Adam Golding - Keynote speaker, workshops, and training

ADAM H. GOLDING

Speaker

In his speaking engagements, Adam emphasises the importance of ethical reasoning in a rapidly changing world. He encourages participants to think critically about the implications of technology, particularly AI, on society. By engaging with these topics, Adam aims to equip students and adults alike with the tools needed to make informed decisions and contribute positively to society.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

PHILOSOPHY

TOURS

See what people have to say about Adam’s talks and workshops

REVIEWS

“My diverse interests and background in education, make for compelling keynote addresses for conferences and events. In this capacity, I offer a variety of workshops and presentations on topics ranging from Philosophical Argument and Ethical Reasoning to AI to walking tours. I believe that the key to any successful talk, be it a lecture, workshop or tour, is that at its core it is a story. Story not only keeps us engaged and interested, it also provides an anchor leading to more retention.”

Speaking Topics

Artificial Intelligence
&
The Future World of Work

In 2016, Adam came across Tim Urban‘s Wait but why? post on The AI Revolution: The Road to Superintelligence, and quickly realised that this was the most important topic to be engaging with going forward.

After reading extensively on the topic, Adam became convinced that the intersection of ethics and AI was an area in desperate need of further exploration, leading to his current research in the field.

The following talks form the basis for a number of options. Folding to the Moon and Back is my most popular keynote address, but it is also suitable as part of a day-long training that consists of more interactive workshops. Whilst popular at High Schools for Career Days and Subject Choice briefings, it is equally impactful at corporates and non-profits. AI 2027 is suitable for any corporate environment and The Age of the Virtuous Machines is more specific.

Folding to the Moon and Back

When will AI supersede human level performance at various tasks? How will University programmes look in a world dominated by Generative AI? How will the future look? Which jobs and careers are safe options in the world of AI? In this talk I will be providing the answers to none of these questions and more!

Anyone providing answers to these and similar questions is either lying, or delusional. After all, if there is anything we can learn from history, it is that our inability to predict the future is spectacularly woeful. The only certainty about the future is that it will look radically different from the present. Part of the reason for this is that our brains evolved to comprehend linear growth, rather than exponential patterns, but it is the latter which we should expect.

This presentation will help to frame how different an exponential future could look compared to those of our linear imaginations. I will then provide some ideas as to how we might prepare young minds for a future world of work that is truly beyond our imaginations.

AI 2027

Daniel Kokotajlo is an AI researcher and safety advocate, and cofounder of the AI Futures Project. In 2024, he resign from OpenAI. At the risk of losing over $2M in equity, he refused to sign OpenAI’s non-disparagement clause, as he felt that he needed to advocate for AI safety in the face of the current landscape which financially incentivises major AI firms to avoid oversight

In March 2025, Kokotajlo collaborated with Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland, Romeo Dean to publish AI 2027, a long-form article mapping out a possible scenario of how we might reach Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) within a very short timeframe. The writers make a cogent argument for how this revolutionary technology that will render the world unrecognisable could arrive very suddenly, with no warning to the general public.

Our brains are not evolved to think in exponential ways, and we imagine the future progressing at a rate in which we are used to. As explored in Folding to the Moon and Back, there are good reasons to expect exponential growth over the next years and decades. In this presentation, Adam Golding unpacks the AI 2027 scenario, to help professionals understand how radically different the world could look in the next few years, and how writers, economists, and other professionals are completely underestimating the coming changes and developments based on linear growth of current technologies.

The Age of the Virtuous Machines

In his 2019 book, Human Compatible, AI safety godfather, Stuart Russell proposed a three-principle framework as a new way to think about coding AI to address the Alignment Problem. In this talk, Adam Golding discusses the intersection of AI and ethics, proposing that Virtue Ethics is overlooked as an ethical theory with applicability in the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI).

The talk draws from his current research, which proposes using Virtue Ethics instead of Utilitarianism as a foundation for an updated framework based on Russell’s.

Philosophy

Workshops and training in philosphical argument and ethical reasoning.

In the world of education today, four words come up more than any others: the so-called 21st-century skills of Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity. It is these four skills that are claimed to be key to success in almost any field today. Whilst these buzz-words appear over and over, we seldom unpack exactly what is meant by each, particularly with Critical Thinking.

Whilst the study of Philosophy is usually limited to a handful of university students, Adam is convinced that numerous lessons from Philosophy are an essential part of a basic education and that they can support adults in any workplace. Whilst Philosophy as a discipline is over 2 500 years old, some of its basic building blocks are these competencies and skills.

One of the central ideas in Philosophy is that of argument. Unlike debating, however, the goal is never to win, but rather to come closer to the truth.

The following three presentations are available either as talks, or, as interactive workshops. They can each work independently, or be used together to form a half-day training.

