Bestselling Author, Pioneering Inventor and Futurist; Principal Researcher and AI Visionary, Google
Ray Kurzweil: Biography at a Glance
- Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers, and futurists, with a thirty-year track record of accurate predictions.
- Named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI, he is a Principal Researcher and AI Visionary at Google, looking at the long-term implications of technology and society.
- Ray received a Grammy Award for outstanding achievements in music technology; he is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, holds twenty-one honorary Doctorates, and honors from three U.S. presidents.
- Ray has been called "The Restless Genius" by The Wall Street Journal, "The Ultimate Thinking Machine" by Forbes, and the "Rightful Heir to Thomas Edison" by Inc. magazine.
- He is the author of multiple New York Times bestselling books, including How to Create a Mind and The Singularity Is Near.
- His latest book, The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI, brings a fresh perspective on advances in the singularity, exploring how technology will transform the human race in the decades to come.
Videos
Biography
Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers, and futurists, with a thirty-year track record of accurate predictions. Called "the restless genius" by The Wall Street Journal and "the ultimate thinking machine" by Forbes magazine, he was selected as one of the top entrepreneurs by Inc. magazine, which described him as the "rightful heir to Thomas Edison." PBS selected him as one of the "sixteen revolutionaries who made America."
Ray was the principal inventor of the first CCD flat-bed scanner, the first omni-font optical character recognition, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesizer capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments, and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition software.
Ray received a Grammy Award for outstanding achievements in music technology; he is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, holds twenty-one honorary Doctorates, and honors from three U.S. presidents.
Ray has written five national best-selling books including The Singularity Is Near and How To Create A Mind, both New York Times bestsellers, and Danielle: Chronicles of a Superheroine, winner of multiple young adult fiction awards. His forthcoming book, The Singularity Is Nearer, will be released in the summer of 2024. He is a Principal Researcher and AI Visionary at Google, looking at the long-term implications of technology and society.
Topics
The Power of Ideas is Accelerating
Renowned author, inventor, and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, has a public track record of more than a quarter of a century of predictions with a stunning 86% accuracy rate, all based on his Law of Accelerating Returns which states that information technology is advancing exponentially -- doubling in price-performance, capacity, and bandwidth every year. Since 1990, Kurzweil has laid out these predictions in a series of books: The Age of Intelligent Machines (1990), The Age of Spiritual Machines (1999), The Singularity is Near (2005), and How to Create a Mind (2012). And now, in his forthcoming book, The Singularity is Nearer (2020), he presents new data and a fresh look to the future as we approach the steep part of the exponential. By questioning old assumptions and applying exponential thinking Ray Kurzweil explains how we will rewrite the software of life, rebuild the world atom by atom, and reinvent our intelligence, to solve the world’s grandest challenges.
The Acceleration of Technology in the 21st Century: the Impact on Business, the Economy, and Society
At the onset of the 21st century, it will be an era in which the very nature of what it means to be human will be both enriched and challenged, as our species breaks the shackles of its genetic legacy, and achieves inconceivable heights of intelligence, material progress, and longevity. The paradigm shift rate is now doubling every decade, so the twenty-first century will see 20,000 years of progress at today’s rate. Computation, communication, biological technologies (for example, DNA sequencing), brain scanning, knowledge of the human brain, and human knowledge in general are all accelerating at an even faster pace, generally doubling price-performance, capacity, and bandwidth every year. Three-dimensional molecular computing will provide the hardware for human-level "strong" AI well before 2030. The more important software insights will be gained in part from the reverse-engineering of the human brain, a process well under way. While the social and philosophical ramifications of these changes will be profound, and the threats they pose considerable, celebrated futurist Ray Kurzweil presents an inspiring vision of our ultimate destiny in which we will merge with our machines, can live forever, and are a billion times more intelligent...all within the next three to four decades.
