AI, Avatars & Deepfakes. Will We Still Need Human Speakers in 2035?

In this blog, we take a bold look at the future of keynotes, connection and what our audiences will value next.

The Pace of Change No One Predicted

When it comes to AI, things are changing so rapidly. If you’d have told your average Joe in the year 2000 that in 20 years we would be using Generative AI like ChatGPT, I’m sure they would have laughed in your face. 

So when we think about the next 10 years, it’s difficult to know what lies ahead. 

What we do know is that AI isn’t going anywhere. But to what extent will it replace the things we know and love?

If AI Can Write a Keynote in Minutes — What Happens to Speakers?

In a world where avatars can deliver a keynote in 47 languages simultaneously, what does it mean to “take the stage” as a human being these days?

In other words, if AI can build a keynote in minutes, customised to a specific industry, audience and global trends, where does that leave human speakers?

The events industry can’t ignore the fact that AI will disrupt the speaking world, but they can analyse how and at what speed.

A Glimpse Into 2035

Picture a future conference in the year 2035. You are an audience member, you slip on a pair of lightweight AR glasses. A speaker materialises on stage in front of you. They are custom-built, have perfect diction, and are entirely synthetic. Now ask yourself: would this move you?

This Isn’t Future Talk — It’s Already Happening

It isn’t just about what’s happening in 10 years time. Some things are happening now. We are already seeing speakers incorporate AI into their talks. Speakers are openly using AI to help write their content, many are using AI generated polls and feedback tools during the talk itself, and many are using tools such as DALL-E to create images that perfectly encapsulate what they want to talk about, rather than using stock imagery or photographs. 

It’s great when AI can do things which humans cannot. Live language translation tools powered by AI are great, because a speaker physically cannot present in more than one language at once. 

But we know it’s going to be much more than this very soon. 

The Allure of Avatars

We can see how there is appeal for clients to book Avatars and Deepfake speakers rather than real humans. After all, it saves on travel costs, and there’s never any worry about availability and diary checks! 

But, would your audience really be inspired by a hologram or a deep’fake’ (the clue’s in the word!), or would they feel a little bit cheated? Not to mention the excitement that comes with having a renowned name or face in a specific industry gracing your event with their presence, talking to your audience, having your delegates connect with them on Linkedin afterwards because they’re inspired by their content. 

The Future Isn’t AI vs Human — It’s AI with Human

Instead, what we should do is think about how AI can complement human speakers, not eradicate human speakers altogether over the course of the next ten years. 

The keynote of 2034 may pair a human speaker with AI augmentation, real-time insight, holographic visuals and interaction we’ve not yet imagined. The possibilities of where it goes are endless, but what’s important is that we hang on to the ‘human’ in all of this. 

Of course it would be great to have awesome graphics, analysis of audience reactions and engaging environments all enhanced by AI, but there are some things a robot just can’t match. 

Why We’re Not Worried — And Why You Shouldn’t Be Either

As a speaker bureau, we often get asked whether we are worried for our industry. And the honest answer is no. Our industry is built on connection, lived experience, conversation and making others feel empathy and wonder. Do you really think a robot can do that as well as our roster of professional keynote speakers? We think not. 

After all, AI might be able to teach us something, but humans make us feel something.