Philosophical Argument

The workshops build and foster the following skills:
1) Listening for understanding
(The power of stealmanning, understanding a variety of points of view)
2) Evaluation
(assessment of evidence, making informed choices)
3) Reasoning
(logical reasoning, analogous reasoning, argument construction)
4) Intellectual Humility
(Acknowledging that others points of view might be better, when supported by evidence)

Introducing Philosophical Argument

When engaging in an argument, most of us have one goal: to win. We raise our voices, repeat ourselves, call each other names, and use witty comebacks. The problem with this approach is that each of these techniques raises our interlocutor’s defenses, stopping them from listening to us. Philosophy provides a different way of thinking about, and approaching argument.

This presentation leads participants to understand the inherent conflict between holding immovable views and our innate desire for truth. Once we understand this paradoxical relationship, the value in listening and understanding ideas that differ from our own becomes apparent.

Logical Fallacies

Logal fallacies are the basis of bad argument. The value in understanding these missteps is two-fold. First, it allows us to construct better arguments, second, it allows us to see through poor arguments based in fallacy. This workshop trains participants to easily identify and understand six of the most common and powerful logical fallacies.

Deductive Logic

The most powerful kind of argument is one that is deductively valid. A deductively valid argument is one where if one agrees with the premesis , then it is incoherent to disagree with the conclusion. This fun workshop uses ridiculous examples to help us to understand how the structure and language used in an argument can be used to trick us.

Ethics

Pumping our intuitions

For those who haven’t studied ethics, this often seems an obvious field. As humans, we intuitively know right from wrong. Or do we? This workshop uses thought experiments to challenge our intuitions, and encourage participants to dig deeper into the underlying foundations of what makes an action or decision ethical.

Empathy and Ethics

It is often assumed that empathy is the fundamental driver for ethical behaviour. Many thinkers and theorists argue that it is our ability to empathise that gives us moral agency and responsibility. In his 2016 book Against Empathy, psychologist Paul Bloom argues that empathy is a poor guide for moral reasoning. This intuition is supported by the thinking of many Utilitarian philosophers, including one of the most influential living philosophers, Peter Singer.

Whilst I do not provide any answers, this talk unpacks various approaches to ethical reasoning, leaving participants with tools to rethink how they approach ethical reasoning and decision making in a more informed way.

Tours

Adam’s love for architecture, history, and travel lead him to the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, where he occasionally volunteers as a tour leader. Adam has provided walking tours accross the world and is as comfortable leading in Johannesburg as he is in Berlin, Florence, Paris, Prague, or Rome.

The key his tours is what makes Adam’s concerts and talks so successful; his ability to weave everything into a story.

JOHANNESBURG

Killarney through the Years – From Farmlands to Flatlands

As one of the few upper-income flatlands in the metropolis, Killarney is among Joburg’s most interesting suburbs. Since its establishment, this relatively small parcel of land has been transformed from a quaint farm to its current status as a “mini-Manhattan” that houses a wonderfully diverse population of residents.

Along the way, it has been home to one of the first Hollywood-style film studios in South Africa, which was later replaced by the Killarney Mall – one of the city’s first suburban shopping centres. Meanwhile, an eclectic collection of high-rise apartment buildings was developed, encompassing a variety of architectural styles that includes some of Johannesburg’s finest Art Deco facades, along with excellent examples of mid-century Italian and Brazilian modernism.

This delightful walking tour, led by Adam H. Golding, celebrates all aspects of the Killarney story and even includes a walk through The Wilds – a lovely green haven that harks back to the area’s bucolic past.

Come and discover some of the best-kept secrets and hidden treasures of this too-often overlooked suburb.

Wonderful Westcliff – Under a Purple Sky

In 1892, Lady Florence Phillips famously rode North, eager to escape the dusty hustle and bustle of early Johannesburg. When she arrived at the top of a ridge just to the south of the burgeoning mining town, she decided that this was where her new home should be built. And Parktown was born – home of the Randlords. Ten years later, Westcliff was laid out and it quickly became one of the city’s most prestigious suburbs boasting large plots with expansive views to the Magaliesberg.

So, to celebrate Jacaranda season, join expert guide Adam H. Golding as we wander through the beautiful tree-lined streets of Westcliff to visit some of its grandest residences, including iconic stone homes designed by Sir Herbert Baker along with some of the suburb’s lesser-known curiosities.

It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Please note: this is a walking tour with some inclines so please wear good shoes and bring along a hat, sunscreen and drinking water.

Art Deco Delights

Art Deco is one of the most well-loved periods in arcitectural history. Join Adam in exploring some of the finest remaining examples from the ’30s in Downtown Joburg and relive the glamour of the era.

Parktown – Randlords and Mansions

The Rand Club

Originally founded in 1887, The Rand Club is one of the most important places in Johannesburg’s history. The current clubhouse is the third iteration, built in 1905 and modelled on The Reform Club in London. Come and explore this unbelievable space and enjoy a drink or tea and scones in grandeur seldom expereinced!

Downtown Johannesburg

From a dusty mining camp to a bustling city. This tour covers some of the highlights of downtown Jo’burg, including the mining houses, City Hall, The Rand Club, and the recently re-opened Johannesburg Library.

INTERNATIONAL

Berlin

Florence

London

Paris

Prague

Rome