Alex Banayan
#1 International Bestselling Author | Creator of The Third Door Framework | Forbes 30 Under 30
Will.i.am
Nine-Time Grammy Winner & Black Eyed Peas Co-Founder | Founder & CEO, FYI.AI | Early Investor, OpenAI & Anthropic | UN Goodwill Ambassador for AI
will.i.am built one of music's most iconic acts, helped found Beats Electronics, and made early bets on OpenAI and Anthropic long before AI was a boardroom concern. Today, as founder and CEO of FYI.AI and a UN Goodwill Ambassador for AI, he is one of the most credible and compelling voices on creativity, technology, and building an inclusive AI future for the communities technology usually overlooks.
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Will.i.am biography
will.i.am is one of the most genuinely cross-disciplinary figures of his generation, a nine-time Grammy Award-winning musician, technology entrepreneur, AI founder, investor, and education advocate whose career resists easy categorization. Born William James Adams Jr. in Los Angeles and raised in the Boyle Heights housing projects, he led the Black Eyed Peas to global superstardom, selling more than 60 million singles worldwide and producing some of the most commercially successful records of the era. Yet the more enduring story of speaker will.i.am may be the one unfolding in technology, where he has spent two decades building companies, making early investments, and arguing that artificial intelligence is not a threat to human creativity but its greatest amplifier.
As a celebrity AI speaker, will.i.am has sat at the intersection of music and technology longer than almost anyone in entertainment. As part of the original founding team behind Beats Electronics, he helped build one of the most successful consumer electronics brands in history before Apple’s $3 billion acquisition. He went on to found i.am+, a company focused on AI, natural language understanding, and voice computing, and made early investments in OpenAI, Anthropic, Pinterest, and Dropbox, a portfolio that reflects conviction rather than celebrity opportunism. His flagship venture today is FYI.AI, a creativity and productivity platform for the creative community that integrates AI-powered communication, collaboration, and idea generation, including RAiDiO.FYI, an interactive radio experience with culturally diverse AI personas that converse with listeners in real time.
will.i.am serves as Goodwill Ambassador for the AI Skills Coalition of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union, a recognition of his sustained advocacy for AI literacy, digital inclusion, and equitable access to the opportunities technology creates. He has partnered with Qualcomm to embed FYI.AI across its Snapdragon line of chips, reaching phones, PCs, and connected vehicles at scale, and hosts will.i.am Presents the FYI Show on SiriusXM, featuring the platform’s own AI co-host FYIona. As a Professor of Practice in the GAME School at Arizona State University, he has helped launch FYI EDU, bringing agentic artificial intelligence into the classroom.
Education Advocacy and the Long Game
Parallel to his technology career, will.i.am has built one of the entertainment world’s most credible philanthropic platforms around STEAM education for underserved youth. Through the i.am Angel Foundation, he has funded scholarships and in-school and after-school STEAM programmes for disadvantaged students in communities like his own childhood neighbourhood. He serves on the boards of College Track, FIRST Global robotics, and the Smithsonian Science Education Center, and has been honoured with a TIME 100 Impact Award, the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award, the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, and an Honorary Fellowship from the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He also co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Generation AI working group on AI, youth, and education.
As a speaker, will.i.am is unlike anyone else on the stage. He speaks from lived experience at the crossroads of creativity, technology, and social impact, bringing the energy of a performer, the analytical depth of a serial entrepreneur, and the moral clarity of someone who has never forgotten where he came from. Audiences leave not just inspired but challenged to rethink the relationship between human imagination and machine intelligence.
Will.i.am Speaking Videos
Will.I.Am at Tech Tranformers
Will.I.Am Speaking at closing of First Robotics Championship 2016
Will.i.am Keynote Topics
will.i.am has argued for years that artificial intelligence is not the enemy of human creativity but its next great amplifier, much as hip-hop was for a generation with no studios, no instruments, and no gatekeepers to ask for permission. Drawing on his dual career as a global music artist and AI entrepreneur, he explores what the collision of machine intelligence and human imagination actually produces, and why the organizations that learn to work at that intersection will shape the next era of culture, business, and innovation.
