
Nathalie Nahai
Best-selling author, lecturer and artist, Nathalie Nahai draws upon a rich academic background to craft unique, impactful, high-value keynotes that will resonate with your audience long after your event. From agency and AI, to customer experience and brand resilience, below are some of the topics Nathalie speaks about and moderates panels on. If you’re interested in a different topic, please get in touch to explore collaboration.
Nathalie Nahai's videos
What Nathalie Nahai's clients say
"An exceptional keynote speaker. On the theme of value, agency and meaning in an age of AI, she spoke with contagious passion and excitement, and challenged everyone to think deeply about our key topic: humanity’s place in an AI-driven world."
"Nathalie's session was the highest rated session at the entire event. Her topics fit our business needs really well. There are tonnes of people who can talk about shopping behaviour or brand loyalty but I hadn't seen any that came from the psychological perspective and whose talk track fit nearly as well into our conference themes."
"A supremely charismatic and knowledgeable speaker, she’s exactly what we were looking for in a keynote speaker and she exceeded our extremely high expectations."
"We wanted to feature a speaker that will give us a different perspective of AI, not just the doomsday scenario that AI will take over. Nathalie's emphasis on trust, authenticity, and AI-generated content really resonated, especially in today’s evolving landscape."
"Nathalie has a deep expertise and understanding of what motivates web users and how interactive design can enhance (rather than detract from) one’s online experience. She also has a delightful and engaging style that allows her to connect with large audiences and keep them arrested throughout her presentation… It’s a rare skill indeed."
"Nathalie’s insights into the influence of online behaviour and how that should inform a brand’s authenticity, originality, and overall marketing approach were incredible; immensely practical for all companies, from small business to enterprise."
"Nathalie Nahai had a group of 500 of our sharpest, most plugged-in customers riveted as she delved into her fascinating research on why people share. You can tell when a person is a born performer, and Nathalie has that extra something that makes it impossible not to give her your undivided attention."
"Nathalie’s presentation at the Fujitsu Executive Discussion Evening was absolutely on-brief. She took the time to understand our objectives and the topic, and to customise her content. Her delivery was impeccable and she came across as wholly credible yet eminently likeable."
"Nathalie Nahai delivered one of the most buzzed-about keynote sessions in Spredfast Summit history. She managed to masterfully weave research on neuroscience and digital behaviour into the world of digital marketing, leaving our audience with relevant, actionable insights. Her content was as funny as it was fresh – making her equally as engaging as she is brilliant on stage."
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Languages:
- English
Nathalie Nahai's 2025 biography
Nathalie Nahai: Persuasive tech, AI, human behaviour & ethics
Whether you’re looking to harness AI and leverage human connection, cut through hype surrounding emerging technologies, or better understand rapidly evolving consumer needs, Nathalie Nahai’s background in human behaviour, web design and the arts offer a unique vantage point from which to examine the complex challenges we face today. Described as “a rare polymath with deep expertise in tech, marketing and psychology”, her charismatic keynotes leave audiences energised, excited and inspired to take the next step on their journey.
Having studied psychology and worked as a web designer early in her career, she wanted to map out a comprehensive framework through which to understand online behaviour – a process that culminated in the publication of the international best-seller, Webs Of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion (Pearson).
Adopted as the go-to manual by business leaders and universities alike, Webs Of Influence has been translated into 7 languages, and alongside her new book, Business Unusual: Values, Uncertainty and the Psychology of Brand Resilience, serves as the cornerstone for Nathalie’s work with clients including Google, Accenture, Unilever and Harvard Business Review, among others. A popular speaker, consultant and facilitator to Fortune 500 companies, Nathalie has lectured at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions (from Cambridge and UCL universities, to Lund and Hult business schools), and her experience as a skilled communicator has seen her present at SXSW, host the Guardian Changing Media Summit and hold main stage interviews at the Web Summit.
Whether speaking to audiences of thousands, or leading executive roundtables for private clients, Nathalie’s ability to ignite conversation and offer tools and strategies with which to harness human potential, has helped countless organisations transform how they approach business.
