Joel Pearson

AI will disrupt everything electric—learn to thrive with a tailored AI-change model.

Profile

Unlock the Secrets of the Human Mind with Prof. Joel Pearson– The world’s first Neuro Futurist, leading AI and Neuroscience Speaker.

While your competitors scramble to implement AI, they're missing the most critical factor that determines success or failure, the secret source to AI success: the human side of technological transformation. The organisations that thrive won't be those with the most advanced technology—they'll be those that best understand the psychological complexities of the AI revolution. Professor Joel Pearson is the world's leading Neuro Futurist, combining cutting-edge neuroscience with practical business strategy to help leaders navigate this unprecedented challenge.

Joel is a rare breed: a neuroscientist, psychologist, and bestselling author who went to Art school before translating complex brain science into actionable frameworks that drive measurable business results. His unique background—from art and filmmaking to earning a Ph.D. in Neuroscience—enables him to approach organisational challenges with both creative insight and scientific rigour. Joel hosted the popular ABC Sydney radio show "The Brain Box," blowing people's minds about their minds.

Why Global Leaders Choose Joel:

Prepare to embark on an extraordinary journey into the depths of human intuition, imagination, and the psychological impacts of artificial intelligence. Joel addresses the critical gap most AI implementations miss: the human factor. His research-backed presentations reveal why change initiatives fail, how to build psychological resilience during transformation, and the specific neural processes that give humans permanent competitive advantages over AI. He doesn't just explain what's happening—he provides proven strategies for turning disruption into competitive advantage. He empowers audiences with invaluable tools to enhance creativity, optimise decision-making processes, and embrace the AI revolution with confidence and enthusiasm.

Proven Impact with Industry Leaders:

Fortune 500 companies, including Google, KPMG, Macquarie Group, Lexus, and Pixar have engaged Joel to prepare their leadership teams for AI-driven transformation. His audiences consistently report improved change management outcomes, reduced transformation resistance, and clearer strategic direction for human-AI collaboration.

What Makes Joel Different:

While others focus on AI capabilities, Joel focuses on human capabilities in an AI world. His presentations combine neuroscientific breakthroughs with practical implementation strategies, offering leaders the psychological tools to build adaptive, resilient organisations that harness AI's potential while preserving human competitive advantages.

From Fortune 500 boardrooms to government policy discussions, Joel's insights are shaping how the world's most successful organisations prepare for an AI-driven future. His keynotes don't just inform—they transform how leaders think about technology, change, and human potential.

Ready to future-proof your organisation? Joel Pearson delivers the strategic insights and psychological frameworks your leadership team needs to thrive in the age of artificial intelligence.

Expertise

Talking Points

Leadership in the Age of AI

Ready to lead your team into the AI revolution? The future is here, and it's accelerating faster than ever—adapt now or risk being left behind. Leaders who fail to adapt risk being left behind as competitors leverage these advances for gains in productivity, efficiency, and improved decision-making. The time to adapt is now—AI is evolving too quickly to wait.

In the AI era, leaders must urgently adapt, unlearn what’s comfortable, and adopt a beginner's mindset—Shoshin. The pace of change waits for no one. Expertise can be a barrier to innovation, trapping us in outdated thinking. To lead effectively, we need cognitive flexibility: the ability to unlearn, adapt, and see challenges with fresh eyes.

AI isn’t here to replace leadership—it’s here to enhance it. This keynote will give you a distinct competitive advantage in leading with authenticity while leveraging AI as an ally—boosting productivity, offering sharper insights, and helping you become more emotionally intelligent. The leaders of tomorrow will blend AI with authenticity, empathy, and vision, driving a future where human-centred values lead to exponential change.

Drawing on cutting-edge research and real-world stories, this keynote will explore:
- How to harness the 'augmented leader’s advantage' with a beginner's mindset.
- How to avoid cognitive entrenchment by continuously challenging your beliefs.
- How AI can make you a more authentic and connected leader.
- Practical ways to leave your comfort zone and make discomfort a habit.

