CARISSA VÉLIZ
Authority on artificial intelligence, digital ethics, and privacy, and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford.
Carissa Véliz
Associate Professor of Philosophy and AI Ethics at the University of Oxford and an internationally recognised voice on digital ethics, privacy, and artificial intelligence. A best-selling author and trusted adviser to governments and organisations worldwide, she brings clarity and rigour to the ethical questions shaping our technological future, making complex ideas practical, relevant, and accessible for diverse audiences.
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TOPICS:
The Promise and Perils of Generative AI
Generative AI is reshaping how content, decisions, and power flow through society. In this keynote, CARISSA VÉLIZ examines what makes generative AI different from previous technologies, questioning how these systems are trained, whose data is being used, and whether that data was obtained legitimately. She explores the implications for business, creativity, democracy, and trust—helping audiences understand not just what generative AI can do, but what it should do, and at what cost.
Ideal for: Business leaders, policymakers, media, technology teams, and boards navigating AI adoption.
The Power of Analogue: Protecting What Makes Us Human
As digital systems increasingly monitor, predict, and influence behaviour, this talk invites audiences to reconsider the value of the analogue in a data-driven world. CARISSA VÉLIZ challenges assumptions about constant connectivity and efficiency, arguing for the importance of privacy, unpredictability, and unobserved spaces in human life. This keynote reframes technology not as something to reject, but as something to place thoughtfully—so that human dignity, creativity, and autonomy are preserved.
Ideal for: Leadership conferences, culture and innovation events, education, and future-of-work audiences.
Why Privacy Is Power
Data is often described as the new oil—but who really benefits from its extraction? Drawing on her bestselling work, CARISSA VÉLIZ explains the deep connection between data, privacy, and power. She shows how privacy affects not only individuals, but markets, institutions, and democratic systems. Audiences gain a practical understanding of how organisations can use data responsibly, reduce legal and reputational risk, and build long-term trust.
Ideal for: Executives, regulators, legal teams, financial services, and public-sector audiences.
AI Ethics: From Principles to Practice
What does ethics mean in the context of artificial intelligence—and how is it different from compliance or regulation? This talk clarifies the foundations of AI ethics, addressing issues such as bias, accountability, responsibility, and governance. CARISSA VÉLIZ focuses on how ethical thinking can be applied in real organisational settings, helping leaders move from abstract principles to practical decision-making.
Ideal for: Boards, senior leadership teams, technology developers, and policy forums.
AI and Risk Management
Artificial intelligence can reduce certain risks while creating entirely new ones. In this session, CARISSA VÉLIZ examines how AI reshapes organisational risk—from privacy breaches and reputational damage to automation bias and systemic failure. She outlines how leaders can assess where AI genuinely adds value, where caution is required, and how ethical oversight strengthens resilience rather than slowing progress.
Ideal for: risk, compliance, governance, and strategy audiences.
What AI Ethics Can Learn from Medical Ethics
AI ethics is a young field facing urgent challenges. Medical ethics, by contrast, has developed over decades in response to technological change, public harm, and institutional failure. This talk draws lessons from medical ethics—such as informed consent, respect for autonomy, ethical review committees, and professional responsibility—and explains how these frameworks can guide the responsible development and governance of AI today.
Ideal for: Ethics committees, regulators, academic audiences, healthcare leaders and AI governance forums.
BIOGRAPHY
Carissa Véliz is an internationally respected authority on artificial intelligence, digital ethics, and privacy, and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford. Her work sits at the intersection of philosophy, technology, and public policy, helping leaders, institutions, and governments think more carefully about how emerging technologies shape society.
She is the author of the widely acclaimed Privacy Is Power, named an Economist Book of the Year, and editor of the Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics. In 2024, Oxford University Press published The Ethics of Privacy and Surveillance, further cementing her position as a leading voice on data ethics and accountability. Her forthcoming book, Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future (April 2026), traces humanity’s long relationship with prediction—from ancient oracles to modern AI—and has already received exceptional early praise. Roger McNamee, author of Zucked, describes it as “the most important book you will read for years.”
Carissa is a frequent contributor to global media, with features and commentary in Wired, The Guardian, New Statesman, Slate, and El País. Her academic research has appeared in leading journals including Harvard Business Review, Nature Electronics, Nature Energy, and AI & Society, reflecting both intellectual depth and real-world relevance.
As a keynote speaker and public intellectual, Carissa brings clarity to complex ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence, surveillance, and data-driven systems. She has spoken at international conferences and forums, including TEDx, where her talks are recognised for being rigorous, practical, and engaging. Her strength lies in making philosophical ideas accessible to non-specialist audiences without oversimplifying their implications.
Her research focuses on digital ethics, with particular emphasis on privacy, AI governance, moral theory, and the political consequences of large-scale data collection. She examines how technology affects everyday life and democratic systems, offering insights that are especially relevant for policymakers, business leaders, and organisations working at scale. A core thread in her work is social justice—how ethical frameworks can guide fairer and more responsible technology design.
Carissa is a member of UNESCO’s Women 4 Ethics of AI initiative, which supports governments in developing trustworthy AI systems, and she serves on the board of the Proton Foundation. In an advisory capacity, she works with both public and private organisations to support informed decision-making around emerging technologies.
She has given expert testimony to the UK House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee and the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill. Internationally, she has advised the US Congress on privacy regulation and contributed to Spain’s Digital Rights Charter as part of a government-appointed expert group. She was also a member of the High-Level Advisory Panel on Technology and Global Order that shaped Spain’s Digital Strategy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to her research and public engagement, Carissa is a Tutorial Fellow at Hertford College, Oxford, and the recipient of the prestigious Herbert A. Simon Award for Outstanding Research in Computing and Philosophy. Her work continues to shape how institutions worldwide think about AI, ethics, and the future of technology in society.