Ray Kurzweil

Chief Futurist For Google, Co-Founder and Chancellor of Singularity University, National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee, & Elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering

Ray Kurzweil’s Biography:

Ray Kurzweil is a pioneering inventor, futurist and New York Times bestselling author whose work has shaped global conversations on artificial intelligence and the future of humanity. As Principal Researcher and AI Visionary at Google and Co-Founder and Chancellor of Singularity University, Ray is internationally recognised for his bold yet data-driven predictions about technological acceleration. A recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the Lemelson-MIT Prize, he has been honoured by three US presidents and named by PBS as one of 16 revolutionaries who made America.

Ray’s career began with groundbreaking inventions that combined computing and accessibility. He created the first print-to-speech reading machine for blind people and developed a synthesiser capable of authentically recreating the sound of a grand piano. Over the decades, he gained recognition not only for innovation but for remarkably accurate forecasts, including predicting the rise of the World Wide Web and that a computer would defeat a world chess champion. His early accolades include the Grace Murray Hopper Award and recognition as Engineer of the Year.

In 2012, Ray joined Google as Principal Researcher and AI Visionary, focusing on machine learning and natural language processing. His work builds on decades of research into exponential technological growth and the concept of the technological singularity. In 2024, he published ‘The Singularity is Nearer’, a sequel to his influential bestseller ‘The Singularity is Near’. The book has been widely discussed within the technology community and praised by leading thinkers for its forward-looking analysis of AI integration into human life.

Ray has received numerous awards including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the Arthur C. Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award and the Silicon Valley Visionary Award. Consistently ranked among the most fascinating entrepreneurs in the United States, he remains one of the most influential futurists of the digital age, continuing to shape debate around artificial intelligence, longevity science and the convergence of humans and machines.

Why Hire Ray Kurzweil?

Ray Kurzweil is hired as a speaker for his unparalleled track record of technological innovation and accurate long-term forecasting. With decades of experience inventing transformative technologies and shaping AI research at Google, he provides audiences with evidence-based insight into exponential growth, machine intelligence and the future of human capability.

His TED talk, ‘The Last 6 Decades of AI – and What Comes Next‘, demonstrates his ability to distil complex technological shifts into clear, compelling narratives. Drawing on his bestselling books and globally recognised predictions, Ray equips leaders, technologists and policymakers with strategic foresight into artificial intelligence, longevity science and the convergence of humans and machines.

Ray Kurzweil’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Ray Kurzweil’s impressive career:

• 2025 – Featured in a public lecture at MIT receiving the Robert A. Muh Alumni Award, where he emphasised his lifelong optimism about artificial intelligence and technological progress.
• 2024 – Published The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge with AI, expanding on his predictions about human and machine convergence.
• 2024 – Interviewed by Wired to discuss the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence.
• 2023 – Invited to speak at AI for Good, addressing the societal implications of advanced AI systems.
• 2012 – Appointed Principal Researcher and AI Visionary at Google, focusing on machine intelligence research.
• 2009 – Awarded the Arthur C. Clarke Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to technology and futurism.
• 2005 – Published The Singularity is Near, a New York Times bestseller exploring exponential technological growth.
• 2002 – Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in recognition of his inventions.
• 2001 – Awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize, one of the largest awards for invention and innovation.
• 1999 – Received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Bill Clinton.
• 1978 – Awarded the Grace Murray Hopper Award from the Association for Computing Machinery.