Richard Yonck

Richard Yonck is a global futurist and international keynote speaker who explores the future of many emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, healthcare, biotechnology and genetics, transportation, robotics, and more. An inspiring and thought-provoking presenter, Yonck expands audiences understanding of the key considerations and societal implications of these advances, including areas such as the emotion AI, human values in an everchanging world, organizational resilience, and AgriTech. Doing this is a key step to helping identify and work toward our preferred futures.

Yonck is an advisor to businesses and organizations about emerging trends and future developments. His clients include global Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Samsung, and Xerox, as well as industry associations and organizations including TIAA, American Cancer Society, Atotech, American Marketing Association, Naturipe Berry Growers, and the U.S. State Department. He has spoken at various prestigious events and venues, including the Emotion AI Summit at the MIT Media Lab and a guest lecture at Parsons School of Design in July 2021.

An avid writer and thought leader, Yonck’s books explore the nature and future of human and artificial intelligence. His latest book, "Future Minds," dives deep into the development of machine and human intelligence through the 21st century and beyond. His previous book, "Heart of the Machine," studies the future of the emerging technologies that allow computers and robots to read, interpret, and influence human emotions. Now in its second edition, it is required reading at several universities in the U.S. and around the world. Yonck covers emerging technologies for the technology news website GeekWire and has been published by and quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Forbes, Wired, Fast Company, BBC News, and many others. Formerly an executive board member of the Association of Professional Futurists, Yonck is a member of the National Association of Science Writers and a TED speaker. He believes that strategic foresight and futures planning can serve everyone and is an impassioned advocate about the many benefits of futures thinking and science literacy.