Science, Technology, and Invention: Strategies to Create the Future
The democratization of innovation is a turbulent process with rapid creation, violent destruction, many winners and many losers. Despite the apparent chaos, we can discern predictable patterns. The pace of innovation itself is doubling every decade. The overall price-performance and capacity of every form of information technology grows exponentially, generally doubling in a year or less. As information technology achieves each new level of price-performance and capacity, new applications become feasible and existing business models lose their viability. Another implication is that the tools of disruptive change have been democratized. A couple of students created Google on their thousand dollar laptops. A few years later, a couple of undergraduates created Facebook with tools that everyone has. The rate of change is now so rapid that even three to five year business plans need to consider that every level of an industry will undergo major changes during that period. It’s not just the devices we carry around that are influenced by these exponential changes. Health and medicine is now an information technology with the collection of the human genome, the means of changing genes in a mature individual, and the ability to design interventions on computers and to test them on biological simulators. Even energy will be transformed as we apply nanotechnology to the design of solar panels and energy storage devices. The means to change the world are in everyone’s hands.
The Acceleration of Technology in the 21st Century: the Impact on Healthcare and Medicine
We are now at a pivotal time in health technologies. With the collection of the genome in 2003 and the advent of techniques such as RNA interference that can actually turn off the genes that promote disease and aging, medicine has transformed itself into an information technology. As such, medicine is now subject to the “law of accelerating returns,” meaning that these technologies will be a thousand times more powerful than today in ten years, and a million times more powerful in 20 years. Up until recently, health interventions were hit or miss. We'd find something that seemed to work with only crude models of how they worked. Drug development was called "drug discovery," basically finding things that worked rather than designing them. Today it is within our grasp to slow the aging process and take full advantage of advances in bio- and nanotechnology that have already begun and will be occurring at an accelerating pace in the years ahead. Ultimately, we will merge with our machines, vastly extending human health and longevity, and greatly increasing our intelligence.
People also viewed these speakers.
FAQs
How do I book Ray Kurzweil for my event?
Contact CAA Speakers at (424) 288-2898 or speakers@caa.com to book Ray Kurzweil to speak at corporate or private events, keynote speeches, speaking engagements, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances.
Quick booking process- Email CAA Speakers with event details
- Get availability confirmation within 24 hours
- Review speaking fee and contract terms
- Sign agreement and finalize logistics
As one of the most influential talent agencies in the world, CAA handles all speaking engagements from contract to event day coordination.
Who is Ray Kurzweil's booking agent?
CAA Speakers is the preferred booking agency to contact for Ray Kurzweil’s speaking engagements. Contact speakers@caa.com for all Ray Kurzweil in-person appearances and keynote speaking requests.
Contact Ray Kurzweil's agent- Email: speakers@caa.com
- Website: caa.com/caaspeakers
- Response: Within 24 hours
CAA Speakers can check Ray Kurzweil's speaking calendar with direct access to availability and official pricing. While many websites may list Ray Kurzweil, CAA Speakers is the direct source for authentic information about availability and pricing.
What is Ray Kurzweil's speaking fee?
Ray Kurzweil's speaking fee varies by event type, location, and requirements. As a top keynote speaker, Ray Kurzweil's fee reflects their expertise and market demand.
Speaking fee factors:- Event type and audience size
- Travel distance and logistics
- Presentation length and customization
- Virtual vs. in-person delivery
Additional costs: Travel, accommodation, A/V requirements, and optional meet-and-greets.
Contact CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com for Ray Kurzweil's current speaking fee and detailed cost breakdown.
How much does it cost to book Ray Kurzweil as a keynote speaker?
The cost to book Ray Kurzweil as keynote speaker includes their speaking fee plus travel and logistics expenses.
Total booking cost includes:- Ray Kurzweil's keynote speaking fee
- Travel and accommodation
- Technical requirements and A/V setup
- Optional add-ons like book signing and meet & greets
- Virtual presentations
- Local/regional events
- Off-peak booking periods
- Flexible event dates
Email speakers@caa.com for Ray Kurzweil's exact booking cost and customized pricing proposal.
How to contact Ray Kurzweil for speaking engagements?
Contact CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com for all Ray Kurzweil speaking engagements.
Official contact for Ray Kurzweil bookings:- Email: speakers@caa.com
- Website: https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/ray-kurzweil
- Response time: 24 hours
Include your event date, location, audience size, and budget when contacting CAA about booking Ray Kurzweil.
