Robert Spector
Bestselling Author of The Nordstrom Way | Customer Experience & Corporate Culture Expert | Keynote Speaker in 27 Countries
Sebastian Thrun
AI Visionary | Founder of Google X, Waymo, Udacity & Kitty Hawk | Inventor of the Self-Driving Car | Stanford Adjunct Professor
The future belongs to human-machine collaboration, and few have shaped this frontier more profoundly than AI pioneer Sebastian Thrun. Founder of Google X and Waymo, inventor of the self-driving car, and creator of Udacity, Thrun has redefined innovation in robotics, AI, transportation, and education. A captivating speaker, he continues to inspire audiences worldwide as one of the world's best speakers when it comes to innovation.
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Sebastian Thrun biography
AI speaker Sebastian Thrun, widely recognized as the ‘godfather’ of self-driving technology and a visionary AI entrepreneur, has significantly influenced academia, industry, and technological innovation. At Stanford University, Thrun spearheaded groundbreaking AI research, paving the way for autonomous vehicles. His robotic vehicle, Stanley, won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and is featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
In 2007, Thrun joined Google as Vice-President and Fellow, founding Google X in 2009, Google’s secretive and renowned innovation lab known for ambitious “moonshot” projects aimed at radically improving technologies by at least tenfold to address humanity’s most significant challenges. Under his visionary leadership, Google X developed transformative projects including Waymo, Street View, Google Brain, Google Glass, Wing, and GCam. Google Brain revolutionized machine learning capabilities, notably advancing YouTube Gemini, while Waymo emerged as the global leader in autonomous driving.
Thrun’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to found Udacity, a pioneering educational technology platform offering innovative ‘nanodegrees’ that have educated millions globally in AI, machine learning, and software development. Known as the “Godfather of MOOCs,” Thrun notably collaborated with Georgia Tech to create the first affordable online Master’s degree in computer science. In 2024, Udacity was acquired by Accenture.
Expanding his entrepreneurial ventures, Thrun co-founded Kitty Hawk Corporation, a trailblazing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company, alongside Google’s co-founder Larry Page. Kitty Hawk developed over 100 electric flying vehicles, conducting more than 30,000 flights before selling its flagship Cora project to Boeing, now operating as Wisk.aero.
Sebastian Thrun Today: AI Entrepreneur, Board Member, Tech Industry Leader & Sought-After AI Keynote Speaker
Currently, Thrun serves on the Board of Cresta AI, a fast-growing company that uses real-time AI coaching to enhance customer service and sales performance. He is also CEO of Sage Labs, a stealth AI venture building next-generation, real-world applications of artificial intelligence through advanced research and product innovation. In 2025, OpenAI acquired Crossing Minds, one of the AI companies Thrun co-founded, bringing its team and technology in-house to accelerate OpenAI’s personalization and recommendation capabilities.
Named among the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine and recognized by The Guardian as a ‘fighter for internet freedom,’ AI speaker Sebastian Thrun is also one of the youngest members ever inducted into the US National Academy of Engineering. His insightful keynote speeches offer audiences an unparalleled look into the forefront of AI, robotics, and educational innovation.
Sebastian Thrun Speaking Videos
The Man Who Builds for the Decade Ahead | Founder of Google X, Waymo, and Udacity
Sebastian Thrun - What AI is - and isn't
Sebastian Thrun Keynote Topics
Sebastian Thrun, one of the pioneering minds behind Google X and the founding force of Waymo, takes us on a behind-the-scenes journey through some of the most groundbreaking technological initiatives of the past two decades. From launching self-driving cars to spearheading moonshot projects, Thrun will share candid insights into the culture of innovation at Google, the mindset required to lead high-risk, high-reward ventures, and the lessons learned from building technologies once thought impossible. In the second half of his talk, Thrun will turn his focus to the present and future of artificial intelligence—offering a personal, thought-provoking outlook on where AI is heading, how it will transform our world, and what responsibilities innovators must embrace as we stand on the cusp of the next great technological revolution.