Walk away with practical strategies to cultivate curiosity, build flexibility, get out of your comfort zone and thrive as an AI-augmented leader. This is about thriving, driving change, and shaping a more human, innovative, and impactful world.
This keynote is for executives ready to embrace the thrill of discovery and lead with curiosity. You'll gain practical frameworks to step boldly out of your comfort zone and adapt to the challenges of the future. Success isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions.

Conquering the AI Revolution: Strategies for Thriving Amid Disruptive Change

The age of artificial intelligence is upending everything we know - from education and business operations to careers and the very fabric of our economy. This seismic shift towards advanced AI and automation poses immense challenges, but also transformative opportunities. In this thought-provoking keynote, Joel dives deep into the psychological impacts of generative AI and robotics that most leaders overlook.

We've made the mistake of ignoring the human psyche when adopting disruptive technologies before - think social media's unexpected and devastating effects. This time, we cannot afford to be caught off guard as AI triggers a tsunami of change. Joel provides an unflinching look at the uncertainties ahead while arming audiences with science-backed strategies to navigate turbulence, overcome fear, and position their organizations for success.

In this paradigm-shifting talk, you'll discover:
• Profound ways AI will reshape industry, work, and society
• Why uncertainty ignites existential dread (and how to counter it)
• Dangerous AI misconceptions that undermine readiness
• Human vulnerabilities exposed by advanced AI systems
• A Blueprint for cultivating resilience and "future-proof" mindsets

Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company or an entrepreneurial startup, this keynote is a must for anyone committed to thriving rather than just surviving the AI revolution. Unlock the psychological tools to ride the wave of technological and human disruption with confidence.

The Intuition toolkit: Unleashing the Power of Intuition

Intuition – that gut feeling, sixth sense, or inexplicable hunch – has been the driving force behind many remarkable achievements and life-altering decisions. From Steve Jobs' revolutionary products at Apple to the split-second choices that have saved lives, intuition has proven its immense value time and again. Yet, it's a complex phenomenon often shrouded in mystery.
In this captivating keynote, based on his popular book "The Intuition Toolkit," Joel takes the audience on a spellbinding journey through real-life stories that showcase the incredible power of intuition. He then unveils the scientific underpinnings of this enigmatic mental process, demystifying its origins and nuances.

Joel's trailblazing, science-backed framework provides five science-backed rules for optimizing intuition across diverse domains, from the boardroom to the sports arena, the trading floor to the battlefield. This talk equips attendees with practical strategies to harness intuition effectively, leading to better decisions, improved performance, and enhanced overall well-being.

Key Takeaways:
• Understand the true nature of intuition through the lens of cutting-edge research.
• Discover when to trust your gut and when to exercise caution in decision-making.
• Master the five science-backed rules for sharpening your intuitive abilities.
• Gain insights into the potential vulnerabilities posed by AI and the importance of human-machine alignment.

Ideal Audience:
• Business leaders seeking a competitive edge through enhanced decision-making capabilities.
• Sports teams and athletes striving for split-second excellence.
• Traders and investors navigating high-stakes financial landscapes.
• Military personnel and first responders operating in critical situations.
• Entrepreneurs and innovators pursuing groundbreaking ideas.
• Anyone committed to personal growth and making better choices in life.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone: A Transformative Journey

Break past your limits and begin a transformative journey with 'Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone', an interactive keynote designed for individuals looking to boost performance, take smart risks, and thrive in a constantly changing environment.

This keynote explores why we naturally seek comfort and provides a framework for turning discomfort into a tool for personal growth. You will learn about the dual role of stress, understanding when it can be beneficial, and gaining techniques to use it effectively. The focus is also on developing emotional awareness to manage stress and achieve optimal mental performance.

Using insights from modern neuroscience, the keynote explains the principles behind resilience and grit, and offers methods to train the mind to face and handle uncertainty with confidence. Prof. Pearson will guide the audience through these ideas while also sharing practical, evidence-based strategies to push beyond comfort zones.
Participants will leave with tools and techniques to face challenges, spark creativity, and adapt to the ongoing changes brought by AI, ultimately driving significant personal and professional growth.