Is Ray Kurzweil available for virtual speaking events?
Yes, Ray Kurzweil speaks at virtual events with professional-grade equipment and interactive presentation style.
Ray Kurzweil's virtual event options:- Live virtual keynotes with Q&A
- Interactive workshops and breakouts
- Hybrid events (in-person + virtual)
- Pre-recorded presentations
Virtual events offer global reach, flexible scheduling, and reduced travel costs while maintaining Ray Kurzweil's engaging presentation quality.
Contact CAA Speakers for Ray Kurzweil's virtual event availability and technical specifications.
What events can I book Ray Kurzweil for?
Book Ray Kurzweil for corporate conferences, industry events, private functions, and virtual presentations. Ray Kurzweil customizes content for any audience size or event type.
Event types:- Corporate meetings and conferences
- Industry summits and trade shows
- Private executive retreats
- Educational institution events
- Virtual and hybrid conferences
Ray Kurzweil engages audiences from private executive meetings to large conferences with thousands of attendees.
Contact CAA Speakers to discuss how Ray Kurzweil can customize their presentation for your specific event.
Ray Kurzweil booking information and availability
Check Ray Kurzweil's speaking availability through CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com. Book 3-6 months in advance for best date selection during peak seasons (September-November, March-May).
Availability factors:- Event date and location
- Speaking fee and budget
- Lead time for booking
- Peak conference seasons
- 3-6 months: Best availability
- 3-6 months: Best availability
- 2-3 months: Good availability
- 1-2 months: Select availability
- Under 30 days: Limited availability
Contact CAA early in your planning process to secure Ray Kurzweil for your preferred event date.
Book Ray Kurzweil keynote speaker through CAA
Book Ray Kurzweil through CAA Speakers for guaranteed authentic representation and professional event coordination. CAA is the preferred booking agent for Ray Kurzweil, with direct access to their speaking availability and decades of experience representing the world’s top keynote speakers.
CAA booking advantages:- Direct access to Ray Kurzweil's calendar
- 24-hour availability confirmations
- Professional contract negotiation
- Full logistics coordination
- Industry-leading client service
Trusted by Fortune 500 companies for their most important speaking engagements. Contact speakers@caa.com to book Ray Kurzweil for your next event.
Will Ray Kurzweil speak at private events?
Yes, Ray Kurzweil speaks at private corporate events, executive retreats, board meetings, and exclusive functions.
Private event types:- Executive retreats and board presentations
- Client entertainment and VIP gatherings
- Corporate celebrations and award ceremonies
- Private dinners and exclusive functions
Private event benefits: Customized content, enhanced interaction, complete confidentiality, and flexible scheduling.
Contact CAA Speakers for Ray Kurzweil's private event availability and confidential pricing proposals.
How quickly will I get a response about booking Ray Kurzweil?
CAA Speakers responds to Ray Kurzweil booking inquiries within 24 hours during business days. Complex requests or international events may take up to 48 hours for detailed proposals.
Response timeline:- Initial acknowledgment: Within 24 hours
- Availability confirmation: 24-48 hours
- Detailed pricing proposal: 48-72 hours
- Urgent requests: Same-day priority response
Include complete event details (date, location, audience size, budget) for fastest response times.
How far in advance should I book Ray Kurzweil?
Book Ray Kurzweil 3-6 months in advance for best availability, especially during peak speaking seasons. Early booking ensures better date selection and rate negotiations.
Recommended booking timeline:- 3-6 months: Optimal availability and pricing
- 2-3 months: Good availability
- 1-2 months: Select availability
- Under 30 days: Limited availability
Peak seasons: September-November and March-May book fastest. Contact CAA Speakers early for priority consideration.
How do I get Ray Kurzweil pricing information?
Get Ray Kurzweil pricing information by contacting CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com with your event details. Receive detailed cost breakdown within 24-48 hours with no obligation to book.
For accurate pricing, include:- Event date and location
- Audience size and type
- Event format and duration
- Budget parameters
CAA provides transparent pricing with all costs included - speaking fee, travel, accommodation, and technical requirements.