Keynote speaker and author
Dedicated to helping leaders and organisations navigate disruption and prepare for a human-centred future.
Matt O’Neill
The Optimistic Futurist
Give your audience inspiration, optimism, and actionable insights for leading through AI transformation, technological change, and maintaining the human element in an increasingly automated world.
Let’s bespoke your eventOver 345 Events - 4 Continents
Trusted by leading brands, including:
Brand New
The Human Authority Edge
AI fluency is becoming table stakes. Human authority is the new edge.
In 2026, using AI well is the baseline. The leaders who really succeed know when to override the model, when to slow it down, and when to put their name on a call the algorithm wouldn't have made. That's authority. Gartner's forecasting 30% of enterprises will see the quality of decisions get worse by 2030 from over-reliance on AI systems. The leadership teams already moving the other way are the ones that will win the decade.
This keynote shows senior leaders how to use their human traits for real-world decisions. I introduce MattOS: the human operating system that gives leaders real agency in the AI-driven world. Judgment, Stance, Taste (life experience + instinct), Sense-making, and Responsibility. These are what give you authority.
What we'll cover:
- Why AI fluency is expected, and where your true advantage comes from The five capacities of MattOS, with real-world examples and how to use them
- What to give away to AI systems, what to hold onto, and how to tell the difference
- Owning the outcomes when AI helped make the decision, and why that builds your relevance and credibility
- How to embed human authority into how your leadership team works, not just how they talk about it
Key Takeaways:
- A one-pager on exactly what we should give away
- A one-pager on your un-automatable qualities, and the ones to double down on
- Access to a bespoke AI application that lets you check your decisions against the MattOS framework
- A custom prompt sheet for getting the best from AI while maintaining your human edge
What You’ll Gain:
- The confidence to say "this is my call" and mean it.
- A clear position on what stays with you and what AI can run with.
- A repeatable way to bring human authority into your leadership team's everyday decisions.
"Matt’s insights into why human engagement is essential for successful technological change have given us many new avenues to explore in how we talk about our work. His energy helped us create an original, thought‑provoking event that got the whole team talking. One of our best‑ever speakers – professional, polished and provocative."
International communications firm
"Your session at our annual board strategy day made the whole team think again about some of the challenges facing us. The ideas it sparked have already led to new initiatives across the business"
Russell Atkinson
CEO, NAHL PLC
"Your content for navigating the pandemic was invaluable for our customers. Several of them remarked how they'd been able to implement your recommendations quickly into their businesses."
Scott Addington
Enterprise Marketing Director (UK), Sage