This keynote is ideal for professionals who want to set and achieve ambitious goals, improve their problem-solving skills, and excel in environments that require adaptability and risk-taking. Equip your team with the skills to embrace change, reach new levels of achievement, and lead with resilience and foresight.

Humans Are the Key to AI Strategy: Why Technology Alone Will Kill Your Competitive Advantage

Every company is racing to implement AI, but most are making a fatal error: they're treating it as a technology problem when it's actually a human psychology challenge. As artificial intelligence reshapes entire industries, the organisations that win won't be those with the best algorithms. They'll be those who best understand how humans and AI can amplify each other.

This keynote reveals why the most sophisticated AI implementations fail without proper human integration, and how to design AI strategies that leverage our uniquely human capabilities rather than trying to replace them. Drawing from my research in neuroscience and extensive work with Fortune 500 companies, I'll show you how to identify the irreplaceable human skills that become more valuable, not less, as AI advances.

You'll discover the five neural processes that represent humanity's permanent competitive advantage: contextual wisdom, ethical reasoning under uncertainty, creative synthesis across domains, emotional intelligence, and intuitive decision-making. More importantly, you'll learn how to structure your AI implementation to amplify these capabilities rather than diminish them.

This cutting-edge presentation explores:
• Why most AI strategies fail at the human psychology level
• The neuroscience of human-AI collaboration and what makes it successful
• How to identify and develop "AI-resistant" skills within your workforce
• The psychology of trust in AI systems and how to build it effectively
• Practical frameworks for designing human-centred AI integration

This isn't about fearing AI displacement. It's about positioning your people as the conductors of an AI orchestra. Companies that master this human-AI symphony will create unassailable competitive advantages while others struggle with expensive AI implementations that deliver disappointing results.

The Psychology of Change: Why Your Brain Fights the Future (And How to Win)

Change is the only constant in business, yet our brains are hardwired to resist it. As a neuroscientist and Neuro Futurist, I've discovered why even the most logical leaders struggle with transformation and, more importantly, how to overcome these biological barriers to create lasting organisational change.

This keynote reveals the hidden psychological forces that determine whether change initiatives succeed or fail spectacularly. You'll discover why uncertainty literally hijacks our neural pathways, triggering fight-or-flight responses that shut down creative thinking and decision-making. But here's the breakthrough: we can rewire these responses to turn uncertainty into competitive fuel.

Through cutting-edge neuroscience and real-world case studies, I'll show you how successful leaders are already hacking their brains' change resistance to build what I call "adaptive intelligence": the ability to thrive on disruption rather than merely survive it. This isn't about resilience; it's about transformation at the neurological level.

In this paradigm-shifting presentation, you'll discover:
• The three neural mechanisms that make humans resist change (and how to reverse them)
• Why uncertainty triggers existential dread and the counterintuitive strategies to embrace it
• How to develop "cognitive flexibility" that turns market volatility into a strategic advantage
• The psychology of future-proofing your mindset and your organisation
• Why and how to use change management models that align with brain science
• Practical frameworks for making discomfort your competitive edge

Walk away with science-backed strategies to not just manage change, but to orchestrate it. Whether you're navigating digital transformation, market disruption, or cultural evolution, this keynote equips you with the psychological tools to lead change rather than be changed by it.

The Owner Entrepreneur Revolution: Preparing for the End of Employment as We Know It

We stand at the precipice of the most significant transformation in human work since the Industrial Revolution. The traditional employment model—where humans exchange specialised knowledge for wages within hierarchical organisations—is becoming obsolete. Welcome to the age of "Ownists": individuals who own their work rather than being owned by it.

This visionary keynote, based on my comprehensive research and manifesto on the future of work and education, reveals why the most valuable workers of tomorrow won't be employees at all. They'll be autonomous owner-entrepreneurs leveraging AI tools and robotics to pursue personally-driven projects that create extraordinary value. This isn't distant speculation; it's happening now, and smart organisations are already adapting.

Drawing from my work on Australia's National AI Readiness Plan and extensive research into human psychology and technological change, I'll show you how to prepare your organisation and workforce for a project-based society where traditional corporate structures give way to networks of empowered individuals pursuing "Massive Transformative Projects."

