Charlie Chan (they/them) is an award-winning AI inventor, creative technologist, keynote speaker, composer and pianist, with a career spanning four decades and underscored by a lifelong commitment to innovation, advocacy and creative practice.
Charlie is renowned for developing cutting-edge technology as well as their signature blend of contemporary and classical music. They collaborate with musicians, performers, filmmakers, artists and digital visionaries to push the boundaries of music and technology.
Charlie is now working at the vanguard of AI in music, having invented their own AI – named Ch.AI – which composes music just like they do.
Charlie’s work as a composer is unparalleled in both scale and approach. They have over 5,000 works registered with APRA/AMCOS and have released 60 albums across the course of their career.
Charlie is driven by a foundational belief that creativity is infinite; that it’s a deep well from which we can all draw, all the time. This philosophy is supported by their profound, prolific and enduring achievements across the 40-year span of their career.
Talking Points
Maximise Opportunity and Boost Resilience in the Age of AI
Charlie has taken a pledge of “no one left behind” in the Age of Artificial Intelligence; Charlie’s philosophy is simple: That by developing AI literacy within teams and communities will enable and empower a resilient workforce and society.Maximise Opportunity and Boost Resilience in the Age of AI
While great leaps in Artificial Intelligence are already delivering extraordinary innovations and efficiencies to reframe life as we know it, these same advances are also giving rise to anxieties at a societal and business level, including;
• Concern that AI will take our jobs, AKA FOBO - Fear of Obsolescence
• Alarm about bias in AI systems
• Misapprehension about loss of human control
• Worry that machines will harm humans
• And, of course, general trepidation about the unknown
In this climate, teams who aren’t AI literate can become paralysed, resulting in the slow take-up of highly effective AI technologies, stifling innovation and business evolution.
Charlie’s own track record as a digital pioneer is one of feeling techno-fear and facing it down to invent world-first digital technologies, including their own AI; known as Ch.AI, it’s set to redefine and democratise creativity in music.
As one of only a handful of people who’ve developed their own original and innovative Artificial Intelligence, Charlie knows better than anyone how AI works, where it’s going, and how industries and individuals can get in front of it to get the best out of it.
In a dynamic and highly engaged presentation Charlie supports leaders to elevate their teams’ capabilities and confidence, in alignment with digital strategies so they can face the future in full harmony with AI, turning rigidity into resilience and fear into fortune.
Charlie speaks passionately and persuasively about this dawning age of AI to specialist and general audiences alike, bringing not only unrivalled knowledge about inventing and evolving their own AI, but also about how we can all capitalise on AI – in business, in education, in creativity – with Charlie’s presentations including elements such as:
• Their own unique journey over the past forty years, forging new frontiers in digital technology & the development of AI
• The ways in which AI will deliver more meaningful jobs and enhanced work-life experiences.
• How fully realised symbiotic relationships between humans and AI will enable exponential creativity; and
• Charlie’s next-level plans for Ch.AI as their creative collaborator, with a neural link between them to enhance and elevate Charlie’s work in ways previously unimagined.
General Harmony
A collaborative musical performance for extraordinary gatherings.General Harmony
General Harmony is a live, interactive music experience created by Australian composer and pianist Charlie Chan. Originally commissioned for the United Nations, this performance transforms a room full of people into one shared instrument. Built around an original 80-bar overture, each bar represents a year since the UN’s founding in 1945, weaving themes of conflict, resilience, cooperation and hope. The audience doesn’t just listen to harmony—they help create it.
How It Works:
The experience begins with a simple guided invitation: everyone hums together.
Charlie captures the sound in real time, loops and layers it into a sustained chord, and shapes it into a rich soundscape.
Over this audience-generated harmony, Charlie performs the overture on piano or keyboard.
The message is clear: every voice matters, and together we create harmony.
Format Options
- Opening Moment: A 3–7 minute collaborative performance to set the tone for your event.
- Extended Feature: A 10–15 minute segment with reflections on themes such as peace building, climate, courage, inclusion or innovation.
- Optional Guest Performers: Add a vocalist, choir or instrumentalist for a unique experience.
- Keynote Experience: Expand into a full keynote blending live performance, audience participation and storytelling about listening, leadership and cooperation.
Why It Works for Summits and Conferences
- Instantly Inclusive: Everyone participates equally, no rehearsal required.
- Embodies the Theme: Harmony and cooperation are not just discussed—they are felt.
- Flexible and Scalable: Works in intimate salons or large conference halls.
- Anchored in a Powerful Story: Originated at the 80th UN General Assembly, giving it global resonance and gravitas.
Key Takeaways
- Harmony is an active process, not a passive experience.
- Every voice contributes to shared success.
- Collaboration creates impact beyond words.
Video
Charlie Chan Artistic Director of the Global Orchestra discusses Artificial Intelligence and Music.
In 2017, the Interactive Orchestra, a Global Orchestra project, took to the stage at the Sydney Opera House in a performance that proved music and technology could work hand-in-hand. Under the direction of Artistic Director Charlie Chan, the Global Orchestra Foundation worked alongside the Accenture Liquid Studio team to create an orchestra like no other. An orchestra that would become a part-human, part-robot collaboration. In a world’s first, an artificial intelligence robot - Baxter - was a key member of an orchestral performance, playing the marimba… even performing a musical solo in front of a live audience!Charlie Chan | Supernova Highlights | Saxton Speakers
Series 1 Episode 4 - Museful Live - Music & Meditation with Charlie Chan
An entertaining and enthralling speaker, Charlie Chan reaches for the stars when it comes to creative ambition and this comes through in their presentations, to inspire and invigorate audien ... keep reading NASA
Charlie is a tech visionary and artist like no other - as creatively imaginative as they are technically gifted, able to communicate as effectively with highly experienced tech specialists, as they are with fellow creatives, and general audiences. Charlie delivered professional development outcomes to my team that couldn’t have been achieved working with anyone else. The Accenture staff who worked with Charlie were able to tap into creative capabilities they hadn’t previously used - and in some cases, didn’t know they had - to elevate and expand their output. Charlie brought dynamic energy and lofty ambitions to their work at Accenture Liquid Studio - they set the bar high, then led the team to meet it.
Charlie Chan's presentation at Screen Forever was nothing short of phenomenal. Charlie’s passion for music and storytelling was evident, making the talk not only informative but also deeply inspiring - bringing many in the room to tears. Charlie truly captivated the audience, making this presentation a standout highlight of the event.
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