Thrun is known as the godfather of AI and machine learning. In 2005, his team won the DARPA Grand Challenge with their robot “Stanley.” He also founded Google X in 2010 and led its self-driving car team. Thrun truly believes that AI has limitless applications, and is set to disrupt many industries in the next years. In this fascinating session, Thrun will talk about these limitless applications and how he envisions a near future in which AI powers every business and industry.
Sebastian Thrun — the scientist and inventor, educator and serial entrepreneur, Google moonshot factory chieftain and self-driving car architect — is trying to disrupt yet another industry. His latest passion project: Kitty Hawk, the electric flying car company led by himself and backed by Google’s Larry Page. In this talk, Sebastian will talk about the future of flight and how this startup aims to free people from traffic. He will also talk about he started, and led, Google's autonomous-car project and is now building a self-driving car at his online-learning startup Udacity.
Sebastian Thrun is pioneering online education at his online-learning startup, Udacity. Udacity has been called the “University of Silicon Valley.” as it provides Nanodegrees in programming, data science, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and more. Sebastian has long advocated for the future of education being online, and has disrupted already higher education with the Nanodegrees which significantly reduce the cost of a technical education, bringing the most innovative and latest skills that companies nowadays require, and makes it available all around the world. The purpose of Thrun is to fill the nationwide gap in skilled technology workers that are needed to handle the high-tech jobs of today and tomorrow.
From the Google Self Driving Car to Google Glass to the education start-up Udacity, Sebastian Thrun has led remarkable teams in the creation of products that will truly change the way the world works in the future. Which is why we selected him as the 2013 winner of the ALVA Award, a special prize presented by Behance in partnership with GE to recognize remarkable serial inventors.
In this talk, Thrun outlines his approach to making incredible ideas happen. Along the way he talks about the importance of setting wildly ambitious goals, embracing failure as an opportunity to learn, iterating as fast as you can, and giving your team members the autonomy they need to invent.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Sebastian Thrun
Why is Sebastian Thrun considered a leading AI keynote speaker?
Sebastian Thrun is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of modern artificial intelligence and autonomous driving. As the founder of Google X and co-founder of Waymo, as well as the creator of Udacity, he has shaped the development of AI across academia, industry, and education. His keynote speeches provide first-hand insights into breakthrough innovation, machine learning, robotics, and the future of technology, making him one of the most sought-after AI keynote speakers worldwide.
Organizations interested in booking Sebastian Thrun for conferences or executive events can contact Aurum Speakers Bureau for availability and tailored proposals.
What topics does AI speaker Sebastian Thrun cover in his keynote speeches?
AI speaker Sebastian Thrun covers topics such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, machine learning, moonshot innovation, digital transformation, and the future of education. Drawing on his experience at Stanford, Google X, Waymo, Udacity, and his current AI ventures, he offers strategic insights designed for senior leadership audiences navigating technological disruption. For detailed keynote themes and booking information, Aurum Speakers Bureau provides direct access to his speaking engagements.
Is Sebastian Thrun the inventor of the self-driving car?
Sebastian Thrun did not single-handedly invent the self-driving car, but he is widely regarded as one of the central pioneers of modern autonomous vehicle technology. He led Stanford’s team to victory in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge with the robotic vehicle Stanley and later founded Google’s self-driving car project, which became Waymo — now a global leader in autonomous driving.
Did Sebastian Thrun found Google X?
Yes, Sebastian Thrun founded Google X in 2009 as Google’s innovation lab dedicated to ambitious “moonshot” projects. Under his leadership, Google X developed transformative initiatives such as Waymo, Google Brain, and Wing, positioning it as one of the world’s most influential advanced technology labs.
How to book Sebastian Thrun as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Sebastian Thrun as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Sebastian Thrun'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 Sebastian Thrun or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Sebastian Thrun speaking fee?
Sebastian Thrun 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 Sebastian Thrun 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 Sebastian Thrun.
How can I contact Sebastian Thrun?
We only work with Sebastian Thrun on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Sebastian Thrun and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Sebastian Thrun 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 Sebastian Thrun for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Sebastian Thrun for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Sebastian Thrun is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Sebastian Thrun for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
