Location
United States
Areas of Expertise
Expert Bio Dr. David A. Bray is a globally recognized technology strategist, transformation leader, and national security expert serving as Chair of the Accelerator and Distinguished Fellow at the non-partisan Stimson Center, and Principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures, where he provides Board-level and CEO-level leadership to emerging tech and data ventures shaping the future of data, bio, and space. A trusted advisor to governments, militaries, and Fortune 500 organizations, Dr. Bray has led transformational change in some of the most complex and high-stakes environments imaginable, from serving as IT Chief for the CDC's Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program during 9/11, the 2001 anthrax attacks, and the 2003 SARS outbreak, to directing the bipartisan Commission on the Geopolitical Impacts of New Technologies and Data alongside Senators Mark Warner and Rob Portman. He earned his PhD from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and completed post-doctoral associateships at both MIT and Harvard, and has since served as a Visiting Executive In-Residence at Harvard University and Faculty Member at Singularity University. Dr. Bray's landmark transformation of the FCC's legacy IT infrastructure — modernizing over 207 systems at half the time and one-sixth the cost — earned him the global CIO 100 Award twice, in 2015 and 2017, an honor typically reserved for Fortune 500 companies. He is a Distinguished Fellow with the Atlantic Council and the Business Executives for National Security, a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, an Eisenhower Fellow, and a former Executive Director of the People-Centered Internet coalition co-chaired by Internet co-originator Vint Cerf. Recognized by Business Insider as one of the top "24 Americans Who Are Changing the World" under 40 and named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Dr. Bray has delivered keynote addresses to CEOs, heads of state, and audiences of over 3,000 across more than 15 countries. With over 40 published academic papers, leadership roles across 12 startups, and a career spanning quantum computing, AI governance, cybersecurity, synthetic biology, and commercial space, Dr. David Bray stands at the forefront of technology, national security, and human-centered innovation.
Sessions Artificial Intelligence with David Bray
Exponential changes in what machine learning, neural networks, and other forms of artificial intelligence are capable of are equally transforming the nature of work, leadership, and how organizations need to empower their employees to be positive #ChangeAgents. These transformations include pairing humans with machines to encourage "augmented intelligence" where the strengths of both are amplified. Organizations themselves need to become learning, adaptive, and resilient, using sensors, data, and algorithms to achieve these goals. Recognizing there is no textbook for the future ahead, this talk will highlight the near- and mid-term trends for AI on the horizon and discuss new forms of leading and teaming to augment these data-driven, algorithmic capabilities. Given our rapidly changing world, C-Suite leaders have an imperative to be positive "change agents" and help their organizations go beyond the status quo. Participants will learn about advances in AI and human factors, including GPT-4 and what this means for industries and businesses. This talk considers what practical leadership activities need to be done to successfully achieve the goals of pairing humans with machines to augment intelligence capabilities. The talk will be both technically grounded and inspirational, seeking an interactive dialogue on what efforts are needed now to better understand human and machine collaborations at team, organizational, and societal levels for the future ahead.
Augmented Intelligence: Towards a Convergence of Human and Machine Collaborations
Analytics, Machine Learning, Policy and Legislation, Change Management, Digital Transformation
Participants will learn about advances in AI and human factors, including GPT-4 and what this means for industries and businesses. U.S. Intelligence Community has announced the "AIM Initiative: A Strategy for Augmenting Intelligence Using Machines". The announcement cited that the "pace at which data are generated, whether by collection or publicly available information, is increasing exponentially and long ago exceeded our collective ability to understand it or to find the most relevant data with which to make analytic judgments." This talk considers what practical leadership activities need to be done to achieve successfully the goals of pairing humans with machines to augment intelligence capabilities. The talk will be both technically grounded and inspirational, seeking an interactive dialogue on what efforts are needed now to better understand human and machine collaborations at team, organizational, and societal levels for the future ahead. Exponential changes in what machine learning, neural networks, and other forms of artificial intelligence are capable of equally are transforming industries and organizations. Both need to become learning, adaptive, and resilient, using sensors, data, and algorithms to achieve these goals. Recognizing there is no textbook for the future ahead, this talk will highlight the near- and mid-term trends for AI on the horizon and discuss new forms of leading and teaming to augment these data-driven, algorithmic capabilities. Given our rapidly changing world, C-Suite leaders have an imperative to be positive "change agents" and help their organizations go beyond the status quo.
