Richard Foster-Fletcher

Once a financial or strategic commitment depends on AI, evidence is needed that the system placed into use can do the work that commitment assumes.

Richard Foster-Fletcher is the author of the forthcoming The AI Gap and one of the UK’s leading independent researchers on how advanced AI changes what organisations are capable of. His talks connect the latest advances in intelligence and judgement with their implications for executive decision-making and organisational performance.

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Why organisations work with Richard Foster-Fletcher

  • Richard tests the latest AI systems at the limits of their reasoning and judgement. He works across models from leading AI labs and is regularly invited to evaluate new releases.
  • His research examines the distance between frontier capability, the AI available inside companies, and what those organisations can then decide and do.
  • Through MKAI, Richard publishes independent empirical studies on how advanced AI changes organisations, including an analysis of 150 SEC 10-K filings across 50 US public companies. His work is independent of technology vendors and consulting firms.
  • His research identifies seven recurring Structural Dynamics of enterprise AI adoption.
  • He has advised UK Parliament and sits on the United Nations Environment Programme Resilience Frontiers Advisory Group, and has spoken for Salesforce, Telefónica, Oracle, and ARM, and at LSE, Imperial College London, UCL, and the University of Oxford.

Biography highlights

  • Author of the forthcoming The AI Gap (Kogan Page, June 2027).
  • Chair of MKAI, the independent AI research organisation he founded in 2019.
  • Author of the seven-pattern framework on the Structural Dynamics of enterprise AI adoption.
  • Published a working paper on SSRN, The First Annual Reports of the LLM Era, analysing 150 SEC 10-K filings across 50 US public companies.
  • Publishes What Still Matters, a weekly essay series read by over 6,000 subscribers.
  • Has advised UK Parliament and sits on the United Nations Environment Programme Resilience Frontiers Advisory Group.
  • Has spoken for Salesforce, Telefónica, Oracle, and ARM, and at LSE, Imperial College London, UCL, and the University of Oxford.
  • Named among Favikon’s UK Top 20 AI Researchers and Entrepreneurs in 2026, and a LinkedIn Top Voice in AI.

Biography

Advanced AI systems can now reason and make judgements that go well beyond the tools most companies have in daily use. That gap is the subject of Richard Foster-Fletcher’s research and of his forthcoming book, The AI Gap. One of the UK’s leading independent researchers in the field, his talks examine what the gap means for the decisions organisations make and the commitments those decisions rest on.

The AI Gap, to be published by Kogan Page in June 2027, examines the distance between the capability a company has placed into use, the capability its commitments require, and the evidence connecting the two.

Richard works directly with the latest systems from leading AI labs. He tests their reasoning and judgement, and compares how they perform from one release to the next. He also studies what changes when those systems enter governed organisational environments.

He chairs MKAI, founded in 2019, which publishes independent empirical research on AI and organisations. Recent studies have examined corporate capability reporting, the effect of organisational instructions on AI judgement, responsibility for AI-assisted decisions, and the visibility of controls placed around enterprise systems. One analysed 150 SEC 10-K filings across 50 US public companies. His research identifies seven recurring Structural Dynamics of enterprise AI adoption.

Richard has advised UK Parliament and sits on the United Nations Environment Programme Resilience Frontiers Advisory Group. He has given talks for Salesforce, Telefónica, Oracle, and ARM, and at LSE, Imperial College London, UCL, and the University of Oxford. He was named among Favikon’s UK Top 20 AI Researchers and Entrepreneurs in 2026 and is a LinkedIn Top Voice in AI.

Key speaking topics

  • Artificial intelligence and organisational capability
  • Executive decision-making and judgement
  • Organisational strategy under advanced AI
  • AI governance and capability constraints
  • Risk, responsibility, and evidence
  • Frontier AI and enterprise availability
  • Workforce capability and the future of work

Ideal for

  • Main-stage audiences seeking an evidence-based account of what leading AI systems can now do.
  • Boards and executive committees examining commitments that depend upon AI capability.
  • P&L holders responsible for results whose delivery assumes that AI can perform specific work.
  • Governance, risk, and audit audiences examining the evidence behind organisational AI decisions.

