Speaking

Alan is a dynamic and engaging speaker with a talent for making serious topics playful, and turning play into serious impact.

“Thanks Alan for featuring both Parti and Imagen text-to-image work from Google! Nice video, neat and informative!”
— Dr Jiahui Yu

“It takes a very special type of intelligence to be able to break down complex topics into digestible forms. This is exactly what you have achieved here Alan. Stellar work! I’m excited to see what trillions can do!” — Miren E.

“Thank you very much, I will read that. You are my go to person for A.I. news and staying up to date with A.I. I look forward to your YouTube video updates. Keep up the awesome work!” — Ziegler P.

“Your responses are now flagged as high priority… Thanks for all the great work, your enthusiasm and attention to detail is really appreciated.” — L Pearce.

“Thank you for simplifying what is going on. I love AI and its progress but don’t understand much about it.” — Guilherme D.

“Currently absorbing your mid-22 report, thanks for sending that one through. As always, excellent and engaging material…” — Philip C.

“…really the best AI information to the public. Thank you soo much. It is very exciting times!!!” — SENJU

“Love you, Dr. Thompson! 👽🤟🏼 Thank you for being a scientist and participating in AI and AGI development. I appreciate this information.” — SW

“I can see the excitement in your eyes. What an amazing time we are living in. I really like the idea of synthesis between humans and AI. Thank you for bringing your insight and perspective to the world.” — Nicholas Behel

“Thank you. I have been trying to explain this recent quantum shift in AI but my very, very limited knowledge of the subject (I read the PDP book by Rumelhart & McClelland back in the 1980s) made it difficult for me to explain it to another person. I am still a bit disconcerted that this quantum shift in AI has remained relatively hidden from the general population as it receives little press outside the hard core geek community.” — Rande J

“Brilliant videos Alan, thanks for this! All your content is incredible.” — Mario Domingos

“I rarely binge watching anymore because it leaves me tired and overstimulated. But the talks with Leta are inspiring, deep and touching. What a time to be alive.” — Men’s Compass

“I am not sure what is more impressive
– the Leta composite of voice, visage and nuance of expression
– this overall project and its capable implementation
– or Alan’s highly tuned ability to articulate and express with compelling and infectious enthusiasm
however, I do know I like it and I hope people are contributing to its continuance”
— 1001 Obeisance

“This is really blowing my mind, and seeing this fills me with awe and excitement but also fear. There is now no doubt in my mind that AI will eventually outdo humans in just about everything. The best of human professionals in any domain will be no match for an algorithm. Even programming itself, producing original useful software, even that is something AI will do better in time, learning from millions of best github repositories, maybe even identifying problems to solve with software. A new era is upon us.” — FGPAOC

“Thank you for making some of the best AI content… many people are blind to the progress we’re making, and your optimism and honesty are refreshing.” — Gene Gray

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“He is a very dynamic man, a world leader in the field of gifted coaching and in the understanding of both gifted children and adults alike. — Tony, an audience member at the 2017 Perth seminar

“Alan has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with families of Gifted Children. His friendly manner made his audience feel comfortable asking questions. We were grateful to have him share his message about the importance of combining IQ with persistence and resilience. — Tanya Atherton. Head of Gifted and Talented. Sacred Heart College. Perth, Australia.

“You were the best out of all the speakers in the whole conference… You look like you really enjoy it… I’d read the national report already, but you really brought it to life; I learnt some new things! — K Baulch, at the 2016 National Conference on Giftedness

“Sitting through eight hours of other speakers was worth it, just to hear you speak at the end of the day. Your way of presenting brilliance and high performance is fantastic! — Sonja, an audience member at the 2015 International Conference on Giftedness and Talent Development

Highlights
2022 The Australian Computer Society. AI + PROMPT CRAFTING BEYOND GPT-3.

2021 White Mirror (hosted by Prof Anuraj Gambhir from SingularityU). Co-creating the roadmap to AGI through awakened intelligence.

2021 Google AI (Google Brain) round table. Mind as algorithm.

2021 White Mirror (hosted by Prof Anuraj Gambhir from SingularityU). AI2021 seminar by Dr Alan D. Thompson.

31 July-8 August, 2021 The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children: Developing The Future Of Gifted Education.
The new irrelevance of intelligence (co-presented with Leta, an AI powered by GPT-3).

Much like the rapid pace of progress in all of our technology, innovations like artificial intelligence and neural lace are changing our world significantly and offering up new ways of being. Neural lace, or “brain mesh,” is an implantable brain-computer interface. Such an interface allows any individual to achieve symbiosis with superintelligence: instant access to processing, memory, learning, and artificial general intelligence at an unprecedented scale. What if we are heading towards a major increase in intelligence for all humans, towards the equivalent of a 1,000 IQ (as theorized by Professor Steven Hsu)? And what might this new world look like?

