Blaise Agüera y Arcas Speaking Fee: $30,000 to $50,000

Blaise Agüera y Arcas is a distinguished figure in artificial intelligence and computational photography, currently serving as Vice President and Fellow at Google Research. Born in 1975 in Providence, Rhode Island, he spent his formative years in Mexico City, providing him with a unique cross-cultural perspective. He earned his B.A. in physics from Princeton University in 1998, setting the stage for a career that seamlessly blends technology, art, and societal impact. In 2001, Agüera y Arcas collaborated with Princeton's Scheide Librarian, Paul Needham, to apply computational methods to historical texts, challenging long-held beliefs about Gutenberg's movable type. This endeavor exemplifies his commitment to merging technology with the humanities. The following year, he developed a computational technique for the Library of Congress, reconstructing color images from early 20th-century negatives by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, further highlighting his innovative approach to digital reconstruction. Professionally, Agüera y Arcas co-founded Seadragon, a company renowned for its technology that enabled efficient browsing of large images—a precursor to modern web-scale image handling. Microsoft acquired Seadragon in 2006, leading to Agüera y Arcas's role as the architect of Bing Maps and Bing Mobile. His tenure at Microsoft culminated in his recognition as a Distinguished Engineer in 2011, reflecting his significant contributions to the field. At Google, Agüera y Arcas leads a team dedicated to advancing AI, focusing on privacy-preserving, augmentative applications across mobile devices and the Internet of Things. He founded the Artists and Machine Intelligence program, fostering collaborations between machine learning engineers and artists to explore the intersection of AI and art. His scholarly work includes publications on machine learning privacy and ethics, and he has been a vocal participant in discussions on AI's societal implications. His accolades include MIT's TR35 Prize and recognition as one of Fast Company's Most Creative People. Beyond his professional achievements, Agüera y Arcas authored "Ubi Sunt" and "Who Are We Now?", works that delve into the human aspects of technological advancement. "Ubi Sunt" received the AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers award in 2022, underscoring his ability to blend narrative with technological discourse. Through his diverse endeavors, Agüera y Arcas exemplifies the fusion of technological innovation with a deep understanding of human culture and ethics.