Exponential Organizations, the Internet of Things, and Big Data
Internet of Things, Big Data, Machine Learning, Exponential Thinking, Exponential Organizations, Corporate Innovation
Positive #ChangeAgents are leaders who "illuminate the way" and manage the friction of stepping outside the status quo. Technology is rapidly changing our world. The 7 billion networked devices on the planet in 2013 have doubled to 14 billion in 2015, and 2025 is forecasted to have more than 80 billion networked devices globally relative to only 8 billion people on the planet. The amount of data is also growing exponentially, such that by 2025 estimates suggest there will be more data than three times all the conversations we ever had for the entire history of the human species. With these rapid changes, so too is the nature of leadership changing. All organizations, sectors, and societies are feeling the impacts of these changes. We must adopt new leadership strategies to deliver results differently and better for private sector companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, public service at-large, and local community organizations. Technology is augmenting what people and communities can do, both in good and bad ways. So too must we think about how to navigate second- and third-order effects of the technologies we employ. This keynote will highlight strategies and examples of how each of us can be positive #ChangeAgents and help lead the way courageously in our period of rapid change. The ripple effects of what technologies empower us to do are spreading faster and at a broader global scale than ever before.
Megatrends in Data, Tech, Space and Geopolitics for 2030, 2040 and 2050
Machine Learning, Policy and Legislation, Future Planning, Space Industry
Given our rapidly changing world, C-Suite leaders have an imperative to be positive "change agents" and help their organizations go beyond the status quo. The 7 billion networked devices on the planet in 2013 have doubled to 14 billion in 2015, and 2025 is forecasted to have more than 75 billion network devices globally relative to only 8.3 billion people on the planet. The amount of data also is growing exponentially, such that by 2025 estimates suggest there will be more data than three times all the conversations we ever had for the entire history of human species. With these rapid changes, so too is the nature of leadership changing. This requires recognition of the exponential technology trends that have been growing in certain fields – to include data, tech, space, and geopolitics. This talk will provide leaders with awareness of the potential trends for 2030, 2040, and 2050 as well as action-oriented ways to be bold, brave, and benevolent for the future ahead.
The Exponential Future of Work, Resiliency, Governance, Coexistence and Successful Leadership
Exponential technologies are transforming how we work, how we co-exist, and how we lead as positive #ChangeAgents. This session will explore some of the debates about what the future of work will be if exponential trends continue, as well as the ripple effects of such trends on how societies govern themselves in a networked era and what new strategies private or public sector leaders will need to employ to be effective. Come prepared to both learn and share your thoughts on the hard society-level questions for our shared exponential future ahead.
Exponential changes require organizations intentionally to design how they operate to decrease the time required to bounce back from unforeseen events. Our exponentially changing world is putting more people online and connecting more devices daily, which also makes it nearly impossible to forecast exactly how many new risks and potential vulnerabilities are being created in the process. This talk will focus on how each of us can be positive #ChangeAgents to respond quickly to a variety of events that may not typically fall under the domain of security, yet still require a prompt response to be resilient.
For the future ahead, it is important to address the various challenges that will multiply alongside the Internet of Everything as well as consider how the public and private sectors must build bridges to develop resiliency for the Internet with academia, nonprofits, and the public.
The Future of Work and the Future of Jobs
Machine Learning, Disruption, Policy and Legislation, Future of Work , Technological Unemployment
We are facing unprecedented technological change. By several estimates, the next 7 years will see more change than the last 20 years combined, which will have ripple-effects on organizations, societies, and nations. Unlike past revolutions, this digital revolution probably will improve organizational productivity without needing more productive humans. Yet for us humans, jobs matter immensely. If humans sense too large an imbalance, they will destabilize national marketplaces and regimes globally. This talk will consider the big picture questions associated with the Future of Work and the Future of Jobs in the context of possible job creation and destruction, possible lag effects, and whether these trends will benefit everyone or be disproportionate in their effects. In the end, each of us as positive #ChangeAgents can help ensure the world does benefit from the expected future changes ahead. This talk also will focus both on how technology changes impact human societies - and how positive "change agents" can make a meaningful difference for the future ahead. As positive change agents, we can recognize the flaws of existing nation-states and international governance, and critique that they haven't delivered - and at the same time be concerned that nature abhors a vacuum. Communities around the world need to develop hopeful, non-zero-sum narratives of what 2025, 2030, and beyond will be - and work to ensure social inclusion in delivering those visions.
Ushering in the Future: Tactical Steps Forward for Exponential Organizations
History of Innovation and Technology, Disruption, Agility, Change Management, Digital Transformation
Often organizations can feel adrift in a sea of rapid changes, both technologically and globally, and at a loss for what tactical steps leaders can do to make sense and act in our changing world. This talk will provide leaders with action-oriented ways to be bold, brave, and benevolent for the future ahead. All of us can do something small. Start talking about these issues with a bent towards being a creative problem solver. Do not admire the issue; put forward possible suggestions as a team, and even if they are only initial steps, move forward with benevolence, boldness, and bravery in a changing world. Organizations can usher in the future by overcoming barriers to action, innovation, and initiative, and this talk will provide tangible steps leaders can do. This talk will also focus on how technology changes impact human societies and how positive "change agents" can make a meaningful difference for the future ahead. As positive change agents, we can recognize the flaws of existing nation-states and international governance, critique that they have not delivered, and at the same time be concerned that nature abhors a vacuum. Communities around the world need to develop hopeful, non-zero-sum narratives of what 2025, 2030, and beyond will be, and work to ensure social inclusion in delivering those visions.