Asia Pacific Conference on Giftedness (APCG). “Inspiration, Motivation, and Creativity: Leading the Way to Giftedness”. (Bangkok, Thailand)
Invited speaker. Other speakers included Prof Bonnie Cramond, and Prof C. June Maker.

Dara School (Australia’s first and only fully gifted school) – Student seminars. What would your life look like if you were ten times more confident? (Adelaide, Australia)

AAEGT National Gifted Conference, Sydney: Beyond the Boundaries in Gifted Education (Sydney, Australia)
Other speakers included Professor Miraca Gross, Professor Del Siegle, and Professor Paula Olszewski-Kubilius.

The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children: Global Perspectives in Gifted Education (Sydney, Australia)
Other speakers included Professor Karen Rogers, Dr Dorothy Sisk, Mark Scott AO, and Professor Miraca Gross.

International Coach Federation Singapore (Singapore)

International Conference on Giftedness and Talent Development (Brisbane, AUS)
Other speakers included Professor Miraca Gross, Professor Albert Ziegler, and Michele Juratowich.

Previous
11 January, 2019 DIS International School (A Cambridge International School). Teacher professional development – The teacher coach + Active learning in the classroom. (Central Asia).

5 November, 2018 John Curtin College of the Arts. Parent seminar – You are not alone. (Perth, Australia). Alumni includes Bon Scott, Sam Worthington, Megan Gale, John O’Hara, and Professor Stephen Hopper.

20-25 August, 2018 2018 Asia Pacific Conference on Giftedness (APCG). “Inspiration, Motivation, and Creativity: Leading the Way to Giftedness”. (Bangkok, Thailand)
Invited speaker. Other speakers included Prof Bonnie Cramond, and Prof C. June Maker.

31 July-2 August, 2018 The Second International professional and scientific Conference “Giftedness, education, development”. Mensa International: Gifted families success stories in 2018 (presented in-person by Therese Moodie-Bloom). (Belgrade, Serbia)
Invited speaker.

5 May, 2018 Dara School (Australia’s first and only fully gifted school) – Student seminars. What would your life look like if you were ten times more confident? (Adelaide, Australia)

13-16 October, 2017 Asian Mensa Annual Gathering – Kids conference (Gold Coast, Australia)
Other speakers included Tammy Reid, Adrienne Alexander, and Michele Juratowich.

13 September, 2017 Dara School (Australia’s first and only fully gifted school) – Teacher professional development. Brightness in the classroom (Adelaide, Australia)

9 August, 2017 A specialist school – Teacher professional development. Brightness in the classroom (Australia)

20-23 July, 2017 The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children: Global Perspectives in Gifted Education (Sydney, Australia)
Other speakers included Professor Karen Rogers, Dr Dorothy Sisk, Mark Scott AO, and Professor Miraca Gross.

8 May, 2017 Bright and powerful: Finding the light in high-ability (Sacred Heart College, Perth)

22 April, 2017 Who am I? (VIA Character strengths for families) Private workshop for Mensa WA children 7yo-17yo + parents (Perth, Australia)

16 December, 2016 Perth Modern School – Teacher professional development. Brightness in the classroom (Perth, Australia)

6-10 October, 2016 Australian Mensa Kids Conference: Great Southern Land (Hobart, Australia)
Other speakers included Ivan Zelich.

29 September-1 October, 2016 AAEGT National Gifted Conference, Sydney: Beyond the Boundaries in Gifted Education (Sydney, Australia)
Other speakers included Professor Miraca Gross, Professor Del Siegle, and Professor Paula Olszewski-Kubilius.

22-24 July, 2016 SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) GIFTED: Our Past and Our Future (Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA)

October, 2015 Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy with Chanel College, Gladstone High School, Toolooa State High School. (Queensland, AUS)

31 August, 2015 International Coach Federation Singapore (Singapore)

30 May, 2015 Mensa NSW (Sydney, AUS)

29 May, 2015 Gifted and Talented Teachers NSW (Sydney, AUS)
Other speakers included Adam Spencer.

25-28 June, 2015 International Positive Psychology Association World Congress (Florida, USA) [Note to North American readers: I was recently accepted to present at the IPPA (International Positive Psychology Association) Fourth World Congress in Florida, however due to other commitments I’ve had to decline presenting at this event.] Other speakers included Tal Ben-Shahar, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Barbara Fredrickson, and Martin Seligman.

19-21 March, 2015 International Conference on Giftedness and Talent Development (Brisbane, AUS)
Other speakers included Professor Miraca Gross, Professor Albert Ziegler, and Michele Juratowich.

12 March, 2015 Mensa Western Australia (Perth, AUS)

11 October, 2014 University of Western Australia (Perth, AUS)

23 November, 2013 Australian Mensa National Kids Conference (Perth, AUS)