BIOGRAPHY
Tom Chatfield is a British writer, broadcaster and tech philosopher with a passion for improving our experiences and understanding of technology.
His books exploring contemporary culture — most recently, How To Think (2021), Live This Book! (Penguin) and Critical Thinking (SAGE Publishing, researched as a Visiting Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute)— are published in over two dozen languages.
His latest book is Wise Animals: how technology has made us what we are. Through a deep exploration of the history of our relationship with technology, he argues that we are neither its victims nor its masters. We shape and are shaped by technology, and its future is in our hands. As such, we need to focus less on what AI can do, and more on what it should do; and “how its potentials can be married to our capacities for creation, collaboration and contemplation.”
Tom is interested in improving our understanding of digital technology, and its uses in policy, education and engagement. He is currently technology and media advisor at Agathos LLP; Non-Executive Director at the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society; a faculty member at London’s School of Life; a Master’s Committee member at the Economics Research Council; guest faculty member at the Saïd Business School, Oxford; and a senior expert at the Global Governance Institute.
Past collaborators include Google, the BBC, Channel 4 Education, Mind Candy, Shift, Flamingo London, Six to Start, Preloaded, Firefish, Future Lab, Sense Worldwide, SAGE Publications, Sugru and Allianz.
As a speaker and broadcaster, Tom Chatfield’s appearances include TED Global and the Cannes Lions Festival; authors@Google; the World Congress on Information Technology; Science Foo Camp; Intelligence Squared; the Houses of Parliament; Aspen Seminars for Leaders; the RSA, Royal Society and Royal Institution; and venues ranging from the Sydney Opera House to the Googleplex.
A launch columnist for the BBC’s worldwide technology site, BBC Future, Tom Chatfield writes and comments widely in the international media, as well as guest lecturing at universities in the UK and Europe. He is a regular on BBC radio and television, and broadcasts around the world.
To book Tom Chatfield as a keynote speaker, contact VBQ founding agent Leo von Bülow-Quirk at leo@vbqspeakers.com.
TOM CHATFIELD: SPEAKER
Tom’s mission is to help audiences think critically and clearly about the digital revolution. From AI to big data and cyber crime, he brilliantly maps out the potential opportunities and pitfalls we face, and explores what it means to be human in this new era.
Tom has also developed a Critical Thinking Masterclass offering, designed to help leaders think clearly in a fast-moving digital world. These masterclasses are highly interactive, tailored to your organisation’s particular needs, and can be delivered virtually or in-person.