What's Real (and What's Not) Regarding the Future of 5G, Wi-fi 6, and the Internet of Things
5G Communications, Internet of Things, Networks & Computing Systems, Transformation, Digital Transformation, Globalization
As the third decade of the 21st century starts, questions abound regarding what's real (and what's not) regarding the future of 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and other next-generation ways of achieving near-ubiquitous connectivity and computing around the world. This talk will seek to de-mystify some of the hype and get to the point about what tactically is doable now in the longer-term with these technologies as organizations seek to embrace the internet of things. This talk will focus both on how technology changes impact human societies - and how positive "change agents" can make a meaningful difference for the future ahead. As positive change agents, we can recognize the flaws of existing nation-states and international governance, and critique that they haven't delivered - and at the same time be concerned that nature abhors a vacuum. Communities around the world need to develop hopeful, non-zero-sum narratives of what 2025, 2030, and beyond will be - and work to ensure social inclusion in delivering those visions.
Where Will We Be in 2045? Leading in Turbulence to Include Artificial Intelligence, the Internet and the Future of Data
Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Governance, Government, Law and Policy
This talk was originally an invited keynote to the United Nations and considers the people-centered opportunities and challenges occurring around the world. Originally given as a distinguished keynote to the United Nations, this talk will highlight that the further our world gets from remembering what happened in World War II - the more we become divided because we have forgotten just how bad things can be. Even with all the advances in technologies and social progress, we humans are returning to thinking the world is "zero sum". We are missing that peace requires something beyond self-interest and if we're not careful, we're on the same ramp-up that was either the build-up to 1914 or 1939, though such conflicts will not be tanks, but other forms of harm and "loss". This talk will focus both on how technology changes impact human societies - and how positive "change agents" can make a meaningful difference for the future ahead. As positive change agents, we can recognize the flaws of existing nation-states and international governance, and critique that they have not delivered - and at the same time be concerned that nature abhors a vacuum. Communities around the world need to develop hopeful, non-zero-sum narratives of what 2025, 2030, and beyond will be - and work to ensure social inclusion in delivering those visions.
Why CEOs Should Embrace Exponential Change, Collaborate, and Co-Existence
Disruption, Exponentials, Policy and Legislation, Change Management, Future Planning
Given our rapidly changing world, C-Suite leaders have an imperative to be positive "change agents" and help their organizations go beyond the status quo. This requires recognition of the exponential technology trends that have been growing in certain fields. This also requires recognition of the new ways of collaboration and leadership required to address these changes. Most importantly, leaders must work to address a global need for both private and public sectors efforts to think non-zero sum when it comes to enterprising endeavors. This talk will discuss all these topics and provide leaders with people-centered approaches they can apply to be bold, brave, and benevolent for the future ahead. Exponential changes in the world bring technologies that can potentially improve lives and livelihoods -- yet may also have unforeseen side-effects that also impact individuals and communities. This talk will focus on how to consider governance in a world in which "just governments" or "just nation-states" may not be the future for the decade ahead; instead, each of us as positive #ChangeAgents may need to think of new networked ways of helping to govern why, where, when, and what outcomes new exponential technologies are incorporated in to societies.
A Practical Ethical Framework for Our Exponential Era
Exponential Organizations, Machine Learning, Technology Ethics, Leadership, Organizational Ethics, Technology Policy
Our exponential era presents entrepreneurs and organizational leaders across multiple sectors with the challenges of unintended consequences, even for companies that mean to do good. This talk will provide a brief history of the professions - the idea of community-monitoring and correcting because the subject matter was more complicated than what the average public could monitor. Then the OARS framework will be introduced that can help with addressing unintended consequences proactively. Specifically: (1) Obligations in this Context — what principles the entity believes about its relationship with its stakeholders, (2) Acknowledgements in this Context — what "known unknowns" may exist tied to transactions and relationships, (3) Responses to Obligations — what the entity will do based on expressed Obligations, (4) Safeguards to Acknowledgements — what the entity will do based on expressed Acknowledgements. Exponential changes in the world bring the technologies that can potentially improve lives and livelihoods -- yet may also have unforeseen side-effects that also impact individuals and communities. This talk will focus on how to consider governance in a world in which "just governments" or "just nation-states" may not be the future for the decade ahead; instead, each of us as positive #ChangeAgents may need to think of new networked ways of helping to govern why, where, when, and what outcomes new exponential technologies are incorporated into societies.