From ethics and human behaviour to persuasive tech and what it means to be human in an age of AI, Nathalie addresses the specific challenges faced by larger, more diverse brands and organisations today, including: how to adapt to AI and automation, the psychological dynamics behind evolving consumer behaviours, the challenges of engaging millennials and Gen Z, how to harness self-determination, the move towards eudaimonic well-being, the role of social identity in social media, identifying and expressing values with coherence, ethics and integrity, resonant
communication and marketing, brand resilience and reputation, and how to ethically apply behavioural science principles to enhance your platforms, content marketing, product design and customer experience.
Whether you’re looking to communicate more resonantly, engage people more persuasively or create cultures of integrity that better attract and retain both employees and customers, Nathalie’s insightful, actionable keynotes and workshops offer a robust roadmap to help you navigate uncertainty with greater skill and success.
A behavioural science advisor, Nathalie also hosts In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai, Guardian podcasts, and contributes to national publications, television and radio on the impact of technology in our lives. A guest lecturer on the “Transversal vision of artificial intelligence” for ELISAVA’s Masters programme in Human Interaction and AI, Nathalie is also the founder of Flourishing Futures Salon – intimate, curated evenings where 12 strangers gather over locally sourced food and wine to explore how we might orient towards life, beauty and meaning in difficult times.
Articles and podcasts
Nathalie Nahai's 2025 talks & topics
Building trust, engagement & agency in an age of AI
Summary
Every day we’re bombarded by new headlines about AI – how it’s evolving, the threats and benefits it poses to our jobs, and how it will transform our lives. Yet how much of this is hype?
When it comes to reclaiming our agency, how can we discern fact from fiction? And in the face of increasingly automated interactions, how do we earn trust and prioritise real connection with our customers, while navigating the promise and perils of synthetic relationships?
From performance and projection, to AI hype and the five Cs, this talk will show you how to isolate the signal from the noise.
From the most exciting advancements in emerging technologies, to the most challenging issues they bring, we’ll unpack some of the insights, context and critical skills you’ll need in order to assess and leverage AI to augment (rather than undermine) your work, your social connections, and your future.
Takeaways
You’ll discover the (im)possibilities of AI: promise and pitfalls of new technologies
- You’ll learn how to leverage AI to earn (rather than undermine) customer trust.
- The power of performance and projection in synthetic relationships (chatbots).
- What “agency” actually means from both a psychological and technological perspective.
- The Hype Cycle, and how to discern fact from fiction.
Who is it for?
This talk is ideal for people in C-level, leadership and management positions, and for those working in marketing, communication, advertising and business. It can also be adapted to meet the needs of a wider, more general audiences.
Delivery: In-person / virtually, with a live Q&A.
Reclaiming creativity & self-determination in an age of AI
As we speed towards a more automated, performance-oriented future, it can be easy to believe there’s increasingly little room for our own creativity, critical thinking and imagination.
And yet cutting edge research suggests that when it comes to meaningful communication, psychological wellbeing and a life well lived, there is still a lot to learn about AI’s role in our lives.
In this revealing talk, we’ll take a peek behind the hype and explore the three universal psychological needs driving human behaviour. From enhancing our autonomy to cultivating belonging through authentic expression, we’ll explore how business leaders and brands can leverage emerging technologies in concert with our deeper desires to cultivate customer relationships that last.
We’ll unpack how AI can either undermine or enhance our agency, learn about the hidden cost of uniformity, and how – in an increasingly noisy world – we can harness our creativity as an antidote to automation.
Takeaways
- You’ll discover the hidden science of how our subconscious responds to human versus AI-generated content.
- You’ll learn about the three universal psychological needs and how we can use AI to meet them (rather than undermine them).
- You’ll learn how to harness creativity to earn trust and rapport with your customers.
Who is it for?
This talk is ideal for people in C-level and leadership positions, and for those working in marketing, communication, advertising and business. It can also be adapted to meet the needs of a wider, more general audiences.
Delivery: In-person / virtually, with a live Q&A.
