And Then There Was AI Keynote — Tom Braekeleirs | The Human Story of Artificial Intelligence

KEYNOTE: AND THEN THERE WAS AI...

The Human Story of Artificial Intelligence: From Dartmouth to the Boardroom

It started in the summer of 1956, when a small group of scientists gathered at Dartmouth College with a bold idea: to create a thinking machine. Over seventy years later, artificial intelligence has gone from academic curiosity to boardroom priority and most people still don't understand what it actually is, where it came from, or why it matters to them personally.

In this keynote, Tom Braekeleirs takes his audience on a journey through the remarkable — and remarkably human — history of AI. From the dreamers at Dartmouth to the creators of ChatGPT, from early chatbots to agentic AI, Tom connects the dots between the past, the present, and a future that is arriving faster than anyone expected. Along the way, he introduces the key figures who shaped the field, explains what AI actually does (pattern recognition and its reverse), and confronts the questions every leader should be asking right now.

This is not a technical lecture. This is a story, told with humor, honesty, and a healthy respect for both the promise and the peril of what we have built.

What Your Audience Will Take Away

The real history of AI — from the 1956 Dartmouth Conference through deep learning, transformers, and the generative AI explosion — told as a human story, not a technology timeline
A clear, jargon-free explanation of how AI works: pattern recognition, neural networks, and more
Why AI is a leadership discussion, not just a technology conversation. And what happens when leaders treat it as someone else's problem
Seven practical principles for navigating the AI era: from governance and legislation to critical thinking and realistic optimism
The case for Acceptable AI: building trust before it is too late

Who This Keynote Is For

This keynote is built for leadership teams, boards, innovation managers, and professionals who need to understand AI beyond the hype. It is especially effective as a kick-off or opening keynote setting the stage for deeper conversations about strategy, culture, and responsible adoption.

Tom has delivered this talk to audiences in healthcare, higher education, technology, financial services, and government. The narrative arc — from history to disruption to practical action — makes it equally powerful for audiences with no AI background and those already deep into implementation.

About Tom

Tom Braekeleirs is a professor at Ghent University and keynote speaker. With over 200 keynotes delivered across four continents and 25+ years in enterprise technology, he brings a rare combination of academic insight and real-world leadership experience to the stage. His talks are known for being provocative, practical, and surprisingly funny.