Kay Firth-Butterfield

Kay Firth-Butterfield has enjoyed a successful career as a barrister, judge, entrepreneur, professor and technologist. Currently, she is the Chief Executive Officer of the Good Tech Advisory. She was the first Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for the World Economic Forum and a Member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum, Kay is on a mission to increase awareness of how humanity can benefit from the use of artificial intelligence equitably. As one of the world’s foremost specialists in the governance of AI, and the World’s first Chief AI Ethics Officer, Kay is highly sought after as a keynote speaker on new technologies, especially artificial intelligence – backed by her credible history with some of the world’s leading organisations driving the acceleration of artificial intelligence.

Kay, a qualified barrister and judge, began her illustrious career as a self-employed barrister, before becoming a Judge for the UK Ministry of Justice. For the first part of her career, Kay has practised law in the UK and is an Associate Barrister for Doughty Street Chambers and a Master of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. Continuing her success as a barrister, Kay was a first mover in the conversations around the benefits and risks of AI. She has been a Member of the Technical Advisory Board of the Foundation for Responsible Robots and an Expert Advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence, and co-founded the Responsible AI Institute. Kay is a Liveryman of the City of London of The Worshipful Company of Loriners.

Aside from her success as a barrister, Kay has also forged a respectable reputation in academia – currently acting as the Distinguished Scholar of The Robert S. Strauss Centre for International Security and Law and Fellow of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge. She taught the first AI and Law course at the University of Texas Law School in 2016. Kay has held Adjunct Professorships at St. Mary’s University School of Law and a Visiting Professorship at St. Edward’s University; all positions that have helped craft Kay’s expert knowledge of education, governance and AI. When she is not dedicating her time to AI and education, Kay has previously dedicated time to being the North American Ambassador of the Consortium for Street Children. Kay is also a bestselling author, having written the titles Human Rights and Human Trafficking and Domestic Laws on Human Trafficking. Her upcoming book, Coexisting with AI, will be released in January 2026. In recognition of her commitments to the industry, Kay was recognised as one of the 10 Women Changing the Landscape of Leadership by the New York Times. In October 2023, Kay was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Texas, a testament to her prowess.

Kay sits on the Boards of AI4All, AI for Planet and EarthSpecies.org. Also, she advises the US Government via the role of the Government Accountability Office. Dedicated to educating clients on how people and the planet (including companies and governments) can benefit from artificial intelligence, Kay is now highly sought after to take to the stage as a keynote speaker, Conference MC, moderator and after-dinner speaker – and Champions Speakers are proud to represent Kay Firth-Butterfield as an official speaker agent. A specialist in the law, governance and application of AI, Kay is also renowned as the Vice-Chair of the IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems and a previous member of the Lord Chief Justice’s Panel on AI and Law. In recognition of her illustrious career, Kay was announced as the proud recipient of the TIME100 AI Impact Award in 2024, along with being named on the Marquis Who’s Who 2024 Maker’s List of the Emerging Innovators to Watch in 2024 and the 2024 Forbes 50 Over 50: Innovation list. Most recently, in 2026, Kay authored Coexisting with AI: Work, Love & Play in a Changing World. In this book, Kay explores how AI is used at each stage of life, and helps readers to understand the positive impact of AI throughout society.

Sharing her valuable knowledge on the economic and social challenges that are being created due to technological advancements, Kay has formerly spoken on such issues for the likes of WIRED, Deloitte US, Singularity University and the Institute for Experiential AI – most recently delivering an after-dinner fireside chat at the Cognizant Chalet, Davos in 2024. When looking for a preeminent authority on AI, using government use of AI, educational technology, AI ethics, digital business transformation and AI for business, Metaverse, Quantum, don’t hesitate to hire Kay Firth-Butterfield today!