Keynote speaker
Keynotes that help leaders bring AI in without losing their people
Karin Volo blends neuroscience, research and real stories to help audiences move from worry and overwhelm to clarity, trust and genuine excitement about the future they can build with AI.
Top 50
Most Influential Women in AI, Citiesabc & Businessabc 2026
3,300+
leaders trained in culture, trust and AI
35+
countries of client work
#6
Global Thought Leader on Culture, Thinkers360
Why Karin
Why audiences remember Karin
Karin Volo is CEO and Chief Joy Bringer of Evoloshen, a global culture, trust and AI strategy firm, and the #1 bestselling author of AI Dystopia or Utopia: The Choice Point for Humanity Is Now. For more than 20 years she has helped leaders at organizations like Capgemini, BDO and EasyPark build cultures where people thrive. Today she shows them how to adopt AI without losing the trust and energy performance depends on, blending neuroscience, research and real stories, including her own return from 1,352 days of wrongful imprisonment, which taught her that trust is everything.
Also featured
- Sommar i P1
- Skavlan
- Host, Achieving the AI Advantage
- Judge, Inspiring Workplaces Awards
Signature keynotes
Three talks, one message: trust decides the future of AI at work
Keynote 1
Dystopia or Utopia? The AI Future Is a Leadership Decision, Not a Prediction
AI is like a mirror that shows both the flaws and the beauty in our organizations. It amplifies whatever culture it meets, which means the future of AI at work is not something leaders can predict. It is something they are choosing right now.
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Based on her book AI Dystopia or Utopia: The Choice Point for Humanity Is Now, and more than 20 years of culture work with organizations like Capgemini, Ericsson and Telia, Karin Volo moves the conversation beyond hype and fear to the decisions that will shape the next decade.
In this keynote, Karin explores:
- Why we are at a Choice Point, and what separates organizations building an AI future people want from those sliding toward one they fear
- How AI reflects and amplifies your existing culture, for better or worse
- The human edge AI cannot replace: connection, empathy, discernment, adaptability and curiosity
- Real examples of leaders and companies using AI for good
- A simple filter for deciding what to hand to AI and what to keep human
Audiences leave hopeful, clear-eyed and ready to make conscious choices about the future they want to build.
Best for: Leadership summits, kick-offs and conference openers
Keynote 2
From Empty to Energized: Leading People Through AI Anxiety and Fatigue
Everyone is talking about AI adoption, yet almost no one is talking about what it is costing people. Constant new tools and the pressure to keep up are leaving teams anxious, exhausted and still expected to innovate.
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Karin Volo’s AI Disruption Equation makes the two hidden variables in every AI rollout visible: Anxiety and Fatigue. Grounded in neuroscience, this keynote shows leaders how to bring their people from empty to energized.
In this keynote, Karin explores:
- Why AI anxiety and AI fatigue quietly undermine even the best AI strategy
- What happens in the brain under constant change, and why high alert eventually turns into exhaustion
- How to recognize where your people really are, using the Emotional Energy Zones
- Practical tools to self-regulate and move teams from overwhelm to curiosity
- The CARE model as a human operating system for AI transformation
Participants leave with a shared language for what their teams are feeling and concrete steps to restore energy, creativity and engagement.
Best for: HR, people and wellbeing events
Keynote 3
The Trust Gap: Why AI Adoption Fails Without a Culture People Believe In
66% of people use AI, yet only 46% trust it (University of Melbourne and KPMG, 2025). Adoption without trust fuels fear, resistance and quiet disengagement, and no technology can close that gap on its own.
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Drawing on more than 20 years of culture transformation work, Karin Volo shows why trust, not tech, is the real bottleneck in AI transformation, and how leaders can build it deliberately.
In this keynote, Karin explores:
- The trust gap and what it is quietly costing your AI investments
- Why trust is the load-bearing pillar of every strong culture, through her 4 Pillars of Culture: Caring Leaders, Trust, Purpose & Values, and Engagement
- The CARE model and what Connection, Authenticity, Recognition and Engagement look like in an AI-integrated workplace
- How to treat trust as a measurable business metric, not a soft value
- Three choices leaders can make now so AI augments people instead of eroding their confidence
Leaders leave with a clear lens on trust and practical actions they can take immediately.
Best for: Culture, leadership and transformation events
What audiences say
Keynote tour for BDO New Zealand, 400+ leaders
I have had great feedback, even someone last week said they are now treating AI as something not to be afraid to talk to staff about it. Now she is embracing it, being open about it, having what she perceived as being the hard conversations. It has changed the whole way she thinks about it.
Cherie Mirko, Operations Manager, BDO
I have been attending various Kick-Off’s for 40 years, but I’ve never listened to such an inspiring speaker as Karin Volo! She truly personifies what she is talking about: how engaged people with a purpose make a difference!
Stig Karlsson, Industry Advisor, Ratos Private Equity, Chairman of several companies
So many AI trainings are about how to use it — I appreciated learning about the psychology behind it.
Louisa Smythe, Manager, Arrive
You made the notions of compassion and purpose (as abstract as they are) so concrete and explicitly important while you were speaking…Your speech touched me in so many ways, and it is not something I will easily forget.
Lovelyn Nwadeyi, AIESEC
The book behind the keynotes
AI Dystopia or Utopia: The Choice Point for Humanity Is Now
AI Dystopia or Utopia challenges leaders to focus on what truly matters as technology accelerates change. Karin Volo reminds us that leadership, trust, and human values remain decisive — regardless of how advanced AI becomes.
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach
This is not a book about AI. It is a book about leadership and the future we choose to create.
Garry Ridge, Chairman Emeritus, WD-40 Company
If we can combine AI with purpose and with trust we can build not only highly competitive firms but thriving societies.
Rebecca Henderson, Harvard Business School
Formats
- Keynotes, 20 to 60 min
- Workshops and masterclasses
- Lunch and learns
- Event hosting and moderation
- In person or virtual
Audiences
- CEOs and executive teams
- HR and People leaders
- AI and transformation teams
- Company kick-offs and offsites
- Leadership conferences
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does Karin Volo speak about?
Karin Volo speaks on AI, trust and culture. Her three signature keynotes are Dystopia or Utopia? The AI Future Is a Leadership Decision, Not a Prediction; From Empty to Energized: Leading People Through AI Anxiety and Fatigue; and The Trust Gap: Why AI Adoption Fails Without a Culture People Believe In.
Does Karin Volo speak virtually?
Yes. Karin speaks both in person and virtually, and has delivered keynotes and trainings for audiences around the world.
How long are Karin’s keynotes?
Keynotes run from 20 to 60 minutes. Karin also offers workshops, masterclasses, lunch and learns, and event hosting and moderation.
In which languages does Karin speak?
Karin speaks in English and Swedish.
What is Karin Volo’s book about?
AI Dystopia or Utopia: The Choice Point for Humanity Is Now shows leaders how AI amplifies whatever culture it meets, and why trust, purpose and human values decide whether AI makes organizations stronger. It has been endorsed by Marshall Goldsmith, Rebecca Henderson of Harvard Business School and Garry Ridge of WD-40 Company.
How do I book Karin Volo to speak?
Fill out the booking form on this page with your event details, and Karin will get back to you personally within two business days.
Book Karin for your next event
Share a few details about your event and Karin will get back to you personally within two business days.
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