mainstream debate.
From Brain-Computer Interfaces to the Ethics of Neurotechnology
Kosmyna earned her PhD in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces in France before joining MIT Media Lab in 2017, and her projects have been deployed in classrooms, hospitals, workplaces, aerospace settings, low Earth orbit, and on the Moon, tested by more than seventeen thousand people. She collaborates with teams at NASA, Boston Dynamics, and Microsoft Research. Recognizing that this technology raises questions no single lab can answer, she served as one of twenty-four international experts who drafted UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, adopted in November 2025, and advises UNICEF on neurotechnology and children. She is a L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science laureate and was named one of the top French talents by MIT Innovators Under 35.
As a speaker, Nataliya Kosmyna is that unusual combination: a builder of the technology and one of its most thoughtful critics. She speaks on brain-computer interfaces and the future of human-machine collaboration, the cognitive cost of AI tools and how to use them well, attention, focus, and augmenting human performance, and the ethics and governance of neurotechnology. Audiences leave with a clear-eyed view of where this technology is genuinely heading, and sharper questions to ask about the tools they already use every day.
Nataliya Kosmyna Speaking Videos
Designing next-gen user interfaces - Nataliya Kosmyna, Ph.D, Michelle Cortese (Config 2023)
How to control objects with the power of your thoughts | Nataliya Kosmyna | TEDxFHKufstein
Nataliya Kosmyna Keynote Topics
Kosmyna led the MIT study that put the phrase "cognitive debt" into the global conversation, using EEG to observe what happens in the brain when people write with an AI assistant versus a search engine versus nothing at all. She walks audiences through what the research found, what it does and does not yet prove, and how organizations can adopt AI in ways that build capability rather than quietly erode it.
Drawing on sixteen years of building BCIs, Kosmyna separates genuine capability from science fiction. She shows how brain sensing already helps paralyzed patients communicate, keeps astronauts attentive, and supports learning in classrooms, and gives audiences a grounded picture of what will and will not be possible as these interfaces move toward everyday use.
Kosmyna's research uses real-time biofeedback to strengthen the mental states that matter most for performance. She explains what attention and focus actually look like inside the brain, why they are under such pressure in modern work, and what closed-loop technology and better habits can realistically do to protect and improve them.
As one of the experts who drafted UNESCO's global recommendation on neurotechnology ethics, Kosmyna addresses the questions arriving faster than the rules: who owns your brain data, what protections children need, and how societies should govern technology that can read and influence cognition. Essential for leaders, policymakers, and anyone building or buying these tools.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Nataliya Kosmyna
Why Nataliya Kosmyna?
Booking Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna gives audiences a genuine frontier researcher on the two subjects most organizations are wrestling with right now: artificial intelligence and the human brain. She is an MIT Media Lab scientist with sixteen years in brain-computer interfaces, a visiting faculty member at Google, and the lead author of the MIT study on cognitive debt that became one of the most discussed pieces of AI research of the year. Crucially, she is neither a hype merchant nor a doomsayer: she builds this technology and studies its costs, and she helped write UNESCO's global ethics recommendation for it. That balance makes her unusually credible and unusually useful. She is ideal for events on AI, technology, innovation, education, and the future of work. To bring Nataliya Kosmyna to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Nataliya Kosmyna?
Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna is a research scientist at MIT Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces group and a visiting research faculty member at Google, specializing in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces. Ukrainian-born and educated in France, she earned her PhD in BCIs in 2015 and joined MIT in 2017. Her work applies EEG-based brain sensing to health, learning, attention, and accessibility, and her projects have been deployed everywhere from classrooms and hospitals to low Earth orbit. She was lead author of the MIT study "Your Brain on ChatGPT," served as one of twenty-four experts drafting UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, and is a L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science laureate.
What did the MIT "Your Brain on ChatGPT" study find?
Led by Nataliya Kosmyna at MIT Media Lab and released in June 2025, the study asked participants to write essays in one of three conditions: using an LLM, using a search engine, or using no tools, while their brain activity was measured with EEG. It reported that neural connectivity scaled with the amount of external support, with the no-tools group showing the most distributed networks and the LLM group the weakest, and that LLM users reported lower ownership of their essays and had more difficulty quoting their own writing. Importantly, the paper was released as a preprint and its authors stated the conclusions should be treated as preliminary pending peer review; other researchers have since published comments raising questions about sample size and methodology. Kosmyna's own framing is about understanding the true cost of the tools we use, not declaring AI harmful.
What topics does AI speaker Nataliya Kosmyna cover?
Nataliya Kosmyna speaks on the cognitive cost of AI tools and how to use them well, brain-computer interfaces and the future of human-machine collaboration, attention, focus, and augmenting human performance, and the ethics and governance of neurotechnology. Her keynotes suit events on AI, technology, innovation, education, healthcare, and the future of work. To book Nataliya Kosmyna as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Nataliya Kosmyna as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Nataliya Kosmyna as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Nataliya Kosmyna'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 Nataliya Kosmyna or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Nataliya Kosmyna speaking fee?
Nataliya Kosmyna 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 Nataliya Kosmyna 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 Nataliya Kosmyna.
How can I contact Nataliya Kosmyna?
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Can I book Nataliya Kosmyna for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Nataliya Kosmyna is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Nataliya Kosmyna for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