Audience outcomes

  • An evidence-based account of where leading AI systems have reached.
  • A basis for separating material advances from repackaged capability and unsupported claims.
  • A clear distinction between the result being promised, the system being used, and the evidence connecting them.
  • A view of the distance between frontier capability and the AI available inside companies.
  • What remains untested when a financial or strategic commitment depends on AI.

Talks

The State of AI: What the Leading Models Can Now Do

An evidence-based read on where frontier models have reached, which advances materially change what AI can contribute, and how far workplace AI still lags.

Key takeaways:

  • The reasoning and judgement now available in leading systems
  • How to tell a material advance from repackaging or an unsupported claim
  • The organisational cost of leaving the gap between frontier and workplace AI unexamined

The Gap Between Commitment and Capability (for boards, executive committees, and P&L holders)

A closed-door briefing on how organisations come to promise results that depend on AI capability that has not been verified against the commitment, and what it takes to close that gap.

Key takeaways:

  • Separating the result promised, the system selected, and the evidence linking them
  • Which functions need to be in the room when a commitment depends on AI
  • What evidence is currently missing, and what would be required to establish capability

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Testimonials

Richard is shaping the world with his questions.
Andrew Zolli
Chief Impact Officer, Planet
Richard is a very impressive individual, and I don’t make a compliment like that lightly.
Danilo McGarry
Former Head of AI, Citigroup and UnitedHealth Group
Richard brings depth and clarity and a unique perspective to AI discussions.
Dan Ariely
Author of Predictably Irrational and Professor of Business Administration, Duke University
Richard Foster-Fletcher has the ability to articulate complex concepts with clarity and relevance.
Ulas Malli
Board Member, AIPA
Richard skilfully gets to the heart of the matter to provoke a truly insightful conversation.
Sir Anthony Seldon
Author, Historian and Educator
Richard has a unique quality: 360° perception. Richard takes you further than most people I know. Richard is boundless and will take you as well as your audience to the next level!
Denis Rothman
AI Author
I have known Richard since the beginning years of MKAI. He is an engaging speaker and leader with the delivery of a world-class orator. If Richard is speaking somewhere, I'm listening in.
Ambassador Terry Earthwind Nichols
Ambassador & International Speaker
Richard Foster-Fletcher is an asset to humanity. He brings intelligence and heart to our ever-changing future. He’s a team player who cares about people and their important role on the planet as stewards for future generations. He is a great communicator and thinks outside of the box when creating solutions to difficult problems. Richard also sees the value in healthy partnerships when expanding new ideas. It’s an honor to work with Richard.
Laura Cox
Executive Producer
Richard's keynote at our recent EMEA Conference was both enlightening and engaging. His presentation, “AI in Action – Balancing Innovation and Integrity in Decision-Making” adeptly addressed the complex interplay of AI innovation and ethics, enhancing our understanding of these critical issues. Richard combined humour and humility to make the intricate topics of bias and the future of work approachable, while his interactive style enriched our session. We are grateful for his significant contribution to the conference and for advancing the conversation on ethical AI.
Megan Hendricks
Executive Director, MBA Career Services & Employee Alliance
It would be easy to describe Richard as an inspirational keynote speaker, an energetic and positive founder and a great podcast compere. And these would all be true. But to do so would miss something important and worth talking about. Richard is all about bringing the right people together and then inspiring them to do what they are best at. You can see it in his events, in his podcasts and in his keynote speeches. This positivity, respect and encouragement of everyone else is what makes Richard stands out. Book him. Work with him. Enjoy it.
Ryan Parke
Professional Speaker On Male Mental Health
Richard delivered an insightful and thought-provoking talk on the expansive implications of artificial intelligence on society, the future of work, and ethical considerations. His ability to articulate complex concepts in an accessible manner prompted a dynamic and engaging discussion among attendees. Richard's presentation not only highlighted the potential risks and rewards of AI adoption but also encouraged a deeper understanding of its impact. We are appreciative of Richard's contribution to our event and his role in advancing the conversation around AI. His expertise and passion for the subject matter were evident and greatly appreciated by all participants.
Andy Murray
Executive Director, Major Projects Association

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