Eudaimonia: Connection & meaning in an age of AI
Summary
This thought-provoking talk explores the intricate balance between the march of automation and human connection, and reveals how we can adapt to a changing landscape of decisionmaking and engagement in an age of AI.
As we look towards a more automated, performance-oriented future – from how we engage consumers to the ways in which we work – it can be easy to believe there’s increasingly little room for our own ingenuity, skills and imagination. Yet as technology becomes increasingly integrated into all aspects of life, it is precisely our ability to step back and understand others at a more meaningful level that will enable us to thrive.
In a quantified world, as marketing transforms from mass media to hyper-personalised, algorithmically targeted content, we must find new ways to reach through the noise to create genuine, memorable moments of connection. Given the challenges we face in retaining human connection in an increasingly technological world, this talk will showcase how our success (or failure) ultimately relies upon our capacity to capture and transport people’s imaginations.
Takeaways
- You’ll discover how the quality of our engagement is deeply rooted in three kinds of empathy, and what this means for optimising your strategy.
- You’ll understand how to use heterogenous and homogenous communication techniques to capture curiosity and drive high-quality engagement.
- You’ll learn how to harness customer motivation to move people from intention to action.
Who is it for?
This talk is ideal for business leaders, marketers and brand managers looking to connect more meaningfully to their customers, by leveraging psychological principles and practices that will augment and enhance their AI-supported strategies.
Delivery: In-person / virtually, with a live Q&A.
Business Unusual: The psychology behind resilient brands
Summary
In the face of so much volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, and with so much of our communication now online, how can organisations adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviours and expectations, in order to future-proof their brand and reputation?
Drawing upon her most recent book, Business Unusual, in this keynote Nathalie explores the role of trust and transparency in decision-making and how to harness trends around social identity, values and eudaimonic consumerism.
From cutting edge advancements in marketing, customer engagement and persuasive tech, to leveraging AI to enhance user experience, earn trust and boost conversions, this rapidly evolving topic is perfect for anyone wanting to get ahead of the curve.
Diving into the psychology behind the trends, you’ll discover how to meet our deeper hidden needs for self-determination, and learn how to drive meaningful, mutually beneficial customer experiences while earning greater customers trust and loyalty.
Takeaways
- You’ll get actionable advice on how to leverage transparency to build trust online.
- You’ll be able to identify and harness the psychological trends shaping eudaimonic consumer behaviours, with examples of brands that are getting this right.
- You’ll learn how to meet and leverage the deeper psychological needs that drive our decisions, and learn how to meet these needs so as to build a more meaningful, longlasting and successful consumer-brand relationship.
Who is it for?
This talk is ideal for people in C-level, leadership and management positions, and for those working in marketing, communication, advertising and business. It can also be adapted to meet the needs of a wider, more general audiences.
Delivery: In-person / virtually, with a live Q&A.
Brand resilience and the psychology behind evolving consumer needs
From eudaimonic consumption and autonomy, to values and virtue-signalling, this talk reveals the powerful behavioural shifts changing the face of consumer behaviours, and how brands and organisations can adapt to meet these needs.
The psychology behind resonant communication
With distrust and disinformation at an all time high, consumers are demanding more than ever from the brands they interact with. From leveraging homophily and mirroring techniques, to tapping into emotional contagion and social identity, this talk offers science-based insights and tools to help you cut through the noise.
How to design persuasive platforms
From eliciting initial engagement to creating habitual patterns of use, this talk shows you how to use psychological principles to design persuasive platforms that keep customers coming back for more.
Social media: influence and persuasion
From understanding the consumer dynamics driving social media use, to crafting more contagious content, this talk reveals how you can harness psychological principles to get more from your social spend.
Principles behind great user experiences
Whether you want to reduce cognitive friction, increase engagement or convert more customers, this talk explores some of the most powerful techniques you can use to craft richer, more persuasive user experiences.
Designing for psychological safety in virtual spaces
As we continue to rely on screen-based relating, the resilience of our businesses and organisations will increasingly depend on their ability to cultivate spaces in which people can voice their ideas and collaborate effectively. This talk explores the principles and practices you can use to design for psychological safety even when at a distance.