An Entrepreneur's and VC's Guide to the AI and the Industrial Internet of Things
Participants will learn about the latest developments in AI and the Industrial Internet of Things, and how these advances transform industries and commercial sectors. This includes an interactive card exercise where participants can remix possible financial investment and startup opportunities with the IIoT. With these rapid changes, so too is the nature of leadership changing. For the future ahead, it is important to address the various challenges that will multiply alongside both AI and the Industrial Internet of Everything. Exponential changes require organizations intentionally to design how they operate to decrease the time required to bounce back from unforeseen events. Our exponentially changing world is putting more people online and connecting more devices daily, which also makes it nearly impossible to forecast exactly how many new risks and potential vulnerabilities are being created in the process. This talk will focus on how each of us can be positive #ChangeAgents to respond quickly to a variety of events that may not typically fall under the domain of security, yet still require a prompt response to be resilient. For the future ahead, it is important to address the various challenges that will multiply alongside the Internet of Everything as well as consider how the public and private sectors must build bridges to develop resiliency for the Internet with academia, nonprofits, and the public.
Challenges of Confirmation Biases, Cognitive Easing, and Other Concerns
Social Media, Machine Learning, Technology Ethics, Communities, Media Literacy, Technology Policy
Humans may look back at our era and determine collectively our exponential era wasn't ready for the internet's impacts on how we interact as societies and how we share information. Participants will consider basic human rights in our digital era - and the challenges of confirmation biases, cognitive easing, and other concerns that give rise to the spread of misinformation out of context and other disruptive influence that polarize and create 'social wedges' impacting human communities and organizations. Looking towards the future, this talk identifies ways for open, pluralistic societies to overcome the challenges of us humans now connected globally without succumbing to surveillance capitalism, surveillance states, or censored societies that erode basic human rights associated with our pluralistic communities. President Lincoln is recorded as having said "I do not like that man. I must get to know him better" - which when applied to the 21st century means that all of us must find ways to engage with empathy, grace, and understanding for our digital future ahead.
Cyber-Resiliency, Counter-Disinformation, and Successful Leadership
Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Resilience, Transformation, Digital Transformation, Risk Management
Exponential changes require organizations to intentionally design how they operate to decrease the time required to bounce back from unforeseen events. Our exponentially changing world is putting more people online and connecting more devices daily, which also makes it nearly impossible to forecast exactly how many new risks and potential vulnerabilities are being created in the process. This talk will focus on tackling the increasing challenges of cybersecurity, ransomware, countering disinformation, and other digital challenges. This talk also will focus on how each of us can be positive change agents to respond quickly to a variety of events that may not typically fall under the domain of security, yet still require a prompt response to be resilient. For the future ahead, it is important to address the various challenges that will multiply alongside the Internet of Everything, as well as consider how the public and private sectors must build bridges to develop resiliency for the Internet with academia, nonprofits, and the public.
Practical Ethics Framework for Entrepreneurs and VC Investments
Ethics and AI, Organizational Ethics, Ethics and Technology, Ethics, Moral Philosophy, Risk Management
This talk will involve participants in developing a reusable framework where participants think through their obligations, awareness of blind spots, responsibilities, and safeguards for ventures involving exponential technologies that can be misused in ways not intended or abused by outsiders. Organizations themselves need to become learning, adaptive, and resilient, using sensors, data, and algorithms to achieve their goals ethically in a rapidly changing world. Exponential changes in the world bring new technologies that can potentially improve lives and livelihoods -- yet may also have unforeseen side-effects that also impact individuals and communities. This talk will focus on how to consider governance in a world in which "just governments" or "just nation-states" may not be the future for the decade ahead; instead, each of us as positive #ChangeAgents may need to think of new networked ways of helping to govern why, where, when, and what outcomes new exponential technologies are incorporated into societies. Leaders must work to address a global need for both private and public sectors efforts to think non-zero sum when it comes to enterprising endeavors.
Quantum Computing, Sensors, and the Future Ahead
Policy and Legislation, Change Management, Future Planning, Quantum Computing, Quantum Sensors
Quantum Computing, Sensors, and Novel Applications are on the horizon as a result of applying quantum phenomenology to practical business, government, and social problems. This session will interactively explore what those advancements mean for the future of business, future of governments, and how humans will work and collaborate in the next 5, 10, and 20 years ahead. This session points out both potential opportunities as well as pitfalls - and highlights the need for transnational business collaborations if quantum advancements are to result in a more benevolent future for all. Exponential changes in the world bring new technologies that can potentially improve lives and livelihoods -- yet may also have unforeseen side-effects that also impact individuals and communities. This talk will focus on how to consider governance in a world in which "just governments" or "just nation-states" may not be the future for the decade ahead; instead, each of us as positive #ChangeAgents may need to think of new networked ways of helping to govern why, where, when, and what outcomes new exponential technologies are incorporated in to societies.