Growing up in the Boyle Heights housing projects, will.i.am was never supposed to become a technology entrepreneur. In his most personal keynote, he traces the path from East Los Angeles to co-founding Beats, investing in OpenAI, and building FYI.AI, drawing out what unconventional routes teach about risk, resilience, and the kind of thinking that disrupts industries precisely because it comes from outside them. A session for organizations that want to understand what real innovation looks like and where it comes from.
As a UN Goodwill Ambassador for AI and founder of the i.am Angel Foundation, will.i.am contends that the defining question of the AI era is not whether the technology is powerful but whether its benefits will be shared. He challenges technology leaders, corporations, and governments to ensure AI amplifies the voices and opportunities of communities historically shut out of innovation. Grounded in his own biography and his work in STEAM education, the keynote reframes inclusion as a competitive and moral imperative rather than a compliance checkbox.
What happens to creative industries when machines can compose, design, and produce? will.i.am's answer is neither dystopian nor naive. Drawing on his experience making music alongside AI tools, building AI personalities for FYI.AI, and co-chairing the World Economic Forum's Generation AI working group, he maps a future in which human creativity becomes more valuable, not less, but only for those who learn to collaborate with the technology rather than compete against it. Essential for leaders in media, entertainment, marketing, and any creative field reckoning with generative AI.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Will.i.am
Why will.i.am?
Booking will.i.am secures one of the most compelling and genuinely credentialed voices at the intersection of creativity, technology, and social impact. He is not a musician who dabbles in tech; he is a nine-time Grammy winner who was part of the founding team of Beats Electronics, an early investor in OpenAI and Anthropic, the founder and CEO of FYI.AI, and a UN Goodwill Ambassador for AI. His command of an audience is extraordinary, combining the presence of a world-class performer, the clarity of a successful entrepreneur, and a life story rooted in real adversity and transformation. Whether your event centers on AI, innovation, diversity in technology, the future of creativity, or education, he delivers a keynote audiences keep talking about long after the lights go down. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check his availability.
What is FYI.AI, and what does will.i.am's company do?
FYI.AI is will.i.am's creative technology company, built around an AI-powered productivity and communication platform designed for the creative community. It integrates messaging, video collaboration, and AI-generated idea tools, and has expanded to include RAiDiO.FYI, an interactive AI radio experience with culturally diverse AI personas that converse with listeners in real time. FYI.AI has partnered with Qualcomm to embed the platform across its Snapdragon chip line, extending its reach into phones, PCs, and connected vehicles, and now powers FYI EDU, an education initiative launched with Arizona State University, where will.i.am serves as a Professor of Practice. He describes FYI.AI as his effort to ensure AI reflects and empowers every community, not only those already privileged by technology.
What investments has will.i.am made in technology?
will.i.am has built one of the most credible technology investment portfolios in entertainment. He was part of the original founding team of Beats Electronics, which Apple acquired for $3 billion, and made early investments in OpenAI, Anthropic, Pinterest, and Dropbox, well before those companies became household names. Through his company i.am+, he has also backed and developed businesses across AI, natural language understanding, voice computing, automotive, consumer electronics, fashion, and telecom. His record is not a celebrity lending a name; it is a pattern of identifying transformative technology early and committing to it.
What topics does AI speaker will.i.am cover at events?
As a keynote speaker, will.i.am covers the future of artificial intelligence and creativity, the democratization of technology and AI inclusion, the meeting point of music and machine intelligence, STEAM education and opportunity for underserved communities, entrepreneurship from unconventional starting points, and the ethics of AI development. He is especially effective for events in technology, media and entertainment, innovation, diversity and inclusion, and corporate culture, and can open a main stage, anchor a fireside chat, or close a conference on a high. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to discuss how to make the most of will.i.am's appearance at your event.
How to book Will.i.am as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Will.i.am as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Will.i.am'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 Will.i.am or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Will.i.am speaking fee?
Will.i.am 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 Will.i.am 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 Will.i.am.
How can I contact Will.i.am?
We only work with Will.i.am on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Will.i.am and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Will.i.am 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 Will.i.am for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Will.i.am for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Will.i.am is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Will.i.am for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