In this transformational presentation, you'll discover:
• Why estimates suggest 10-60% of current jobs face automation and what comes next
• The psychology of autonomous work and why it satisfies our deepest human needs
• How to transform your employees into entrepreneurial partners rather than displacement liabilities
• The "Accept-Adopt-Adapt" framework for navigating workforce transformation
• Practical strategies for building internal venture ecosystems and spin-off structures

This keynote challenges everything you think you know about the future of work while providing concrete strategies for thriving in the owner-entrepreneur economy. Whether you're a CEO preparing for workforce evolution or an educator rethinking curriculum design, this presentation offers a roadmap for turning inevitable disruption into unprecedented opportunity.

You'll leave with actionable insights for reimagining organisational structures, educational systems, and career development to align with the coming transformation. This isn't about managing change. It's about leading the revolution.

Media

Video

How to Survive the Decade of AI Disruption

The AI revolution will redefine every aspect of our lives, and while it holds extraordinary potential, it also threatens to unleash devastating disruption— fuelled by widespread uncertainty, anxiety, and our inherent blindness to exponential change. To prevent this, we must act decisively by implementing change management through national AI-readiness plans now.

UNLOCK Your Brain’s Potential: Build REAL Intuition & Make Better Decisions | Joel Pearson

Joel Pearson is a cognitive neuroscientist and author of, “The Intuition Toolkit.” We discuss the fascinating science behind intuition, his SMILE framework for honing it effectively, the hidden benefits of aphantasia, surprising insights about the power of the unconscious mind, and more.

Business success, Agile Science and getting the truth

Science is the secret power behind business, if you want to know why something works or doesn't then you need science. Why your staff are unhappy or happy, then science is the best way to find out the truth. Prof of Cognitive Neuroscience Aphantasia, Hyperphantasia, Intuition, Memory, Agile Science - the Human Imagination.

What is mental mental imagery, aphantasia, hyperphantasia

What is the mind's eye? The imagination? Aphantasia or Hyperphantasia? How can we possibly measure it?

The Intuition Toolkit: The New Science of Knowing WHAT Without Knowing WHY

Joel on Breakfast News talking about his new book, The Intuition Toolkit: The New Science of Knowing WHAT Without Knowing WHY #Intuition is real, we can now measure it in the neuroscience lab, and we understand what it is and how to use it. Five rules to maximise intuition safely and reliably.

Creativity and the imagination with Ed Catmull

In 2015, a scientific study shed new light on the relatively unheard-of phenomenon known as aphantasia, a mental blindness where the brain is unable to call images to the mind eye. At WIRED Health 2021, psychologist Joel Pearson, creator of the Future Minds Lab at the University of New South Wales and Ed Catmull, co-founder, Pixar Animation Studios and former president, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios delve deeper into the correlation between visualisation and creativity.

The Devastating Psychological Consequences of AI

Professor Joel Pearson joined Josh to talk all things tech and lifestyle including the newest developments in AI, as well as Taylor Swift, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk and the crumbling empire of the USA.

Feedback

That was definitely one of the best training sessions I’ve been to. ... keep reading Macquarie Group

Joel’s address...was truly engaging, insightful and thought provoking, and left us all in equal parts excited about and terrified of what the AI revolution might bring in many aspects of our life. It was very well received and a real sign of the chord it struck with the audience was the conversation and debate it prompted afterwards. I’d highly recommend him.

Sharp & Carter

Joel was great to work with. Really professional...His session was the first to book out, Overall performance 5/5!

Toyota

Joel was a pleasure to deal with and his presentation was extremely engaging.

National Disability Service

Joel spoke to our global senior leadership team on embracing the AI revolution, which was thought-provoking, insightful, and empowering. Joel masterfully simplified complex concepts, leaving the audience informed, inspired, and keen to take action for themselves, their teams and community. Sparking high engagement amongst our leaders, Joel's session was a highlight of our week together.

Pepperstone

Joel was great to work with. Really professional and easy to brief in. he was prompt onsite and very self sufficient with his content and presentation. His session was the first to book out completely which was fantastic to see.

George P Johnson (Australia) Pty Limited